Flaking/Sail Control Systems

To All, I'm considering installing a mainsail control system on my Cal 34. Does anyone have experience with either of these systems - the EZ-Jax or the Jiffy Jax? Other thoughts and opinions are most appreciated. Thanks, Jeff Jeff Shulkin 1970 Cal 34, Hull #332 King Harbor Redondo Beach, CA

I bought some 3/16 line and did them myself. On May 11, 2012, at 9:19 PM, Jeff Shulkin <jd… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: > To All, > > I'm considering installing a mainsail control system on my Cal 34. Does anyone have experience with either of these systems - the EZ-Jax or the Jiffy Jax? Other thoughts and opinions are most appreciated. > > Thanks, > Jeff > > Jeff Shulkin > 1970 Cal 34, Hull #332 > King Harbor > Redondo Beach, CA >

I did my own also. Google lazy jacks for a variety of how to articles. Mine cost less than $200. They are retractable, many folks in our harbor have permanent version. Retractable keeps them out of the way when raising the main and no modification of sail cover necessary. It took an afternoon to design and install. My wife went up the mast to drill and tap for attachment points. A fun project but most important with a long boom is that they are life changers! We can lower main in 20 knots with my wife on the helm no problem, no covering her with a mound of sail, and....no yelling!! Best improvement ever! Mike RobinsonHolidayCal 36 #4 To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com From: th… [at] gmail.com Date: Fri, 11 May 2012 21:38:46 -0700 Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Flaking/Sail Control Systems I bought some 3/16 line and did them myself. On May 11, 2012, at 9:19 PM, Jeff Shulkin <jd… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: To All, I'm considering installing a mainsail control system on my Cal 34. Does anyone have experience with either of these systems - the EZ-Jax or the Jiffy Jax? Other thoughts and opinions are most appreciated. Thanks,Jeff Jeff Shulkin1970 Cal 34, Hull #332King HarborRedondo Beach, CA

Ditto. I used 3/16 or 1/4 don't remember which. Used three strand for cost since it was an experiment to see if I liked Jack Lines. I did about a 2 inch eye-splice at the ends with the lines going through those for the connections. No chafe and the "temporary/experimental" jack lines worked so well a year and a half later they are still in perfect shape & continue to use them. Cost $100 in line. $0 in hardware except where they fasten to the boom & mast. Used spare parts there. The set I made has 1 line on each side splitting out to to & each of these splitting out to two more and having 4 lines come down to the boom on each side. Some lazy jacks have less, for your size sail, I would consider 4. We have full battens & they like to bind the track slugs when the sail slides off the side of the boom when raising & lowering main. The Lazy Jacks have totally eliminated that problem & has made raising/lowering the main about 10x easier and a one man job even in high gusty winds. We also have a boom that extends out over the tiller/helms person. They used to get the crap slapped out of them in high gusty winds when the sail slid off the boom unless two people were flaking & taking up slack on the reef lines as we went. We sail short handed so we don't have the luxury of two flaking on the boom when lowering. Eliminated that problem too. Cheers - Dyer Honu Cal 2-30, SF Bay From:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Adam Thorp Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 9:39 PM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Flaking/Sail Control Systems I bought some 3/16 line and did them myself. On May 11, 2012, at 9:19 PM, Jeff Shulkin <jd… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: >To All, > >I'm considering installing a mainsail control system on my Cal 34. Does anyone have experience with either of these systems - the EZ-Jax or the Jiffy Jax? Other thoughts and opinions are most appreciated. > >Thanks, >Jeff > >Jeff Shulkin >1970 Cal 34, Hull #332 >King Harbor >Redondo Beach, CA

I wonder if anyone has an elegant solution to retract and deploy the lazy jacks with one line led back to the cockpit? I have only seen solutions where one line is used to retract, and another used to deploy. On May 12, 2012, at 11:05 AM, Dylan Crouch <dy… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: > Ditto. I used 3/16 or 1/4 don't remember which. > > Used three strand for cost since it was an experiment to see if I liked Jack Lines. I did about a 2 inch eye-splice at the ends with the lines going through those for the connections. No chafe and the "temporary/experimental" jack lines worked so well a year and a half later they are still in perfect shape & continue to use them. > > Cost $100 in line. $0 in hardware except where they fasten to the boom & mast. Used spare parts there. > > The set I made has 1 line on each side splitting out to to & each of these splitting out to two more and having 4 lines come down to the boom on each side. Some lazy jacks have less, for your size sail, I would consider 4. > > We have full battens & they like to bind the track slugs when the sail slides off the side of the boom when raising & lowering main. The Lazy Jacks have totally eliminated that problem & has made raising/lowering the main about 10x easier and a one man job even in high gusty winds. > > We also have a boom that extends out over the tiller/helms person. They used to get the crap slapped out of them in high gusty winds when the sail slid off the boom unless two people were flaking & taking up slack on the reef lines as we went. We sail short handed so we don't have the luxury of two flaking on the boom when lowering. Eliminated that problem too. > > Cheers - > Dyer > Honu Cal 2-30, SF Bay > > From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Adam Thorp > Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 9:39 PM > To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Flaking/Sail Control Systems > > > I bought some 3/16 line and did them myself. > > Sent from my iPhone > > On May 11, 2012, at 9:19 PM, Jeff Shulkin <jd… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: > > To All, > > I'm considering installing a mainsail control system on my Cal 34. Does anyone have experience with either of these systems - the EZ-Jax or the Jiffy Jax? Other thoughts and opinions are most appreciated. > > Thanks, > Jeff > > Jeff Shulkin > 1970 Cal 34, Hull #332 > King Harbor > Redondo Beach, CA > > > > >

Here is one where he led to single line at the mast. It could be led to cockpit. Mike To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com From: th… [at] gmail.com Date: Sat, 12 May 2012 13:28:31 -0700 Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Flaking/Sail Control Systems I wonder if anyone has an elegant solution to retract and deploy the lazy jacks with one line led back to the cockpit? I have only seen solutions where one line is used to retract, and another used to deploy. On May 12, 2012, at 11:05 AM, Dylan Crouch <dy… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: Ditto. I used 3/16 or 1/4 don't remember which. Used three strand for cost since it was an experiment to see if I liked Jack Lines. I did about a 2 inch eye-splice at the ends with the lines going through those for the connections. No chafe and the "temporary/experimental" jack lines worked so well a year and a half later they are still in perfect shape & continue to use them. Cost $100 in line. $0 in hardware except where they fasten to the boom & mast. Used spare parts there. The set I made has 1 line on each side splitting out to to & each of these splitting out to two more and having 4 lines come down to the boom on each side. Some lazy jacks have less, for your size sail, I would consider 4. We have full battens & they like to bind the track slugs when the sail slides off the side of the boom when raising & lowering main. The Lazy Jacks have totally eliminated that problem & has made raising/lowering the main about 10x easier and a one man job even in high gusty winds. We also have a boom that extends out over the tiller/helms person. They used to get the crap slapped out of them in high gusty winds when the sail slid off the boom unless two people were flaking & taking up slack on the reef lines as we went. We sail short handed so we don't have the luxury of two flaking on the boom when lowering. Eliminated that problem too. Cheers - Dyer Honu Cal 2-30, SF Bay From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Adam Thorp Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 9:39 PM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Flaking/Sail Control Systems I bought some 3/16 line and did them myself. On May 11, 2012, at 9:19 PM, Jeff Shulkin <jd… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: To All, I'm considering installing a mainsail control system on my Cal 34. Does anyone have experience with either of these systems - the EZ-Jax or the Jiffy Jax? Other thoughts and opinions are most appreciated. Thanks, Jeff Jeff Shulkin 1970 Cal 34, Hull #332 King Harbor Redondo Beach, CA

Another option a bit more cost effective and moves the attachment point to the spreaders where IMHO they should be to prevent chafe and open the the chute so to speak. http://www.goodoldboat.com/reader_services/articles/tamers.php /ch