Now I use my main sail more than ever as it is easy to uncover and recover.
Pull one line and it zips or unzips
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Picture 3 shows the changes that I made to the standard fixed clip in pic 4 below. I made mine easily removable to pull down the sail as needed. Kindred Spirits new Sail Cover similar to MackPack.
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These are some closer pictures of my friends MackPack. Great product!
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I was looking at alternatives to make life easier handling my main sail cover.
I seldom used the main sail because the effort to uncover and recover the main for a couple of hours was not worth it. The dodger-bimini covering all of the cockpit makes the job of uncovering and covering even more difficult. I have lazy jacks that work fine in controlling the main on the way down but get in the way of covering when I get back to the mooring.
I spent many nights walking the docks and seeing some nice and some poor styles
covers.
The Mack Pack and Stack Pack looked the best of all that I saw.
Our solution was a cover similar to the Mack Pack. http://macksails.com/mackpack.htm Great product! I wanted to make some changes to the original so we have made our own. Setting the mainsail has never been easier.
The cover has a zipper running along the top length, connected to a continuous line running to the mast. To set the sail I pull on the line to open the cover. Then attach the halyard to the headboard, head into the wind and raise the main. With lazy jacks, you must be heading into the wind to avoid catching the battens. I leave the leeward side lazy jacks about 2” loose so they do not interfere with the shape of the sail. With this new sail cover we use the main much more. I never think about it as a problem. When we sail with other boats for an overnighter, I am the one that has the sail covered first after we anchor.
For lowering the sail I tighten up the lazy jacks and turn into the breeze, I lower one side of the cover at the mast and quickly flake, (pull down the slugs) so some of the sail goes port and some starboard at the mast. The sail itself just falls in a controlled heap in the cover. This would also be the same for the Stack Pack. I then pull at the back of the sail very little and beat down any wandering sail with the boat hook and zip it up.
Picture #3 shows my change to the normal clip to mast at the top edge of the sail cover. With my system, I release the line attached at the top of the cover and the cover falls so I can have access to the sail slugs at the mast. Pull the line and it is back in place.
I did my research into available covering systems:
Mack Pack http://macksails.com/mackpack.htm
Stack Pack http://www.doylesails.com/sails-stackpackmain.htm
UK's Lazy Cradle http://www.uksailmakers.com/sails/cradle.html
I think either system will work well and the choice is up to you. I selected the MP style because it had no extra cover that had to go around the mast. I did make a few modifications, I am an ex engineer! I like the way the Mack Pack works and I like the way the Stack Pack and UK's Lazy Cradle looks. The only problem I deal with is that the zip up line gets caught under the lowered sail forcing me to free it before zipping up. A few taps on the sail with the boat hook and it is ready to zip. The sail must be heading into at least a 10 k breeze to fall properly. In light winds you must do a little more sail tucking.
Happy Sailing!
Al and Michele Watson
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