I need some help regarding a problem I have with my lazy jacks. I have a Freedom 25 with a wing mast. The battens on my sail extend beyond the leech by about 1-1.5 inches (foam core battens). When trying to hoist the mainsail, frequently they will catch under the lazy jack which makes single handing the boat nearly impossible. Any ideas on how to set up the lazy jacks so that their functional when needed but can somehow be collapsed when getting under sail?
I found a tiller pilot really helpful – then I could get the boat pointing perfectly into the wind and have my hands and eyes free to raise and lower the sail without hanging up the battens.
Lazy Jacks are a blessing and curse in one. Great for taking the mainsail down, not so much when raising. Agree, the trick is to get the boat directly in the wind and get the sail high enough that the luff falls behind the lazy jacks.
Alternatively, you an stow the jacks before raising, depending on your setup by loosening, then pull them forward. I’ve played around with ideas as simple as a bungee on the blocks around the front of the mast with enough tension in the line under the boom to keep them from going too far forward. Challenge is the need to go forward at least twice to stow then return them to ready for dropping the mainsail. In the end, I’ve just go with the first option and keep the boat as straight in the wind as possible at least till I’m about 1/3 of the way up and the battens are then beyond where they can catch on the lazy jacks.
Tom