the pull cable may be secured so that the user is relieved of holding the pull cable and can then use both hands in securing the end of the forstay 16a to the bracket 50 using the pin 74 readjustment of the tension on the mast can be easily made by first reattaching the pull cable removing the retaining pin 74 and allowing the pull cable 64 to slacken thereafter pulling on the pull cable so that the eyelet 70 comes into registry with adjacent or remote one of the pairs of holes 54 wherein the locking pin 74 is again replaced it will be seen from the foregoing that the method of completing the securement in place of a raised sailboat mast is easily provided by merely attaching the pull cable to the free end of the forestay or backstay on another boat which is attached to the opposite end of the mast the pull cable is threaded about a sheave rotatably disposed at the end of a stay adjustable coupling bracket of the type having an opening at one end and being tied at its other end to the transom the bracket is provided with a plurality of aligned pairs of openings spaced therealong from the remote opening to the sheave so that appropriate tension on the backstay to hold the mast erect is accomplished by pulling simultaneously on the pull cable and moving the end of the stay to a position adjacent one of the pairs of aligned openings and fixing.