Two years ago I had Chesapeake Sailmakers make a stack pack for Pegathy. The actual admiral (Pegathy's her college nickname) is less than 5'. That's all she'll admit to. So it's difficult for her to help flake a main that's sliding all over the cabin top, much less help put on the sailcover. And it's not a one person job on a 38' boat. Except now it is, with the stack pack. The sails raises on slides in the mast, and even if there's no one at the mast encouraging the sail to flake properly (a one man job), the sail flakes pretty well anyway, as long as the boat's dead into the wind. It's wonderfully easy - lower and zip, and I leave the stack pack on and raised unless I'm racing.
The main is loose footed, so the stack pack attaches to the boom via a sewn in tape that slides in the the boom slot. The whole thing can be tied close to the main with sail ties under the main for racing. The lazy jacks can then be led along the boom, straight up, then down the mast around a single cleat on each side. There's a flap that goes around the front of the boom and attaches with zippers to each side of the stack pack. All in all a wonderful arrangement, and easy to install and remove. Two complaints - 1) the boat needs to be dead into the wind when raising and when lowering the sail, or the battens catch the jacks, and 2) the stack pack can chafe on the jib sheets when tied to the boom going downwind. These are nothing when compared to the reduction in effort in raising, lowering, and covering the sail. I wouldn't be without it ever again. Oh, and I have a pacific blue sail sunbrella cover for an LF38 - very good condition, used 2 seasons - for sale if anyone wants it. Dan SheerPegathy, LF38 Rock Creek off the Patapsco
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