the main halyard will, when slack, swing around the mast in the area between the spreaders and masthead and neatly hook itself over the light.
I had the same problem with Dolphin, and it was infuriating! But look on the good side: The mast on an M-17 is easy to take down so that you can move the %$#@! light. The fishing line fix is inelegant but works (I went up the mast and tied a piece of light line between the spreaders). A permanent fix to that problem was a benefit of taking the mast down to replace the chainplates and standing rigging -- and this weekend I finally became the owner of a sailboat again, instead of just a flaoting workshop. Cushions: I re-covered the cushions a couple of winters ago and it was time-consuming but not particularly difficult. Fabric was a roll-end and relatively cheap (it doesn't have to be the same fabric on the bottoms of the cushions). Giles Morris Vancouver 25 Dolphin