Hey Paul- it seems like almost a two part problem......first, you want to get the pin in to create the seal. This can be done by just pulling the lift wire, lifting the thruster the remaining few millimeters to get the pin in. The second part involves the more complex task of adjusting the lift mechanism to achieve the correct height when the red indicator light indicates full lift on the unit.........personally, I have never mastered this. At one point I had it perfectly aligned but this yielded a new problem. With the holes perfectly aligned at full lift, there was no friction on the pin and in rough seas the pin actually slipped out after it was fully inserted. So I now lift it the last few millimeters by hand and insert the pin so the weight of the thruster holds the pin in place while keeping the seal firm. Bottom line, not a drop of water in the bow thruster bay. I will be anxiously reading these responses because one of the old salts always has a way to improve processes like these.