[Public-list] lazy jacks

[Gordon Laco]

Ok - here goes;

What I am describing is called by sailors a 'sea furl' because it is a good
way to stow the mainsail quickly at sea and in bad weather without using the
whole crew to gather it up and tie in the gaskets.

To do this you would go up to the mast and ease the main halyard enough that
the first reef tack comes down to the boom.  Snub the halyard, and haul in
the first reef line...which will pull the first reef clew almost to the
boom. Tie it off.  Hold the first reef tack in one hand while easing the
halyard again with the other.  If you hold that tack in your left hand, and
control the halyard with your right, you will basically be lowering the sail
into the trough created by the first reef tack and clew.  Once you have the
main mostly or all down, tie off the halyard and roll the sail up tightly
onto the boom.  I always tie the first gasket with the tail of the boom vang
(because it is always there)  work your way back to the cockpit tying on
another two gaskets and you will end up with the mainsail rolled onto the
boom with a 'skin' of smooth sailcloth on top.  You then cast off the reef
line so you are not surprised by it when next you raise the main.

The whole thing looks neat and tidy, easy as pie once you do it a couple of
times.

When you have two people on board, the person who stays in the cockpit
steering controls the tiller (or wheel as in our case) with a foot while
holding the first reef clew while the mast man holds the first reef tack.
The main dumps into the trough as before and the sail then gets rolled into
a tight bundle on top of the boom.

Hope that helps.  I sent someone a series of diagrams a year or so ago... If
you'd like them I can offer them again.

Cheers - Gord






> Gord; as an architect, I thought I had a good mind for visualizing
> descriptions. I have no idea what you are describing but sure am interested.
> Ed. Schroeder #303
> 
> Gordon Laco <mainstay at csolve.net> wrote:  Oh here I go again...
> 
> I don't see any use for lazy jacks. If you use your first reef to hold the
> after end of the sail, and hold the first reef tack in your hand, you will
> have a trough that the sail will fall into as it comes down. If folds of it
> fall out, you make a tossing motion with the hand holding the tack and the
> sail with fall back in.
> 
> Easy as pie even with one person.
> 
> Cheers - Gord #426
> 
> 


 1158108788.0