Hello, last winter when a shrink wrap company covered this Freedom 30, they removed the lazy jack lines. We added new ones temporarily but they are the incorrect length and the incorrect material. The manual says they should be 5/16" Dacron polyester so I now have that (although when I cut it I’m finding that they unravel quickly before I heat them… so I’m now taping before cutting and burning).
Please, what length should each one be?
Also, I’m curious whether the lazy jacks should / can be short enough to keep the boom from contacting a dodger, but that would imply that a role of a lazy jack is to hold the boom up and off the dodger. The weight of the boom and sail is a lot that the lazy jacks would have to carry (and maybe if the lazy jacks are that short they could reduce the foil curve of the sail?).
Appreciate any words of advice!
You should have a vinyl coated wire on each side, terminated to a block. My line is a single continuous loop, about 20 feet long, of 5/16 Dacron braid, both ends going to a single cleat forward and at the bottom of the boom.
I believe that this arrangement was designed to be able to support the weight of the boom and sail in order to avoid the need for a topping lift. (This may not be true on the larger boats where a rigid vang may be more suitable.)
As for length, I adjust mine to be as low as needed to set the main fully sheeted in to windward without rubbing tightly against the sail or affecting the sail shape. There is a sweet spot where you won’t need to adjust it each time you want to sail, yet it is high enough with the sail down not to be annoying. After lowering the sail, I move the halyard to the aft end of the boom and If I want it a bit higher at anchor, I’ll usually just do that with the halyard.
Hi SunnyIsleMark, That’s helpful info, thank you.
I like the idea of the lazy jacks supporting the boom so the boom doesn’t touch the dodger when we’re not sailing. I’ll experiment with that and hopefully it will be the case, and we’ll just augment what’s needed to hold up the boom with the main halyard if needed.
I just found within the Manual that the 5/16" Dacron braded lazy jack line is 25" so will start with that. I wasn’t initially aware though that the Dacron is all one line to satisfy port and starboard… for some reason I was thinking each side had it’s own separate lazy jack. It’s easier to go with the one line, including for adjusting (and the line can move during sailing depending on which tack we’re on, if needed).
I’ll go with that.
Thanks alot!
Steve
[quote=SunnyIsleMark post_id=56247 time=1721415304 user_id=6331]
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You should have a vinyl coated wire on each side, terminated to a block. My line is a single continuous loop, about 20 feet long, of 5/16 Dacron braid, both ends going to a single cleat forward and at the bottom of the boom.
I believe that this arrangement was designed to be able to support the weight of the boom and sail in order to avoid the need for a topping lift. (This may not be true on the larger boats where a rigid vang may be more suitable.)
As for length, I adjust mine to be as low as needed to set the main fully sheeted in to windward without rubbing tightly against the sail or affecting the sail shape. There is a sweet spot where you won’t need to adjust it each time you want to sail, yet it is high enough with the sail down not to be annoying. After lowering the sail, I move the halyard to the aft end of the boom and If I want it a bit higher at anchor, I’ll usually just do that with the halyard.
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On my F 40/40, before I lower the main, heading into the wind, I loosen the main halyard and vang, push up on the clew end of the boom as as high as I can using a boat hook while my wife tightens the lazy jacks as tight as she can. This gets the boom pretty high, way above the dodger and Bimini. Before we drop the main, we then tighten the main halyard and vang to get the lazy jacks tight. The boom still stays pretty high. Since the lazy jacks are tight, the sail will then drop neatly onto the boom without it spilling out on either side, which makes it easier to put the sail cover on. Simultaneously while dropping the main we pull the reef lines in tight which also helps keep the main from spilling over the boom.
When we raise the sail the next time, the lazy jacks are nice and tight which makes it easier to raise the main without the batten ends getting caught in the lazy jacks. We have to remember to loosen the vang and main halyard before raising the sail to allow the clew end of the boom to go up with the sail as it is being raised. If we don’t do that, we cannot get the luff tight on the mast. Worse yet, before I figured this out, I once snapped my main halyard.
Once the sail is raised, we loosen the lazy jacks so the sail can take its shape and the lazy jack blocks do not rub on the sail.
On my boat there are two components to the lazy jacks. One line each Pt. and Stbd and hung at the jib/Spinnaker sheave box (camberspar topping lift attached to same spot). Small blocks on the end of each line.
Then there is a separate line looped fore and aft around the boom and reaved through the blocks on the lines coming from the box to provide an upside down V shape attached to the two box lines. They basically form a triangle with apex about five feet above the boom. Above that you have the two lines running at an angle forward to the sheave box.
when I had mine rebuilt six years ago the rigger used 3/8 amsteel for the long lines to the sheave box and I used standard double braid for the lower triangle(s). This was designed to hold the boom up when the lazy jacks are snugged up although I do have a Rigid vang as well. I also snug the jacks up progressively as I reef. This contains excess sail…to some degree
Like jlodolce I also keep them tight until the main is up when I first raise the sail. This supports the boom (although I do have the rigid vang) but, most importantly, it prevents batten hang up on the jacks…mostly.
With regard to length, the 25’ sounds about right. A precise length is not necessary IMO. Just adjust the length of the lower triangle(s) line to accommodate slightly longer or shorter lines to the box. The lower triangle line can be cut to an appropriate length after you rig. On my F30 the lower triangle line is about 30 feet long +/-. I installed a lewmar rope clutch on the boom so I can easily lock and release the lazy jack lower line.