Lash thimbles, ferrules, rope thimbles, bobbins or low friction rings… Whatever you call them, there’s no denying they are the perfect (low cost!) solution for a multitude of applications.
Perhaps the most flexible piece of sailing hardware on the market, low friction rings can be used to tackle a variety of tasks and have several advantages that give them the edge on alternative sailing gear.
Manufactured from hard, anodised aluminium, rope thimbles are simple yet effective. Robust, durable and strong, low friction rings are designed for rope to either run through them, or around their perimeter when spliced.
Available in several diameters and sizes, unlike blocks, low friction rings contain no moving parts. Although this means rope thimbles provide more friction than a block, they are manufactured from materials that are designed to keep friction at a minimum, plus no moving parts means there’s no need to worry about breaking cheeks or damaging bearings!
As a result, low friction rings are perfect for applications that require low speed, low line movement and low angle (as deflection increases, so does friction).
Armed with some Dyneema single braid (which is slippery and runs smoothly) and a handful of rope thimbles, replace blocks or transform your boat with an infinite number of lightweight, efficient systems – limited only by your imagination!
Replace clunky metal fittings with onboard systems that are not only extremely strong (low friction rings have a higher working load relative to equivalent block size!), but easy to configure and extremely cost effective. Plus, these low friction rings don’t chafe your line!
So, what can I do with low friction rings?
- Replace blocks – suitable for small lines, plus soft attachment low friction rings don’t bang on the deck
- Purchase systems
- Small line deflection – lash rings are the perfect choice for changing the angle of a line E.g. furling lines, forequy, afterguy, inhauler, outhauler, sheets, control lines
- Lazy jack systems
- Backstay cascades – however, due to the 180-degree angle, be aware this will provide more friction than a block system
- Strops and fairleads
- Static lines that don’t require a lot of dynamic adjustment – E.g. preventer, check stays, running backstays, barber hauler
- Reefing lines
- … Pretty much anything!
If you have any questions about low friction rings and ferrules, please feel free to email us at [email protected], or click the link below to see our full range:
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Low friction rings – What are they, and how do I use them?