downhaulern.
/ˈdaʊnhɔːlə/, U.S. /ˈdaʊnˌ(h)ɔlər/, /ˈdaʊnˌ(h)ɑlər/ Nautical.
A rope used to haul down or secure a sail or spar. Cf. downhaul n.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > masts, rigging, or sails > rigging > [noun] > running rigging > ropes for shortening sail
downhaul1669
downhauler1794
1794 D. Steel Elements & Pract. Rigging & Seamanship I. 85 The higher studding-sails..are drawn down to be furled or reefed by down-haulers.
1853 H. C. Folkard Sailing Boat 90 The brails will also answer the purpose of downhaulers if required, and trice rope as before mentioned.
1902 Strand Mag. Feb. 426/1 Tom was then some 8ft. or 10ft. up the main-top-gallant staysail down-hauler, to which Hardy happened to run.
1954 Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gaz. 11 Nov. 21/3 There is a new downhauler—a line I use for hauling down the mainsail quickly when the wind gets too strong—to be reeved.
1973 P. O'Brian HMS Surprise vi. 148 Down again as she plunged, and running his hand along the sail he found the trouble—the down-hauler had fouled the clew.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1794