Thanks Howard, interesting, Last fall I raised the mast while the boat was on the trailer, so I attached the halyard to a line and ran it to the mast holder on the trailer using the same basic procedure you describe. But for some reason I always disconnected the shrouds from the adjusters before I started home! I'll check it out next week, but I still hope somebody comes up with an answer about the ball lock and QR pins. Thanks again, ralph