An outhaul is a line which is part of the
running rigging of a
sailboat, which is used to extend a
sail, and control the shape of the curve of the
foot of the sail. It runs from the
clew (the back corner of the sail) to the end of the
boom. The line is pulled taut to the appropriate
tension (to provide the desired shape to the foot), and then secured to a
cleat on the boom.
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