Lazy Cradle - mainsail handling with the greatest of ease

8:34 PM Fri 11 Sep 2009 GMT

'Blackwattle at Christmas Island, showing the sail just dropped before zipping up the Lazy Cradle - she comes down so easily...' .

When choosing a mainsail handling system for our recent circumnavigation, we rejected both boom and inmast furling for the Lazy Cradle. The biggest reason we rejected the first two, cost aside, was for the danger of not being able to solve mainsail problems in remote areas. The Lazy Cradle was simple, comparatively cheap and seemed to have everything going for it. For our journey, this proved correct.

Lazy Cradle on a Moody - .. .

Lazy Cradle is very inexpensive, and a very easy way to put away your mainsail. UK-Halsey Sailmakers make a good one of these, and it's a combination of a sail cover and lazy jacks. You simply lower the halyard, let the sail settle between the lazy jacks into the cover. Once the sail is completely lowered, zip the cover closed over the top of the sail. The system is perfect for short-handed crews, as we were, and we have dropped the main in big seas, at night, in 40 knots of wind - not to be desired, but the Lazy Cradle made it happen fast and tidily.

Since the cover catches the sail as it comes down, the person on the helm can't get blinded by drapes of sailcloth - doubly important while entering a harbour or narrow channel.

Even in good conditions, there's no searching for the sail cover or battling with it in a breeze. Just drop and zip. In moments your mainsail is neatly put away and protected from the sun.

Another Lazy Cradle - .. .

The other advantage is that there's no temptation at the end of a daysail, to avoid wrestling with the sail covers, and leave sails exposed to the sun's harmful UV rays. The lazy cradle is more apt to be used because it is easier to use, and that will make your sail last longer.

The cover holds a nice clean shape and looks as neat as it performs. The full length battens that run parallel to the zipper hold the cover open when lowering the sail and give the cover a smooth shape when zipped closed. Made from Sunbrella, the same material as your existing protective canvas, you can have your lazy Cradle match your dodger, bimini and roller furling cover.

On the UK-Halsey version, when sailing, just roll the cover up; it has built in buckles that holds the rolled up cover next to the boom. For long range cruising, we never bothered to do that, preferring to keep it at the ready - it made little difference to our daily progress.

Click here to see a UK-Halsey's short video the Lazy Cradle in action, and here to go to their website. If you don't have a UK-Halsey loft anywhere near you, see your local sailmaker and tell them what you want. Particularly when sailing short-handed, you'll never regret having one.

by Nancy Knudsen

Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:

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Lazy Cradle - mainsail handling with the greatest of ease

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