Topping Lift vs. Lazy Jacks

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:40 pm

OK, those of you who have and use lazyjacks, how serviceable are they? Do they keep the sail in place? Does the sail get hung up during raising or dousing? Do the battens catch in the lazyjack lines? Are they more trouble than they are worth or do they generally work most of the time? If they do get hung up, how bad & how long does it take to untangle? Just want to make sure I don't make them and then find I don't like them because the sail keeps hanging up. Experiences?

c130king · Post by **c130king** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:51 pm

I am no expert but I like the LJ's that came on my boat.

I do have bouts with the battens getting hung up, especially if I am not dead into the wind. But it normally just takes lowering a little and then pulling it up again. Occasionally I hold on to the leech as the sail goes up to help keep it straight.

But generally it works well with minimal annoyances. It works well for holding everything together when dropping the sails.

Overall I like it just fine. But it looks like it will be a pain when I take the sail off and the boom off the boat. My PO never did and I haven't had to yet (I trailer for now with the mast down but the boom still connected...including all the LJ lines, reefing line, and halyard up and down haul lines.

My LJ lines are not "bungee" but seem to be a thin nylon line.

Jim

ssichler · Post by **ssichler** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 7:41 am

Terry wrote:OK, those of you who have and use lazyjacks, how serviceable are they? Do they keep the sail in place? Does the sail get hung up during raising or dousing? Do the battens catch in the lazyjack lines? Are they more trouble than they are worth or do they generally work most of the time? If they do get hung up, how bad & how long does it take to untangle? Just want to make sure I don't make them and then find I don't like them because the sail keeps hanging up. Experiences?

Yes mine keep the sail in place. Yes the sail can get hung up on the battens and the spreader wires with the rotating mast so you have to keep the lines loose and make sure you are heading straight into the wind. Untangling usually involves going up to the mast and pulling down. My main complaint is that the sail is so light it doesn't drop nicely in place.

Highlander · Post by **Highlander** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:09 pm

my LJ are connected to the mast & boom with ss cabiners when raising the sail or while sailing just move the aft LJ connection forward on the boom to the front connections or you can just ease them off

eric3a · Post by **eric3a** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:23 pm

ssichler · Post by **ssichler** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:37 pm

Unfortunately I have to agree with Eric on this one. Without the weight of a heavier sail it just doesn't drop and stack as nicely as others I've used.

Frank C · Post by **Frank C** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:25 pm

eric3a wrote:Yes but from the photo the sail still needs to be furled.... So little is gained really?
Eric

Au contraire ... it's resting quite satisfactorily ON the boom. The alternative has it draped all over the cockpit and perhaps across stanchions. It takes 3 or 4 minutes away from the helm to deal with it ... I'd rather have it contained mostly atop the boom so I can deal with when I choose, rather than "right now."

delevi · Post by **delevi** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:01 pm

Or you can get a Dutchman System, where the sail never hangs up on anything, will flake nicely every time and will sit flaked on top of the boom when double reefed w/o sail diamonds. Much of the time, I don't use sail ties, just put the cover right on the neatly flaked sail. $550-$600 installed and must be done in a sail loft. Better than LJs but more $$$. You must have a topping lift for this system, not a boom kicker.

Leon

eric3a · Post by **eric3a** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:17 pm

Frank C · Post by **Frank C** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 9:10 pm

Sorry to say, yeah.
And, that's using elastic, velcro sailties~!

Highlander · Post by **Highlander** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:39 pm

My main is fully contained from the cockpit & 4 sail ties does it in a jiffy as soon as I get the chance all from the cockpit

my single line reefing & cunningham also. Ah to be organised or I'm I just getting to comfortable or "smart in my old age "

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa · Post by **Dimitri-2000X-Tampa** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 3:55 pm

eric3a wrote:Auto-pilot, roller-fuler... Cheating!

For the main sail I usually rig a "spider" (don't know how to call it!).
It's a line under the boom on which I tie your classic ball sail ties at regular interval.

Yes I have slugs, wouldn't leave home without them. This is a cruising boat afterall, of course I want autopilot, roller furling, slugged mainsail, all lines to the cockpit, etc. It would be a real pita to singlehand without them. Actually, the only time I would ever consider racing my mac would be if it was singlehanding allowed only.

Eric, I like that "spider" idea, all these years I have been using the velcro sail ties, including fishing them out of the water quite a few times when they have blown overboard. Using the ball bungies tied to a line sounds like a very good idea, in fact, I'll bet they will fit right through the little reefing grommets too. This would keep the sail very tidy while reefed...and we are headed into reef season quite soon down here. I suppose you want some shorter ones for the aft side of the boom and some longer ones near the mast where most of the sail bunches up.

I just have to finish my mast light mod switches (fore and aft deck lights, and an anchor light) and then I'm taking the rest of the year off wrt working on the boat. The rest of the year will be sailing time (hopefully).

waternwaves · Post by **waternwaves** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:56 pm

Dimitri.......

I would suggest you won't like the bungees through the reef grommets.....It flaps around way too much in high winds....

And they still tore a little bit. Stick with 1/8" dacron, much easier to handle than the 1/8" braided nylon I made the second mistake with. Those wet nylon knots became way too tight were impossible to remove.

I wait, I forgot.... it doesn't rain when sailing in florida.......

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa · Post by **Dimitri-2000X-Tampa** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:09 pm

So I take it you tried it before then and it doesn't work well? Seems like all the tension is at the reef clew and reef tack and the small grommets are just to tidy the sail up. Once or twice when I reefed in a hurry, I don't think I even tied those down very well, just kinda rolled up the sail a bit into a bag of sorts.

Highlander · Post by **Highlander** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:06 am

I was thinking of puting them the 6" bungy's in the small grommets also remove the split plastic ball tie of the 6" bungy knot on each side of the grommet reinstall the split plastic ball & the bungy's should stay in the middle of the grommet but i've only had to tie off these grommets in really hard blow's

John

MacGregorSailors.com

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Topping Lift vs. Lazy Jacks