Also known as low friction rings these handy bits of hardware are used across many different areas of a sailboat. But they’re nothing new. In fact the high load thimble has been around for some time, just in slightly different forms. Originally made from wood and used on old style tall ships for adjusting running rigging and then more recently moulded in plastic to create light-weight, cheap alternatives. And now, CNC machined from high grade aluminium. But why, when and where should you use a high load thimble?