If anyone is interested in getting the SailCaddy. Mine arrived last week. I installed it on my boom at home. (My boat is in a slip) It took only a couple of hours to install it. Put the boom with SailCaddy back on the boat this morning. And it works fine, fits well, no major problems. For the money it appears to be the best lazy jack - sail catcher system out there.
Rick D'Amico
"On-Assignment"
'99 MAC 26X
Pleasant Harbor Marina
Phoenix, AZ
SailCAddy
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Dimitri-2000X-Tampa
- Admiral
- Posts: 2043
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:36 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Tampa, Florida 2000 Mercury BigFoot 50HP 4-Stroke on 26X hull# 3575.B000
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Dimitri-2000X-Tampa
- Admiral
- Posts: 2043
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:36 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Tampa, Florida 2000 Mercury BigFoot 50HP 4-Stroke on 26X hull# 3575.B000
So, I take it that means you would have to have the boat more or less with the bow straight into the wind for it to work?
I was under the impression that conventional lazy jacks let you have a bit more lattitude than that..ie, it would catch the sail even if you were off of the wind a bit. For example, maybe while still reaching with the jib, you can pull your mainsail down? Anyone have conventional lazy jacks want to comment on that?
Btw, I'm not knocking it, the important thing is to be able to lower and control the mainsail without leaving the cockpit. If you can do that, its a winner and its on my list of mods.
I was under the impression that conventional lazy jacks let you have a bit more lattitude than that..ie, it would catch the sail even if you were off of the wind a bit. For example, maybe while still reaching with the jib, you can pull your mainsail down? Anyone have conventional lazy jacks want to comment on that?
Btw, I'm not knocking it, the important thing is to be able to lower and control the mainsail without leaving the cockpit. If you can do that, its a winner and its on my list of mods.
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Rick D'Amico
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:57 pm
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
SailCaddy
I understand your reply. I have never had very good results with lowering my mainsail in any other direction than heading directly into the wind.
I bought the SailCaddy with the intention of singlehanding the boat more often, and I'm trying to eliminate the step of going up on top to pull the mainsail down with the slugs often getting hung up on the track. Lowering the mainsail while sailing slightly off the wind sometimes requires that.
Sincerely,
Rick D'Amico
Pleasant Harbor Marina
Phoenix, AZ
I bought the SailCaddy with the intention of singlehanding the boat more often, and I'm trying to eliminate the step of going up on top to pull the mainsail down with the slugs often getting hung up on the track. Lowering the mainsail while sailing slightly off the wind sometimes requires that.
Sincerely,
Rick D'Amico
Pleasant Harbor Marina
Phoenix, AZ
Sail Caddy
Had a rough go of it on wednesday last. Only thing that worked with out
a flaw was the boomkicker and the sail caddy. It was so good to have the
main all neatly contained and staying there with heavy cross wind while
docking. Took a wave over the stern that swamped the suzuki at a critical
time of docking. The sail cover fits easily over the Caddy and makes
a neat sail bundle. I do not have slugs so just release main and tough
it falls neatly in the Caddy.
Paul Drew, DeMaster
a flaw was the boomkicker and the sail caddy. It was so good to have the
main all neatly contained and staying there with heavy cross wind while
docking. Took a wave over the stern that swamped the suzuki at a critical
time of docking. The sail cover fits easily over the Caddy and makes
a neat sail bundle. I do not have slugs so just release main and tough
it falls neatly in the Caddy.
Paul Drew, DeMaster
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Captain Steve
- Captain
- Posts: 722
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 9:40 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Oxnard, CA "Wildest Dream" '98X Nissan 50
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Richard Lisch
- Chief Steward
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 8:50 am
- Location: Puerto Rico
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greybird-M
- Chief Steward
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:00 am
- Location: Cocoa, Florida, Aquanaut, 03 26M, 50 HP Honda
- Contact:
Boomkicker on 26M
Yes, I have installed a Boomkicker and a Sailcaddy on my 26M. I have yet to sail with this configuration (I have travelled 50 miles by motor though). The Boomkicker is a nice mod, but the Sailcaddy still must be checked out to see if it will catch the sail (especially in windy conditions).
What I have noticed is that the PVC actuators don't seem to want to straighten out very well (the horizontal bars on the Sailcaddy setup). The Sailcaddy instructions say the actuators "will eventually regain its (their) shape with some persuasion", but I have my doubts-has anyone else had this problem?? It probably would not affect the performance of the setup but it looks a little funky-I may find myself modifying things a bit. I checked out my lines-led-aft setup last weekend and noticed the sailslugs hanging up about ten feet up the mast (upon dropping the mainsail-going up it went smoothly). Upon inspection, I saw that the luff groove had a dent spanning about 8-10 (vertical) inches in it that was catching the slugs on the way down, but only the slugs on the upper third of the mainsail (I presume the weight of the lower two-thirds of the mainsail kept the slugs in-line and dropping easily until). I have to drop the mast and straighten things out.
What I have noticed is that the PVC actuators don't seem to want to straighten out very well (the horizontal bars on the Sailcaddy setup). The Sailcaddy instructions say the actuators "will eventually regain its (their) shape with some persuasion", but I have my doubts-has anyone else had this problem?? It probably would not affect the performance of the setup but it looks a little funky-I may find myself modifying things a bit. I checked out my lines-led-aft setup last weekend and noticed the sailslugs hanging up about ten feet up the mast (upon dropping the mainsail-going up it went smoothly). Upon inspection, I saw that the luff groove had a dent spanning about 8-10 (vertical) inches in it that was catching the slugs on the way down, but only the slugs on the upper third of the mainsail (I presume the weight of the lower two-thirds of the mainsail kept the slugs in-line and dropping easily until). I have to drop the mast and straighten things out.
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Rick D'Amico
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:57 pm
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
SailCaddy actuators
I used my son's barbell plates to straighten out the actuators. I just placed them on the actuators and time and the sun did the rest.
Also, I bought a small can of Sailkote over the weekend from West Marine. I'll spray the slugs and most of the track on the mast to help the mainsail fall efficiently.
Rick
Also, I bought a small can of Sailkote over the weekend from West Marine. I'll spray the slugs and most of the track on the mast to help the mainsail fall efficiently.
Rick
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GARY WEEKLY
- Deckhand
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- Location: CHESAPEAKE BAY
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Jack O'Brien
- Captain
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- Location: West Palm Beach, Florida, 2000X, Gostosa III
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Sloop John B
- Captain
- Posts: 871
- Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 2:45 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Florida 'Big Bend'. 02x Yamaha T50
I've studied the sail caddy web site. When the main is dropped and secured with a centipede or bungies, is the sail caddy able to collapse back along the boom? Does the sail caddy have to be collapsed in order to get the sail cover on?
How does the thing operate from the cockpit? Lines to pull, or just clack the thing up?
How does the thing operate from the cockpit? Lines to pull, or just clack the thing up?
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greybird-M
- Chief Steward
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:00 am
- Location: Cocoa, Florida, Aquanaut, 03 26M, 50 HP Honda
- Contact:
Sailcaddy
Yes, Sloop John B, the Sailcaddy pivots up and down/fore and aft along the boom (there is a action graphic of this at the Sailcaddy web site). The Sailcaddy is folded aft & down against the boom after the mainsail is secured and then there is room for the sail cover to be installed.
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Rick D'Amico
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:57 pm
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Sailcaddy
Took "On-Assignment" out Friday afternoon for a long afternoon sail. Winds blowing out of the NorthWest about 8 to 10 knots. Before leaving my slip, I deployed the Sailcaddy, and unsecured the mainsail and it stayed in the Sailcaddy without incident.
Out on the lake I pointed "On-Assignment into the wind, and pulled up the mainsail, and she went up fine! At the end of the day, I pointed "On-Assignment" into the wind, and lowered the mainsail, and it fell into the Sailcaddy "basket" as advertised, not tangeling, no mess.
The only downside is, I used to grab the boom while walking up top if I needed to secure myself during a passing wake, if the Sailcaddy is deployed, it's a little harder to that. But that's a minor problem.
Out on the lake I pointed "On-Assignment into the wind, and pulled up the mainsail, and she went up fine! At the end of the day, I pointed "On-Assignment" into the wind, and lowered the mainsail, and it fell into the Sailcaddy "basket" as advertised, not tangeling, no mess.
The only downside is, I used to grab the boom while walking up top if I needed to secure myself during a passing wake, if the Sailcaddy is deployed, it's a little harder to that. But that's a minor problem.