As Jonathan points out, dipping a pole is often a precursor to shocking events -- certainly it's time to do something. ;^)))

The foresail only that others have suggested is one approach. On your boat theta may or may not work in certain seaways and wind conditions.

In the area between the south side of Long Island and Cape May can be surprisingly choppy with shorter seas than you would expect. The water is relatively shallow, you can get tricky reflex swells and mixtures of waves and ocean swells on different cycles and from different directions. If you are closer to the Hudson Canyon in much deeper water, the waves might be higher, but a lot easier.

For your boat, I would try a reefed main with a working jib or reefed main if you are off the wind in a difficult chop or rolls seas. If my memory serves m, you have a relatively large fore triangle. For me maintaining even power, with control when coming up the backside of a short wave is more comfortable. Reducing the main in 25 knots of apparent wind is really the first priority if you are short handed or notice stability issues.

Our Pearson 35 had a large fore triangle sail plan with bigger main. I didn't find the jib only as good a configuration. If you came up (voluntarily, or otherwise) it either had to little power when on a deep wind angle or it was to powered as the wind came forward. Our Sabre and our subsequent J/Boat had and have smaller fore triangles -- and the have more easily driven hulls. The net affect is that the tolerate maintaining power and control with with a main or jib alone in all but close angles to the wind in snotty seas. Even then, you can get mixed seas and rolling if you sail to a course irrespective of comfort. ;^))). I plead guilty because I am usually at the helm and not the victim of my own indifference.

So how deep was the wind angle you where sailing when you almost dipped the boom? Was it a swell that changed the balance or almost caught the boom? Or was it just oscillations of the rig?