Rondar rudder stock (keeping blade down)

Interested in methods people use with Rondar (Yachtspeed) rudder stocks to keep the blade down firmly.

On the Blaze I have a rope downhaul and cleat, and in more than light winds I then also lean over the stern and tighten the wing nut. On the Fireball, there is much further to lean, but I hang over the back, push the blade down and insert a split pin to lock it. This is a bit fiddly in a blow, so I'm wondering about just using a downhaul instead. 

Tho' the stock is a larger size and the spokes are not immediately condusive with routing a downhaul, I reckon some modification is possible. Obviously a downhaul doesn't always hold too well, but what if I used a 2:1 - would that be adequate?

I'm also thinking that even if a d'haul isn't really good enough, it might ease the initial getting away from the shore, and then I'd have more time/control to lock it fully with a pin. Any thoughts/suggestions welcome.

 Do you get to shout "Fore!" before you gybe?

A friend of ours used to use plastic knitting needles as a rudder pins. Gave him something to do during those boring light wind runs; after all, we all know that sailors are full of old yarn.