clewline

plural clewlines

1. nauticalOutermost of the ropes with which a square sail is rolled up to the yard

   If the halyards are not single, the yard must be sent down by a yard rope, like the topgallant yard. In some vessels, instead of making the sheets and clewlines fast to the jack, over-hand knots are taken in their ends, and they are let go.

   1863, Richard Henry Dana Jr, Captain Brown, Dana's Seaman's friend, page 24

   1 more example

   The only sail that is wholly ours is the spanker. They control absolutely--sheets, halyards, clewlines, buntlines, braces, and down-hauls--every sail on the fore and main. We control the braces on the mizzen, although they control the canvas on the mizzen.

   1914, Jack London, The Mutiny of the Elsinore, Chapter XLVI