hello Ronn
solo sailing is the best way to go, expessialy if you have a lot of non sailors sailing with you... also different color ropes for each onboard will help too.... I always use a different color for every rope I have onboard... everything is color coded for area... blue = main, green = mizzen, red = jib/genoa, yellow = spinnaker, black = furler control, golden = dock lines, solid white = anchor rode.... but this is just how I like it.... and it makes it easier to tell someone who is on board who is not a sailor what they need to do....
as for the gin pole.... I used a 1" steel pipe, and fitted it with a U bracket welded to the bottom to fit the mast, then I attached eye bolts through about 1 ft up the gin pole from the bottom.... to this I attached a reatchet tie down... the strap on the ratchet tie down goes from one eye, down and around the mast, then back up to the other eye.... this allows you to fasten the gin pole to the mast without a perminant holder.... also I glued some sponge into the U bracket so it would not scratch the mast up.... then I would fasten the gin pole about 6 inches above the foot of the mast foot.... this allows for the gin pole to not bump into the deck or anything on the deck in front of the mast foot on the deck....
sincerely
Jess