Nice idea on the mast rasing....

If you angle your lever up at the hinge you would get more lift and might even get the mast to nearly vertical. Or you can add a 90 deg arm to the end (at the top of the mast) or both...

I always tie my trap handles to a rope I keep tucked inside the main beam - this way the mast can only move in one plane, so if a gust hits the mast, you wont be fighting it to keep it stable.