Help rigging topping lift / Lazy jack cover system

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albanygary
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 11:38 am
Sailboat: Tattoo 26

Help rigging topping lift / Lazy jack cover system

Post by albanygary »

Hey all, Just took delivery of the new :tat26: (hull # 68) and excited about getting the boxes of extras installed. My :tat26: came with topping lift and integral main cover / lazy jack system which the dealer didn't install. The topping lift is just a line but I can't see where to attach it to. Assuming the very top of the mast somewhere but there isn't a turn block up there. There's a loop which I'm guessing could take this line given that it won't be carrying much weight. Or do I tie off on the loop up the mast and thread through the turnblock on the boom (which i've been using for the outhaul up to now. Thoughts? Also the main cover. This is impressive and once in place is going to make life very easy. But where to rig it? I've had it on the boom and the main wrapped up nicely in it, but do the lines for the LJ go through the turn blocks halfway up the mast and down to the mast cleats? I think i can work it out or jury-rig something up but if there's an ideal way I would leave to hear everyone's input.
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Max Entropy
Engineer
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Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Saanich, British Columbia, 2008 26M 70hp Suzuki

Re: Help rigging topping lift / Lazy jack cover system

Post by Max Entropy »

Not knowing the provenance of your system, nevertheless, I think this document shd give you some idea of how to rig the sail stack/lazy jack system.

http://www.doylesails.com/downloads/Doy ... Manual.pdf.

Regarding the topping lift you cd install a turning block on the mast, or just an eye to fix it to, and put a couple of attachment points at the at the distal end to accommodate different positions for the boom.

Regards - Nick
mad dog
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Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2012 3:31 pm

Re: Help rigging topping lift / Lazy jack cover system

Post by mad dog »

Hi,

I'll send you a photo of my rig tonight which has the lazy jack system in place.

mad dog ( Hull no 007)
mad dog
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2012 3:31 pm

Re: Help rigging topping lift / Lazy jack cover system

Post by mad dog »

Hi Albanygary,
Can't see how to post a photo.
Any suggestions?
dxg4848
First Officer
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Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:58 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Cleveland, OH; 2009 26M; 60HP Etec

Re: Help rigging topping lift / Lazy jack cover system

Post by dxg4848 »

I installed both topping lift and main sail cradle/lazy jack on my :macm:

My main sail cradle/lazy jack cover (from BWY) fits in boom's bolt rope slot so that main sail becomes loose-footed. It came with instructions and all necessary hardware. I had to install two cheek blocks for lazy jack lines above spreaders 20' from mast base. It does work nice.

Like you said topping lift is just a line. Install any suitable fitting on mast top. And I attached cam cleats to boom end, but you can do it any way you want. You gona need to drill some holes :)

Talk to your dealer, he will help you.
albanygary
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 11:38 am
Sailboat: Tattoo 26

Re: Help rigging topping lift / Lazy jack cover system

Post by albanygary »

Sorry everyone. I should have elaborated. But hey!!! In my own head I knew what I was talking about. The TL and LJ in question is the factory supplied options from Tattoo. The Topping Lift is just a line with a label attached. I'm probably going to just tie to the loop at the mast head and control it at the cleat at the tack end of the boom. The sail cover / combined LJ system looks a nice bit of kit. It attached to the boom by bolt rope (like the main sail would) and the cradle comes up off each cheek of the cover. Once the sail is down and in, it zippers up along the top. I have two mini blocks half way up the mast and will probably turn them there and down to cleats on the mast. With the halyards now running aft these cleats are open. I could probably work it out and come up with a solution of a fashion but was looking for any experience in the forums with this factory supplied kit.
albanygary
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Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 11:38 am
Sailboat: Tattoo 26

Re: Help rigging topping lift / Lazy jack cover system

Post by albanygary »

Well, I gave it a shot trying to work out the topping lift and lazy jack / cover this past weekend. For now the topping lift is a line tied to a ring at the top of the mast to a cleat at the clew end of the boom. Simple, but it works. I may rework this and bring the line down the mast turn it at the step and bring it back to the cockpit.

The lazy jack system i have looped through the turn blocks halfway up the mast down to cleats. I finally worked out why Tattoo shipped me two 1/2 inch diameter pvc plumbing pipes. These are the rods that slide into the cover to give it rigidity along the length. This piece of kit is well worth the money and makes life so very easy. You have to watch the battens snagging in the LJ cradle when taking the main up but having that cover to lower the sail into and without it spilling all over the deck is a thing to behold. A couple of ties and one zip and its away. Tattoo/Laura you did well picking out this piece of kit as an option.
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Tomfoolery
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Re: Help rigging topping lift / Lazy jack cover system

Post by Tomfoolery »

albanygary wrote:You have to watch the battens snagging in the LJ cradle when taking the main up . . .
I don't have lazy jacks on this boat, but I did on my last. What I did to avoid snags was to simply slacken the LJs and pull them forward and bungie them to the mast at the gooseneck with a small bungie cord dedicated to that task. I had the LJ lines marked with indelible marker so I could put them back during preparations for dowsing the main. They were adjusted from the bottom, with fixed lines to the mast, but it would work just as well if the mast attachment went over cheek blocks on the mast and came down to cleats on the mast, which sounds like how yours are rigged, instead of blocks and cleats on the boom.

My present TL is cleated at the mast, up and over a block at the top of the mast, and down to the boom, but I have it cleated at the end of the boom, too. That way I can make gross adjustments at the mast (line also marked for quick resets), and take a few turns over the boom cleat to raise it out of the way in a slip or at anchor, and slacken it enough that the TL is loose when the main sail is up. You don't want any tension at all on the TL when the main is up, of course, so this makes it quick and easy to go from dowsed sail to raised sail modes.
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