What Are Lazy Jacks and a Lazy Bag?
A rope web that guides the mainsail onto the boom, and the zipped bag that waits for it — standard comfort for working the main with a small crew.
A lazy jack is a web of lines running from the mast down to the boom: when the mainsail comes down, it catches the sail from both sides and stacks it neatly on the boom so it does not spill onto the deck. A lazy bag is a permanently fitted, zippered bag sitting on the boom with the sail opening underneath. In practice, the two are usually fitted as one system.
In the old setup, dropping the mainsail meant a two-person wrestle with cloth on deck; with lazy jacks and a bag, it becomes a one-minute job controlled from the cockpit. On an Aegean boat sailed with a small crew, it is effectively standard kit.
Use and maintenance
Snagging when hoisting: batten pockets can catch on the lines when hoisting the sail; the cure is to keep the boat head-to-wind, and if needed, lead the lazy jacks forward while hoisting, then set them properly afterwards. Forcing it with the winch will tear the luff.
Zip: this is the hardest-working zip on the boat; keeping it free of salt, with the occasional touch of silicone, largely determines how long it lasts.
When lowering: head to wind and close the zip straight away; a bag left open in the marina 'to be closed later' will balloon at the first puff.
For anyone thinking of fitting one: plan it with the sailmaker; the bag is sewn to suit the existing batten layout and boom length, and ready-made 'universal' bags rarely fit properly.