For the through the mast connection, colligo marine makes cheeky tangs, which I plan on using for the next rigging upgrade. This should eliminate both the toggle and thimble components. And the shackle.
http://www.colligomarine.com/product...st-connections
Not sure what kind of connection you have, but if there is a pin, John Franta's suggestion (in my case) was to lash the thimble directly to the pin.
Best regards,
Gleb