Please select your home edition
Edition
Allen Brothers

Quick tips- Jack Lines and Lazy Jacks for the short-handed sailor

by Des Ryan on 28 Feb 2012
Jacklines - this excellent diagram from SV Yellowfin SW
If you are a cruising sailor there will always be the time when you are short-handed (meaning one or two crew), even if you generally sail with a larger crew. There are two things that are essential for any short-handed sailor and it's all about Jack.

Jack lines (above):
If you don't have jack lines on your boat you are omitting one of sailing's greatest safety measures.

When the weather worsens it's always more difficult to get to the bow, but it might be necessary - and you might need to be up there for an extended period of time. By keeping jack lines on your boat every time you go to sea (but put them away at the mooring or berth to save deterioration) you will be ready for any eventuality, and you can go forward with confidence, knowing that you don't have to clip and unclip as you go.

Methods of attaching them can be different for each boat, but basically make sure you have them attached from strong point to strong point along the deck on each side of the boat.

Lazy jacks(left):

All sailing is easy when the wind is slight and the seas are flat. It's when the scuds are coming through or a massive storm is threatening that things get more complicated. Well fitted lazy jacks are the fail-safe mechanism for getting your main down, in the right place and secure before the storm hits.

Lazy-jacks are made from a set of fixed or movable lines led from the upper section of the mast to the boom, with lines on each side. They guide the sail onto the top of the boom when reefing or dousing it and keep it there to be tied up at the crew's leisure.

Sometimes you can purchase these in a kit if they suit your boat, or you can make your own.

Whatever happens though, don't leave home without them!

Rooster 2025Vetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 FOOTERSwitch One Design

Related Articles

British Classic Week Day 1
Northerly winds gusting 22 knots make for a brisk start Day one at British Classic Week in Cowes saw fast-paced racing around the cans sponsored by Spirit Yachts for over 50 classic and modern classic yachts.
Posted on 7 Jul
International Moth Worlds Opening Ceremony
137 sailors from 25 nations have gathered, featuring some of the biggest names in sailing After weeks of preparation and an intense lead-up, the 2025 Moth World Championship is ready to get under way. Official racing begins tomorrow, 8 July, on the waters of Lake Garda, with the event hosted by Fraglia Vela Malcesine.
Posted on 7 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 2
No racing, but spirits stay high in Aarhus Day 2 of the iQFOiL World Championship in Aarhus tested the patience of sailors, coaches, and the Race Committee alike, as the wind refused to settle across the bay.
Posted on 7 Jul
Foiling Frenzy at Fraglia Vela Malcesine
The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! Regardless of where sailors are in their careers, or the reputation they have, everyone wants to be there and have a tilt at the title.
Posted on 7 Jul
GWA Youth Wingfoil World Championship overall
The Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom action rwaps up in Costa Brava The Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom action at the the GWA 2025 Youth Worlds wrapped up after a week of intense action at San Pere Pescador, Spain, with the teenage champions chosen in the U14, U16 and U19 age groups.
Posted on 7 Jul
A dream realised for Litchfield's Hound
The Nielsen 59 Hound finished the Transatlantic Race 2025 on July 5 Dan Litchfield's classic Nielsen 59 Hound, co-skippered by Tom Stark, finished the Transatlantic Race 2025 on July 5 in an elapsed time of 16 Days, 08 Hours, 49 Mins and 22 Secs.
Posted on 7 Jul
OK Dinghy Europeans at Warnemünde day 1
Race wins for Daniel Björndahl, Andy Davis, Charlie Cumbley and Steen Christensen The 2025 OK Dinghy Europeans got under way in Warnemunde, Germany, on Sunday with race wins for Sweden's Daniel Björndahl, Britain's Andy Davis and Charlie Cumbley and Denmark's Steen Christensen.
Posted on 7 Jul
Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 2
Philip Köster triumphs again in Pozo Izquierdo Köster survives a late scare to earn an eighth Pozo event title, and first 5-star victory since 2022, in even windier conditions than Saturday.
Posted on 6 Jul
Grae Morris Takes on the iQFOiL Worlds
Shifty conditions on the first day in Aarhus, Denmark Aarhus, Denmark is serving up everything but predictability as the iQFOiL World Championships get under way, and Australian Olympic silver medallist Grae Morris is ready to assert his place at the top of the new Olympic cycle.
Posted on 6 Jul
A perfect start to the 5th annual AEGEAN 600
Cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind At the very southern end of the Greek mainland at Cape Sounion in Attica, today's start to the 5th edition of the AEGEAN 600 was perfect: cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind.
Posted on 6 Jul