downhauls
/ˈdaʊnˌhɔlz/
noun
- Ropes or lines used on a sailboat to pull down a sail or a spar (such as a boom or gaff).
- The sailor adjusted the downhauls to lower the mainsail smoothly.
- Before docking, we released the downhauls to bring the sail down quickly.
- He checked the downhauls for wear before the race.