# Doyle Stack Pack vs Shaeffer Boom Furler



## rayjanine (May 8, 2006)

I am planning on buying a Sabre 362 and would like to know the difference between the Doyle Stack Pack System for the Mainsail vs the Shaeffer In-Boom Furler for the Mainsail. I think the in-boom furler is the preferred system but would like to know:

1. The cost of each system
2. Pros and Cons
3. For each system what installation advice would you give
4. What parts fail and how soon after installation

Thanks,

Ray


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

The Doyle Stack Pack is simply a system where the sailcover and lazyjacks are incorporated into the sail and boom so that when you drop the sail it falls into the 'cover', after which you close it up. Our friends had such a system when they bought their current boat; they've since ditched it. I believe their issues centered around ease and convenience of reefing - this was a Bene 36.7 sailing the Caribbean chain in the trades.

In-boom furling is quite a different thing.. but as a mainsail furling system has the benefit of allowing a normally roached/battened sail.

WAG on the prices, but I can't imagine that the Doyle system would add more that $500-1000 to the overall cost, whereas inboom furling will probably run you $10K or more.

Hopefully someone with more direct experience will weigh in here.


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## imagine2frolic (Aug 7, 2008)

In my research Faster's numbers are close, and possibly a wee bit higher for the furler if someone else installs it.........*i2f*


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

If I had in-boom furling I probably wouldn't swap it for a Stackpac.

But I have a Stackpac and I *know* that I won't be swapping it for a furler. 10K buys a heck of a lot of beer.


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

IMHO

PRO for Stack Pack:
-Can be installed on any traditional mainsail
-Relatively cheap to install
-No sail cover to remove and install

CON for StackPack
-Sail cover is always 'on' so some lose of performance under sail?
-Can be difficult to reach the top of the cover to close

PRO for in boom
-Allows full batton, full roach main
-Easy to reef
-East to stow sail - no sail cover required

CON for in boom
-big $$
-More difficult to raise main - additional drag of furliing gear
-more complexity
-additional weight

Personally, I have never used an in boom furler but the concept sounds great to me, as long as someone else pays for it.

Barry


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

BarryL said:


> IMHO
> 
> PRO for Stack Pack:
> -Can be installed on any traditional mainsail
> ...


I pretty much agree with Barry, but want to add a couple of comments with regard to my specific solution which is the "MackPack" from Mack sails.

Their design is less expensive than the Doyle system and is independent of the sail. My understanding is the Doyle bag is sewn to the foot of the sail while the MackPack simply attaches to the boom via sail slides.

The design of the Mack Pack lazy jacks allows for them to be lowered out of the way with the bag stowed alongside the boom, so the sail would be completely unimpeded. For typical bay sailing you probably would just leave them up, but for racing or long passages, it would make sense to stow them for several reasons including eliminating chafe, minimizing any possible performance loss and simplifying access for reefing.

I installed the MackPack at the start of this season and am very happy with them. They eliminate what used to be a major wrestling match for both my wife and I and made it pretty much a one person operation. I find I'm much more willing to raise the mainsail, knowing that even if things start getting rough I can get the sail down in a hurry and stow it later if I have to.

I do agree that the top of the sail is fairly high and its a challenge for my wife to attach/detach the halyard so its usually me doing that task now.


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

I have the Hood boom which is pretty much the same thing with full battens and have only used it once before hauling the boat for refit 

All the roller booms have the same issue in that you have to use the topping lift to set the boom at 87 DEGs  to furl the sail if its to low or to high it will not furl correctly


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

One other con for the Doyle Stack Pack:

The lazy jacks cannot be brought to the mast for stowing. This means that the battens may get caught in the lazy jack lines.

With the lazy jacks stowed, you can use a regular sail over.

No experience with in - boom systems.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

I'm learning here too. I thought I had a Doyle Stack pack, but I have a loose footed main and the stack pack is slid onto the boom. Maybe it is a Mack Pack? A front cover piece zips off and there are slits in the side for reefing lines so reefing is very easy.

The lazy jacks are easy to slacken so they don't interfere with raising the main. I never really have to bring them back to the mast. A little slack does the trick.

There are battens on either side. (I still need to cut on of them; it's a bit too long.) You can lower the whole thing so is droops down below the sail, but generally I leave it in place.

We also have a liferaft in a hard case mounted on the deck. Standing on it puts the top zipper within reach.

I'm soloing a lot these days (yesterday for 4 hours, last Sunday), and having this system makes it really easy to get underway and then to put everything away afterwards. Dropping the main takes seconds; it falls right in place.

Here's a picture of it:









A later picture with the reefing lines set-up. They go through the slits in the stack pack and are tightened from the forward end of the boom. Here the main is double reefed.









Regards,
Brad


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

Bene505, that looks exactly like my Doyle stackpack. It's even the same color. The only difference is mine has a small Doyle logo on it near the mast on both sides.


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## ambianceack (Aug 27, 2006)

We have a sabre 34 with a stack pack made by Harding Sails. As others have mentioned, essentially low cost, easy to install and simple maintenance. On rough entries into unknown harbors it makes it easy to stow the main for anyone on board. A roller boom seems nice and on my wish list but would rather spend the money on cruising.


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

Bene505 said:


> I'm learning here too. I thought I had a Doyle Stack pack, but I have a loose footed main and the stack pack is slid onto the boom. Maybe it is a Mack Pack? A front cover piece zips off and there are slits in the side for reefing lines so reefing is very easy.
> 
> The lazy jacks are easy to slacken so they don't interfere with raising the main. I never really have to bring them back to the mast. A little slack does the trick.
> 
> ...


Its not a Mack Pack (the Mack System doesn't use battens) and since it doesn't have a Doyle logo, its probably not Doyle either. There were at least two other systems very similar to Doyle that I looked at when I was shopping. Also any competent sailmaker or canvas shop could make one of these things as well as the name lofts. I can't remember who made it, but I do remember one of the big lofts (North?) had a near carbon copy of the Stack Pack that was not attached to the sail it was number one on my list until I was offered special pricing through another Catalina owner on the Mack System, so I checked it out at the boat show last year and it looked like a workable system for a good bit less money than the bigger lofts options. I dropped the stack pack from consideration when I learned that it was connected to the sail. I just cannot see the advantage in that.

On the Doyle website, they give the benefit as being able to remove the sail and cover as a unit. If I wanted to, I could do that with my system as well, though I can't really see why I'd want to.


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## kolbn (Jun 23, 2007)

*Don't see difference*

I have the stack pack from Doyle. Got it last winter and after one season don't see any loss in performance. I am not a racer and previous sails were quite old. I do plenty of light air sailing and sail solo 50% of the time. Much easier to handle and reef so I'm satisfied.

I did compare a boom system and priced it out, and as previously said it is bout 10 k more.

Also, different Doyle lofts will construct sail differently, you can specify what you want for your type of sailing. (brochure at Md loft was different than city island NY.)

The battens do get hung up when raising sail if not careful. You must be directly into the wind.

GoodLuck!


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

BarryL said:


> PRO for in boom
> -Allows full batton, full roach main


This is technically not a pro for the in-boom furler - it is also valid for the Stackpac.


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## KindOfBlue (Nov 22, 2005)

Doyle makes 2 products.

1) StackPack - this is integrated into the sail so that it collapses and fits tight to the sail when it is raised.

2) Cradle Cover - This is used with a loose footed main and is not integrated into the sail. It will be a bit more baggy when the sail is raised and costs a bit less.

Both have battens integrated into the cover to better support the sail when it is put away. The Caribbean charter companies mostly use the Cradle Cover. This allows a quick change of sail without loosing the sail handling system along with the old sail.


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