The H20 mast is a little heavy :-); if you do not keep pressure forward against the ball it WILL pop off, and it CAN take the pin and part of the mast base casting off with it! Ask me how I know. Also, if you don't keep it sideways, it wil lever itself off the base and break the casting. I always use the winch to pull mine up and down, and have no issues with not using a pin. The pin DOES keep it from popping out once it's all the way down or sitting in the mast stand while you are getting ready to hoist.

I often tied a line to my H16 mast when I had lost the pin or bent the link. Still pretty easy to single hand if you could handle the tansition between steppe and semi-loose. Line around the mast cleats and front crossbar; as tight as possible but with enough slack to allow the mast to be lowered.