Cringle

A reinforced eye or loop in a sail or canvas item through which a fitting or line can take load.

A cringle may be formed around a metal ring, sewn ring, rope eye or pressed eyelet and reinforced with patches, webbing or roping. High-load cringles are fitted at the head, tack and clew and at the luff and leech of reef points.

The fitting attached depends on the cringle’s designed purpose, such as a halyard, tack hook, outhaul or reefing line. Small reef nettles or intermediate eyes should not automatically be used to haul the sail down to the boom under high load.