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A dead eye is a wooden disc with one or multiple holes used to guide rig and increase sail tension on sailboats. It has been replaced by pulleys on modern ships, but is still used and collected as a vintage item by sailing enthusiasts.
A dead eye, or dead eye, is a cylindrical disc with one or multiple holes that has traditionally been the method of guiding the rig and increasing sail tension on sailboats. It is usually made of wood with a rope or iron band wound around the perimeter. The two most common types of dead eyes are those with one hole, also known as a bull’s eye, and those with three holes. Single deadeyes are usually worn alone, while triple-hole varieties tend to be worn in pairs.
The location of the dead eyes depends on the number of holes. A single hole dead eye is often set high up on a mast where it can help guide a line. Triple hole dead eyes are usually anchored to the edge of the boat’s rail, where they help secure lines. Once the lines are drawn through the dead eyes, they are tensioned by pulleys or other similar mechanisms. Dead eyes help keep that tension in the right place.
On many modern ships the single dead eye has been replaced by a kind of pulley known as a block. Instead of being secured to the side of the ship, the block is threaded directly onto the line it controls. On older vessels, the single deadeye was generally used to guide the ship through changes of direction or simply to guide the lines, also known as chords, for the sails.
Triple dead eye pairs are generally used to guide a line through a sail. They extend the lines that hold the sails to the mast, also known as shrouds, and create a sort of pulley to increase tension on the sail. Another of its functions is to help guide the stays, which are strong cables or ropes used primarily to provide support for the mast.
Although the dead eye has been superseded to some extent by other mechanisms, it is still widely used. On some modern sailboats, the cords have been replaced by steel wires. Instead of a dead eye, metal turnbuckles, which are long pieces of metal with a hook on one end and a loop on the other, are now more commonly used. They help to tighten the cables so that the sails have the proper tension.
As the dead eye has been used more often on older ships, it has now become a collectible item. There is a wide range of antiques for sale. These are most often collected by marine or sailing enthusiasts for display purposes.
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