In sailing what are lazy jacks?

Question

In sailing what are lazy jacks?

Answer 1

Lazy Jacks:

    Lazy Jacks are an inexpensive way to control the main sail when you lower it. They keep the main up on the boom, out of the way, until you fold and cover it.

    There are probably as many Lazy Jack systems as there are installations. Some are controlled by adjusting the upper jack lines and others adjust the lower jack lines. Some are run back to the cockpit. The length of cockpit control lines became excessive for me, so I opted for a control point at the forward end of the boom.

Answer 2

If the vertical line is the mast and the horizontal line is the boom; the jacklines would be the diagonal lines (note: the sail is not drawn). Basically it is a thin rope that attaches midway up the mast, splits then connects to two points on the boom. There actally two of these, one connected to the mast on the right side midway up and and to the right side of the boom and the other on the left side. The sail, whether its up or down is alwase between the the right and  left jackline. The purpose is to help you stop the sail from falling off of the boom when your lowering it (because the jacklines are holding the sail between them).

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Answer 3

Lazy jacks are a system for assisting controled flaking of the main sail. It is lines run from the boom to the mast which the main falls into when let down.