A cringle is an eye through which to pass a
rope
A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly ...
. In nautical settings, the word refers to a small hole anywhere along the edge or in the corner of a
sail
A sail is a tensile structure—which is made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may ...
, rimmed with stranded cordage and worked into the
boltrope. Typically it encloses a metal
grommet for reinforcement and to reduce wear. In this context, ''cringle'' and ''grommet'' coincide enough that the two are sometimes used interchangeably.
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References
Sailboat components
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