Jiffy Reef/Lazy Jack, New Install: To "tack" or "clew"?

[Laika 26X]

All right, folks, here’s my first real "?" on the boards:

In all the blow boats I've owned (pre-owned), the Main handling elements such as the Lazy Jack and Jiffy reef Cleats were all installed (per instructions and common practice) towards the Main's tack (by the mast).

Therefore to use and/or adjust either one, you need to get up on the cabin by the mast to release them. At least that's what I did when I reefed. I had to anyway because the aforementioned vessels had their main halyards at the mast, and not led aft, and therefore never encountered the answer to the following.

So here’s the question:

Since I want to lead my main halyard aft (one of many mods this winter), would I not want to reverse the location of the control components (cleats, blocks etc) of both the Lazy Jack and Jiffy reef (more mods) to the clew end of boom as opposed to the tack end by the mast? This way I can cleat and adjust them from the cockpit.

Has anyone done this?

If not...any foreseen issues? (Other than spaghetti in your face at the boom end regardless how you coil the extra line.)

Recommendations?

Thanks!
Ed “I never wanna leave my cockpit” Tordahl

[c130king]

Ed,

I am with you. I never want to leave the cockpit if I don't need to.

My jiffy reef system was initially a single-line reef system with the free end of the line at the boom end. When pulled tight this resulted in a big wad of line I had to secure at the end of the boom...major PITA.

So I modified the system and ran the line the other way towards the mast but then turned it down to the deck and ran it back to the cockpit on the starboard side. Now when I want to reef I just pull the line and secure to a cleat I have installed at the front/starboard side of the cockpit.

As to lazy jacks...I got 'em and I love 'em...make my life very simple...at least compared to what I have read and the few boats I have seen without them. The sail drops nicely and is contained well enough until I can get the boat into the dock or harbour and then I can climb up and put on a few sail ties...but I could go for hours without sail ties if necessary.

But my LJ system is put up and leave alone. Once I raise the mast I clip on the LJ system...fore and aft...with small cheap carabiners and leave it in place until I am ready to put on the sail cover (unclip the rear carabiners and pull the lines to the mast) or lower the mast (unclip all carabiners and bungy the LJ lines to the mast).

Here is a thread on this topic. You can find more on both reefing systems and LJ systems if you do a search...give it a try...you will finds tons of good info.

Lazy Jack Drawing

Good Luck,
Jim

[Highlander]

Hi Ed

Thats what I did here's a video

http://s844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... 010088.flv

J

[bscott]

Check out www.jiffyjax.com and www.ezjax.com u-tube on the ezjax show operation of the system

Bob

[waternwaves]

Watching highlanders videos.........

I have come to the distinct conclusion it is time for the forum to require him to use either a handsfree helmet cam, or one of those cam baseball hats....

http://www.spyassociates.com/baseball-c ... -1376.html

http://www.spycatcheronline.co.uk/baseb ... p-496.html

I will worry so much less about him or the camera falling in.........don't forget the chinstrap.....

[Gazmn]

[Highlander]

Hi Greg

Did you ever get me the make & model of your bow roller so as I can finnish off your removable bowsprit as your bowroller is bigger than the Mac one I was thinking of making your's a 4ft instead of a 3ft !!!

Darren

with a hat camera I'd need a neck like a Girraff to get some of these pic's I post
you just gotta be young & able like me or is that foolish you say !
J

[mikelinmon]

Well, no! You don't want any reef controls on tip of boom. The whole purpose of paying for jiffy reefing is to move the controls from end of boom to a single spot. It needs to be by the halyard. If one wants the very best, just pony up $$$ for halyard led aft and jiffy reefing stuff (single line or two line) reef points will first run to the forward end of the boom, then to the same area as halyard led aft.
MIke Inmon

[Wind Chime]

Our X was rigged by BWY, and it always puzzled me why they rig their "'Single-Line Jiffy-Reefing System" with the bitter end of the line, on the aft-end of the boom.

I've found that in most cases of reefing, you need to relieve the pressure on the sail-slugs in order for the mainsail to drop (even with the main downhaul I have installed), which means easing the mainsheet so now the aft-end of the boom is out over the water, and reaching the reefing line is impossible.

It usually took me a several moves to reef:
- boom out (to remove pressure on sail slugs so main will drop)
- lower mainsail
- bring boom back in (so you can reach the jiffy-line)
- reef jiffy line
- let the boom back out
- raise main halyard
- trim mainsheet

(or)

- boom in
- head up into wind, to luff main
- drop headsail
- jiffy-reef
- raise mainsail
- bear away
- trim mainsheet


With the jiffy-line reversed: (jiffy-line starts at aft-end of boom, then lead forward on the boom to mast, then back to cockpit)
- boom out (to remove pressure on sail slugs so main will drop)
- lower mainsail
- pull jiffy-reef line
- main up
- trim mainsheet

[bscott]

Don't forget to ease OFF the boom vang---it makes it much easier to reef when the boom can move up to the reefing cringle.

Bob

[dxg68]

Our X was rigged by BWY, and it always puzzled me why they rig their "'Single-Line Jiffy-Reefing System" with the bitter end of the line, on the aft-end of the boom.

I've found that in most cases of reefing, you need to relieve the pressure on the sail-slugs in order for the mainsail to drop (even with the main downhaul I have installed), which means easing the mainsheet so now the aft-end of the boom is out over the water, and reaching the reefing line is impossible.

It usually took me a several moves to reef:

I use ¼” topping lift line and cam cleats at the tip of the boom to hold boom in place and release pressure of the main slugs while reefing. I let main sheet go, pull on the topping lift line (through cam cleats) to raise boom up, and tighten main sheet again so that the boom is not going anywhere and there is no pressure on main sail.

[c130king]

So with "boom end" jiffy-reef system do you get a big "wad" of reefing line at the end of the boom when reefed?

My Lazy Jack system was this way...hated the big "wad" of line on the end of the boom when the Lazy Jacks were pulled tight (raised). So I converted to a "clip on" system so I didn't have to deal with the "wad".

I have Jiffy-Reef led back to the cockpit on the port side...not the same side as the halyard. But it works well for me. However I do need to ease the vang and the main sheet when reefing so that I can pull the luff tight after reefing.

Here is a pic of my sail reefed when I didn't ease the vang and the main sheet. As I raised the sail back up the leech pulled tight and I couldn't raise the sail as far as I should/could have...you can see the looseness in the luff.



I have considered going to a 2-line reefing system but have changed my mind and will stick with the single-line.

Cheers,
Jim

[bubba]

We have 3 jiffy reefing systems on our M and we made reef line Gortex bags with drain holes for all 3 reefs and also the outhall and attached them to the boom. That way the lines are not a mess when we trailor and there easy to handle when sailing.

[c130king]

Bubba,

Any pics of your reefing set-up?

Thanks,
Jim

[bubba]

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm42 ... ing009.jpg I think will show it. The pully at the mast end of the boom has a quick disconnect to fasten to the mast.