Excellent idea - Please - make sure the halyard/downhaul and block/shackle are up to the task as it sux to 'drop the stick' and someone could get hurt. I don't yet use a downhaul regularly, but do use the halyard(s) as I have two headsail halyards - thanks for sharing. GO (concerned about that safety stuff....) In a message dated 11/18/2016 10:04:49 A.M. US Mountain Standard Tim, drifkind@acm.org writes: As an aside, I found an quick and (my favorite part) no-hardware way around the ticklish part of mast raising. Before the mast goes up, bend the jib downhaul to the working end of the jib halyard, where you’re going to need it later anyway. Run it through its bow block then straight back over the cabin top to the jib halyard winch and cleat. Once the mast is up (by the Iwo Jima method) pull it tight and cleat it off. The downhaul and halyard act as a temporary forestay, will hold the mast up even in wind, and provide enough tension if you haul on them to make attaching the forestay easy. Works in reverse when lowering the mast.