Yes, always rig it fully, on land, to make sure all the little parts are there, then disconnect the mainsheet if you must (wind direction is important) to launch, point it into the wind and reconnect it. Trying to improvise on the water will only get you into a spot you cannot get out of.
it was blowing hard and we decided to try to raise the main on the water. the main would not go all the way up - i could only just get past the reef stop on the halyard - so i pulled the pin to change to reef.
the pin dropping into the water was one of those experiences that happens in slow motion. i swear i could have counted every single rotation of the pin as it moved through the air and plunged into the water.
the 'temporary autism' that Malcom Gladwell discussed in
Blink comes to mind...
