I've used just about everything from roller reefing round the boom - dreadful - to in boom roller reefing - great - and most systems in between but never lazyjacks and/or stackpack. The internet is rather "sniffy" about the system and raise a number of objections and problems. So how do Parker Sealers deal with them?

There seems to be problems with with snagging on the lazyjacks as the sail is hoisted. Is this a problem on the P235? How loose do you allow the stack pack to be / drop down whilst hoisting?. One suggestion was to completely slacken the port side lazyjack right off and put the boat very slightly on to a starboard tack as you hoist. Anybody do this? When sailing how tight or slack do you have the lazyjacks? Do you slacken the right off and bring them forward to the mast? Or are all these problems none existent! Any info, help or advice greatly received.

Robin Cooter 235/11 Ossie.

Hi Robin,

I have lazyjacks (but not stackpack on my SS26) and whilst they are a godsend on dropping the sail, everything you have heard/read re them snagging the sail battens as sail is hoisted is true! For me the ease of dropping sail outweighs the nuisance factor of snagging, I just have to make sure boat is dead to wind before hoisting, and keep an eye on those pesky battens as they pass the lazyjacks. There's a couple of things you can do to lessen the problem. Firstly, rather than attach top mounting points of lazyjacks to mast, you can attach them to midway (or further) out on the spreaders. This moves the jacks away from the sail somewhat and is supposedly a fairly good solution, whilst still catching the sail well when its dropped. The other solution, which one day I will attempt is to devise a system for lowering the lazyjacks to boom level before the sail is hoisted.

Hi Robin,

I have a stack-pack and lazy-jacks on my 235. I would not be without them now.

I sail mainly on my own, and being everso slightly old, I need all the help I can get. The batons, mainly the top baton does snag particularly if I am not pointing directly into wind, but if it does, a tug on the sail soon clears it.

The main benefit, of course is when dropping the sails, which can be a performance if you are on your own or shorthanded, but made simple with this arrangement. I have attached a line to the top reefing lug (if that is the right term) led back to the cockpit which helps lower the sail if I am not directly into wind; so a combination of that and using the reefing lines makes lowering the sail dead easy. There may be 6 ft or so of sail left, but this is very easy to rectify.

Before setting off, by the way, I pull the reefing lines right out which can then rest in the stack-pack, out of the way until the sail goes up.

You mention slackening-off. I never do any of this as I am not sure there is any need! The stack-pack is not in the way and is there ready should I need to reef quickly.

Like Fred. I have also attached the top of the lazy-jacks to the spreaders – gives you a bit more ‘free space’ when the sail is going up so also helps to alleviate snagging.

Highly recommended for an ‘easy life’.

Hope this helps

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Hi Fred and John,
Thank you both for taking time to help me with problems and pleasures of using lazyjacks and the stackpack.
Useful comments that you both take your lazyjacks to the spreaders, about half way along them. In setting my system up I found that, at times, there was quite a lot of weight on the tail of the lazyjacks where they are cleated to the mast. Do you see any distortion of the spreaders when they are under load? If I fit blocks to the spreaders it will not be until the end of the season. Is this a fairly standard practice amongst 235 owners?
My wife and I, also being “everso slightly old”, are looking at any adaptions that we keep us in the cockpit as much as possible and I had been considering fixing lines in the gooseneck area, running them through the reefing eyes and then carrying them aft either along the boom or down to the deck and aft. As well as making reefing easier it would help getting the sail down. A million years ago I had this system on a cruising Wayfarer and it was very efficient.
Do I gather that even if you are precisely head to wind the weight of the battens is insufficient to bring the sail down on its own? Has anybody tried silicone spray on the mainsail luff to make it slippery? I know that some racing sailors spray their spinnakers so that the slide out of the bag more easily when hoisting and years ago there was a fashion for using beeswax on the luff or on the track if fitted with sliders.
I think that I will investigate Fred’s idea of finding a way of carrying the lazyjacks forward to the mast for hoisting. It will be a balance between a more precise and difficult hoist versus climbing out of the cockpit!
Thank you both for your posts and if other members can add more on this topic I would be very appreciative.
Robin and Maggie Cooter 235/11 Ossie.

Hi Robin, My mainsail rarely drops under its own weight, even with boat head to wind. On my last boat I sprayed the luff track and sliders with Mclube Sailkote and it made a huge difference to sail drop. I'm waiting for a friend to return from his travels so that I may borrow his mast ladder to get up there and do the same on my Super Seal. I might do some experimentation this weekend with lower-able lazyjacks. If I do I'll post some pics on this thread.

Hi Robin,

I was out yesterday and took some pics that you might find helpful. I will try to post them here, if not, your email, and I can send them.

Proving difficult, so if you send me your email, I will forward them to you

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Hi John,

It's santorin@uwclub.net

Robin Cooter 235/11 Ossie

Hi Robin

I've not tried the spreader trick on my SS26 but I would absolutely endorse regular use of McLube on the sliders. I find that a couple of sprays a season means all but the last few feet of sail tumbles into the stackpack on its own, as long as the sail itself is head to wind.

I also have a shockcord takeup on the aftermost fall of the lazyjacks. This gives the whole system a bit of give and means there is no need to loosen anything while sailing. It also makes it easier to flip a trapped batten end when hoisting, and ensures there is hardly any load on any part of the arrangement. The only drawback is that the end of the bottom batten occasionally flops out when dropping, but it's easily dumped back in from the cockpit.

Hope that helps!
Peter

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