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How to Rig a Lazy Jack System

Seafarers and sailors know open sea navigation requires skill, knowledge and good systems, because without them lives would be at unnecessary risk. Once such system is a "lazy jack" rig designed to contain the main sail. Lazy jacks are a series of lines linked together in triangular patterns that provide redundant backups for securing the sail. Though fairly straight forward to rig, keeping the lines untangled as you engage the rig for set up can become complicated. With careful attention you can rig a lazy jack on your boat.

Things You'll Need

5 mm line
Line cuttters

Instructions

- 1
  Find the pad eyes on the boom. The pad eyes are small attachment sites designed for lines to run through for rigging. The boom will have four pad eyes at both its top and bottom, which will act as connection points for the lazy jack.
- 2
  Thread a line through the pad eyes on the mast. This will be the longer of two lines used for the rig. Cut the line measured at approximately 1-1/2 times the length of the mast.
- 3
  Tie the line to both of the first two pad eyes at one side of the boom.
- 4
  Tie a second line to the second pair of pad eyes located on the opposite side of the boom. This line should be the same length as the first.
- 5
  Make a shorter line. Tie the line in a bowline knot at the angular point of each of the lines connecting the pad eyes. The angular point will resemble the crest of the letter V. The shorter line should be cut to a measurement that's one-quarter the length of the boat.
- 6
  Thread the longest line along the mast to approximately two-thirds of its height, through the pad eyes. Bring the line back to the boat floor and secure it to the cleat at the mast's bottom.
- 7
  Tie the mast line end with the top end of the short line creating a new V-angle. The connected lines will look like a series of triangles: two triangles affixed to the boom, and a third triangle suspended above the first two, connected at the angular points of the triangles below. The line from the mast attaches to the top of the third triangle.

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