Lazy Jacks

I used to avoid using the mainsail when I sailed single-handed because it required me to leave the cockpit to undo the sail ties that keep the mainsail tethered to the boom and again to gather the sail and tie it down when I lowered it.

I finally decided to make my own set of lazy jacks to help me gather the sail so that I can handle the mainsail easily single-handed.  They're relatively simple to construct. All you need is about 100' of small diameter line, some slip rings, and a few small blocks (pulleys).

This is a commercial version

The most difficult part is mounting the blocks up on the spreader.  I enlisted the help of dock-mate, Roger Brown to hoist me up to the spreader in a bosun's chair.  I was barely 3' over the boom when Roger announced that he wasn't comfortable with the procedure.  That's all the excuse I needed to call it quits and seek another alternative. 

I called Mark, the rigger, at SailCraft Boatyard and made an appointment to bring 6KG over to have him install the blocks. Using the bucket lift, it took Mark only 15 minutes to drill the spreader, install the small blocks and run the lazy jack lines thru them.  A bargain at twice the price.

I tied the lines for each side to a slip ring forward of the mast and then ran a single line back to a cam cleat mounted by the halyard winch.  This allows me to slack off the lazy jacks and avoid the problem of the sail battens getting caught up in the lazy jacks when I raise the main.   

Now, when I'm at the dock, preparing to go out sailing, the lazy jacks will hold the mainsail in place after I remove the sail ties.  When I get out on the river and turn into the wind, all I have to do is lock on the autopilot and move forward in the cockpit, slack off the lazy jacks and raise the main.  It's a piece of cake.

When it's time to call it a day, I raise the lazy jacks, turn into the wind and drop the main.  The sail is nicely contained by the lazy jacks and I can deal with it later when I return to the dock.

Another advantage to bringing the line back to the cockpit is that when I put the sail cover on, I simply pull the lazy jack lines forward, parallel to the boom and wrap the line around the mast winches.  No need to have slots cut in the mainsail cover to accommodate the lines.

Counting the rigger fee of $20, the entire system cost me less than $50 and has been a huge success.

Rarely do I go out sailing and not use the mainsail.

RICK FLOYD 1947-2015

Last year on my nearly month-long Caribbean cruise aboard Lakota, I made a life long friend. Unfortunately for everyone that knew him, that life was not nearly long enough.

Rick Floyd died of heart failure 4 days after undergoing gastric bypass surgery in Raleigh.  I spoke to him on the phone the day after the surgery and he sounded anxious to resume making plans for his upcoming retirement in June.

Rick was a big man.  Not tall but built like a bear.  A gentle bear. He had an infectious laugh and a desire to make others laugh with him.

Not unlike me, he had a treasure chest of stories that he liked to share.  We swapped stories for hours on end during that voyage.  At one point we agreed to hold up two fingers if one of us was repeating a story.  Sometimes he would smile and hold up four fingers.  Well, spending everyday together for nearly a month does lead to repetition. Not that we didn't have more stories, it's just hard to remember which ones we already told.

Rick saved our bacon off the island of Guadeloupe when we got blind sided by a 50-60 knot winds roaring out of a valley.  I sincerely believe we owe him our lives for how he manned the helm that day.

On our return home, Rick and I stayed in touch weekly by phone and would meet for dinner every time I came down to Oriental.  He lived in Clayton and worked for the State on a 4 day a week job. He spent every weekend aboard his 42' Beneteau, docked at Pecan Grove, in Oriental.  He loved taking friends to Cape Lookout for the weekend.

Rick was outfitting his boat in preparation for his retirement. He had a water maker installed in January and followed that up with a freezer in the Spring. Solor panels were the next order of business.

Plans were to head North for a couple of months then come about and head for the Caribbean.  He had a 100 ton captain's license and was considering an offer to captain charters in the BVI for some extra money.

I looked forward to joining him from time to time when the Admiral granted me a temporary leave of absence.

Being a big man, Rick's health was always an issue.  Even though he rarely ate big meals, he couldn't lose the weight he needed to improve his health.  He had diabetes and a bad knee which were exacerbated by his bulk. He decided that gastric bypass surgery would help get him on the road to a more healthy life style.

It was a gamble that he wasn't destined to win.  His big heart wasn't up to the task. His passing was a shock to all that knew and loved him.

His memorial service was the most heart wrenching event that I have ever attended.  As much as I wanted to step up and tell everyone what this man meant to me, I knew that I could never get the words out.

We miss you Rick.  You will always be in our hearts.  Sail on Old Friend.

 Fair winds and smooth seas

Enjoy a cheeseburger in Paradise