Deadeye

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A deadeye is an item used in the standing and running rigging of traditional sailing ships. It is a smallish round thick wooden disc with one or more holes through it, perpendicular to the plane of the disc. Single and triple-hole deadeyes are most commonly seen. They are often used in pairs; a line is run back and forth between them, through the holes (in sequence), so that they function much as a pair of pulleys would, to provide mechanical advantage, pulling harder on whatever the deadeyes are attached to. Pairs of them are placed in the shrouds (the lines that hold up the mast), where they are used to create greater tension in the shrouds.