Steve,



Forgive me if I say anything "insulting"



I wouldn't go for the hook and ring option as you might loose precious downhaul boom clearence which you need to get the sail really flat in strong winds. Some sailors even remove the downhaul hooks to get extra downhaul travel length.



I must say that the system needs attention but it does work well when you do it right.



Here is the way I do it (and also have done it many times while on the water on a rocking boat)



Place the sail in the track and make sure that :



-1- the return line of the halyard is inside the masttrack. This one often flips out if you're not carefull.



-2- the halyard figure 8 knot AND the hook and on the same side of the mast.



Point two is very important and often done wrong. It simply won't go in if you do it in any other way as the halyard will wrap around the hook and prevent it from going higher than 3 inches to the masthead.



-3- Hoist the mainsail hook past the masttop. This should be fairly easy when you do point -2-. If not ? Than lower the mainsail and do it again you probably foiled up the hook and knot anyway OR forgot to put the return line of the halyard inside the mast track.



-4- When the hook is past the masthead. Pull on the mastrotator and rotate the mast to the other side than where you hook was when it slid up the mast. Example; If your hook is on the starboard side of the masttrack trhan rotated your mast by pulling the mastrotator to port. Do this while keeping the tension on the halyard preventing the sail from sliding down.



-5- Pull on the downhaul eye when the hook is position right above the hole in the masthead while slowly releasing the halyard. The hook should fall in smoothly. In the beginning it will take a few tries before you got the timing right.





Getting it down.



-1- jank on the halyard to pull the hook out of it's well.



-2- rotated the mast to other side than when you rotate it when you hoisted it. Example when your hook slid up along the mast on the starboard side than rotate your mast to starboard to make sure the hook clears it's well and is free to slide down.



-3- pull on the downhaul eye when keeping the mast rotated. The sail should fall down the first few inches after which you can let go off everything and pull the mast down on your trampoline.





I tend to fit the boom after I've hoisted the mastsail but others do it before they run the sail up the mast. What ever you like best.



Good luck Steve and I can give you some more tricks on setting the rudders and other stuff if you appreciate that.



Wouter