Just a comment on the bowsprit shrouds, gents. On Falcon I find that the bowsprit will raise easily without slackening the shrouds at all. I'm guessing that there is probably a slight variation in the positioning of the shroud plates relative the the bowsprit mounting between various boats/manufacturer.
Although like Dennis I have his same arrangement for tensioning the shrouds, the same applied even with the 'full length' wire shrouds.
Steve