I put pelican hooks on my cockpit lifelines, but the front lifelines already had some keypin shackles (like a halyard shackle) on the stanchions that connect them near where the Genoa sheets run through...slot adjusters are at the front of those lifelines only. Is that not stock? Maybe the PO put them there since my boat was 3 yrs old when I got it...but I just figured they were stock. Anyway, I always disconnect them and run the lifeline all the way to the stanchion. This loosens them up enough that the spreaders go over top of them and do not touch them when trailering. I can't imagine getting them under those lifelines. I use snap shackles most everywhere else and leave my baby stays attached all the time. When perfectly adjusted, they are the right length, you just have to make sure that the slot adjusters flip over and don't get caught under the jib sheet tracks when going from trailering to stepped position. After a while, you learn what a snag feels like, wherever it may be, and you don't push against it, or you are going to bend/break something.
I do everything single handed and use the mast raising system otherwise I can't get the right tension in the rigging. And yes, it does add some time and there is a lot more to do than simply raising the mast and attaching the boom (set up the bimini, maybe the dodger, run halyards and sheets aft, etc)..heck, just attaching the boom to the mast, attaching the topping lift, running all the sail slugs into the mast (without skipping one), untieing and attaching boom vang and main sheet and taking off the cover can take 15 mins by itself. If I want to break a sweat, I can do it all in 45 mins, but an hour is more like what it really takes, and I don't like to rush it too much or else I might make mistakes. And if I didn't trailer my boat at least once every couple of months, it would take longer than that because you get out of practice. And funny, because when I'm setting up/taking down with someone else right next to me doing the same single handedly, it seems to take them just as long as well...maybe even longer.
And I have the stock crutch and the roller still turns so I don't know whats up with that, maybe you have the bolt too tight? And I don't support the end of my furler nor would ever dream of putting it down below... it only gets bent if I leave it on the trailer for a long time..but as I mentioned, as long as I'm trailering every couple of months, it always straightens back out in the Florida sun and I don't worry about it sagging a bit on the trailer. Only downside is that I have scratched the lift gate of on my SUV by disconnecting the trailer and dropping the tongue down with the hatch open.
cushions, dodger, life rings, burgees, cockpit cushions, on and on and on.
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