i fasten the main halyard shackle and pull it down to about 1' above the main (starboard) halyard cleat. then i pass the tail of the halyard under the cleat and back up through the shackle and back down, take out all the slack, under the cleat and cleat the halyard. same procedure for the jib halyard to the port (jib)cleat. a seamanlike cleat: the line goes once around the base, then one figure eight around the horns, and finish by making half a second figure eight, but "turn the bight over"-twist the loop- so that the line crosses itself as it comes off parallel to the line in the first figure eight.. ok i could show you a lot easier than tell you. the 'once around ' is accomplished when you go under the cleat, over the shackle, and back under the cleat, so all thats left is the figure eight finished with a 'twisted bight' if you do this right the tail of the halyard is pointing down as it comes off the cleat...what to do with all that line after you hoist the sails? my trampoline has a pocket near the mast base so i just coil the halyards and stuff them into the pocket.(make sure they go under the jib sheet) no pocket? coil the halyard and pass half the coil over its cleat between the mast and the halyard so its trapped with half the coil on each side of the cleat. hows that? clear as mud? ; )