Attaching solar cover to reel and other assembly questions

[S1ngram]

I recently purchased a solar cover and reel for my pool. I have someone coming out to help with assembly in the next week or so. I have a few questions after reading the assembly instructions.

1. Do I lay the cover flat out on the grass and figure out how it attaches to the reel that way or do I float it on the pool?
2. My pool is round. I would like to mount the reel on some 4x6 posts totally off the pool to one side. Where do I mount the posts? How far from pool wall? How high above pool railing? I saw one post that stated 3' from pool wall and 2' above the railing.
3. Where do I attach the straps to the cover? Attaching at the widest point seems like a bad idea with the reel mounted off to the side.
4. Is it worth it to mount off to the end, or should I just install over the middle?

 

[cowboycasey]

All great questions and the same ones I had

1. I put the cover on the water and attached it to the reel

2. from the instructions they want you to attach to the longest part "the middle" of the cover. I built a system to mount on, it is about 2 feet obave the pool and about 2 feet from the edge... You could do the same and buy longer straps to attach to the middle of the cover. this is what I bought and it is quality webbing, you may have to buy 2 to make all the straps long enough. Amazon.com: Country Brook Design® 3/4 Inch Black Heavy Polypro Webbing, 25 Yards: Arts, Crafts Sewing

I wanted it off the side so nothing is over the pool

 

[S1ngram]

Thanks for the response Cowboycasey! I forgot to check after a few days. So, your straps are attached in the center (widest part) of the circle? So then, your cover gets folded in half and rolled up just like it would if the cover was installed across the pool? How hard is it to get the cover back n the pool?