Boom bag

[Aroha]

I struggle to get my main into the boom bag when I drop the main / the luff is over the dodger etc and thus it’s hard to grab the zip and start closing the bag - midships is ok but then the luff is a problem
The main doesn’t flake flat enough to easily fit in the bag and it’s a struggle doing the zip up as it is now too high up fir me to easily manage
It seems possible only to do once I’m anchored or on the marina
Is it just that I’m vertically challenged or is there a way to make this easy?? I thought I’d get better with practice but this hasn’t eventuated!!!!

[vasko]

Attach a small rope on the zip handle and spray the zip with silicone spray to make it go smoother , also tighten the lazy bag holding ropes - other the that only a bigger bag can help

[Aroha]

Thanks vasko
I was wondered also about growing taller but I think I’m a bit late to try that solution
Yours sounds more practical !!

[jdl01]

Assuming you have crew on board, we find that putting a crew up the two maststeps to catch the descending main luff and flake it smoothly gives a manageable bulk at the forward end of the boom. Crew then stands on the table rails to sort out the flaking of the leech - boom lowered to about a foot above the dodger with sheets firmly tightened. If you are solo, you will be flaking at the dock and a mast cleat for the main halyard helps to secure and release the partially reraised main as you try and build a nice accordion flaking pattern. I'm assuming you have a factory sail from Jeanneau - otherwise compare the luff slide spacing with an original sail - this can make a big difference.

[so36idavid]

Dump the outhaul, go head to wind, drop the main and then travel it over to one side. You should be able to access the aft end of the boom.

[rene460]

I also find getting the zip started is the hardest part, partly you need three hands, and I only have two for some reason.  And partly because it is over the dodger as you say.  I recently adjusted the boom vang, I think it was always wrong, but now the boom end is even higher.  And our boat is only small.

I really like David's idea of pulling the boom over to the side.  I will try that instead of head to wind as soon as the sail is down.  It will make it easier to reach over the dodger.

But the problem is still holding the end of the zip while holding up the sides of the sail bag and getting the reinforced clew into the bag which is a bit small in that area.  Pulling up on the lazy jacks also helps.  I just replaced them all and have not really found the right tensions yet.  I think the original sails had a smaller more flexible reinforcing area.

Extra crew helps, but we are only two, so one steers.

At the luff, I find it helps to really give the luff folds a good pull foreward, so the luff rope is more or less flaked straight down.  Otherwise it tends to loop back and that upsets the leach so it does not flake down so well.

So still a work in progress for me, though mostly due to recent changes.  But if anyone knows how to hold the end of the zip back, that would be really helpful.

rene460

[so36idavid]

Rene,

On my boat it's important to dump the outhaul before dropping the sail. If I don't then there's a lot of sail cloth out near the end of the bag. Dumping the outhaul moves that cloth forward and makes it easy to start the zipping. Also, easing the corners is good for your sail. 

David

[martini70]

Hi

Maybe it´s to late for you Aroha, but for others that thinking of buying for there boats, this is a good idea.
I have one for my SO 34,2. It´s very easy to use

The zipper is on the side instead, so it's much easier to reach it and close the bag.


www.lundhsails.se/kapell-lazybag-cruising

[freeflow]

Apr 2, 2018 6:39:12 GMT vasko said:

Attach a small rope on the zip handle and spray the zip with silicone spray to make it go smoother , also tighten the lazy bag holding ropes - other the that only a bigger bag can help

I found this to help but be careful.  If the line is too long, it will get snagged in the reef lines as your snug them on dropping the main.

I also replaced the zipper on the bag and left a 1 foot tail of zipper off the end of the bag fabric

[rene460]

I was feeling a bit jaded the other day when I described the difficulty of getting the boom bag zip started.  After nine years of only normal struggle with the job, I had much more difficulty than normal that afternoon.

It turned out that adjusting the Lazy Jacks was the clue.  As I mentioned, I had recently replaced them and that was only the second time I furled the sail since the replacement.  I don't know why the first time was easier, but they needed to pull the bag up higher.

I should amplify my comment on adjusting the boom vang.  Of course I do use it as a normal trim control.  But I have a rigid rod kicker with a gas strut.  I have always felt it did not really seem strong enough to lift the boom.  New sails seemed to make the issue a bit worse.  I think the clew must be higher than original.  But it seemed to work, just did not do what I wanted.  We are 300 km. from the agent, and while there is a significant boating industry here, it is very hard to find anyone who knows anything about yacht rigging.

Recently the two sections of the kicker separated.  Out in the wind of course.  Fortunately it easily popped back together once we were back in the pen and could take it all off, no parts were lost.  But the penny dropped.  The end fixed to the boom was too far from the gooseneck, it was over extended, and there was no spring travel left to lift the boom.  It took another trip before I could return with the necessary tools, and could find the necessary fitting instructions.  I had never previously been able to find the instructions.  They seem to have been added to the otherwise excellent Selden website recently.  Or perhaps I was just looking in the wrong place.

What a difference!  It clearly was always wrong.  But, at last, I have adjusted the position of the attachment point on the boom correctly.  It works, and I get the required result when I adjust it for sail shape.  But the outboard end of the boom is now higher.

So a big thanks to David for his hint to turn off the wind a bit when starting the zip so I can stand on the cockpit sides.  So simple, why could I not think of that before?   Makes a huge difference.  But on my sail, dumping the outhaul does not help.  Probably all about the exact bag shape, and the amount of outhaul travel.  So experiment and see if it works on your boat for that one.

So play with the Lazy Jack adjustment, turn off the wind so the boom is more accessible, once the sail is down, to let you get the zip started, pull the vang down hard, then go to the mast and tidy up the luff, finally zip up the bag.

And if you have a rod kicker, check that it is attached to the boom at the appropriate location.  And start to use it to adjust your sail shape.

rene460

[rick63]

Hi,
We had a similar issue last year when we got a new main on our SO409. Found it very difficult to zip up the bag. During the winter my wife made up a new canvas panel the full length of the bag and about 30cm wide. It has zips both sides of the panel. We also replaced the zip on the original bag so the new panel just zips in between them. This basically increases the sail bag width and easily accommodates the 'stiffer' clew end of the sail. You only need to unzip one side of the new panel when raising the sail. The addition material of the new panel section just lies inside the original bag. An easy solution that means no modification to the original sail bag.

[Aroha]

Apr 16, 2018 19:03:32 GMT rick63 said:

Hi,
We had a similar issue last year when we got a new main on our SO409. Found it very difficult to zip up the bag. During the winter my wife made up a new canvas panel the full length of the bag and about 30cm wide. It has zips both sides of the panel. We also replaced the zip on the original bag so the new panel just zips in between them. This basically increases the sail bag width and easily accommodates the 'stiffer' clew end of the sail. You only need to unzip one side of the new panel when raising the sail. The addition material of the new panel section just lies inside the original bag. An easy solution that means no modification to the original sail bag.

An Elegant solution

[ForGrinsToo]

The Jeanneau sailcover is very similar to the Doyle Stackpack. The Doyle manual (http://www.doylesails.com/downloads/DoyleStackPackManual.pdf) has a number of tips for adjusting the lazyjacks and the cover.

We follow David's suggestion to ease the outhaul (unless we forget - but it does make a difference); we release at least the top strap that goes around the mast; and we swing the boom to one side or the other for access to the zipper. Where you need three hands: to hold the tail of the zipper (ours is about 12"), to hold the batten on the far side of the cover (chest against the near side), and to pull the cord attached to the zipper. As Doyle points out, things go a lot better if someone is folding the luff at the same time the sail comes down. But when circumstances demand, we'll dump the main and clean up later.

Geoff