Marlinspike Seamanship
By Ted Walsh
Round Thimbles and lizards
One of the simplest components of a
traditional rig is the round thimble. TypiÂ
cally used in sail making, they can be
roped or stitched into a sail as clew, tack,
or cringle, but round thimbles are found
in many places of the rig itself.
Made of brass, bronze, or copper,
round thimbles are inexpensive and can
be purchased through marine chandleries and from sail-maker supÂ
ply stores, and come in a variety of sizes. They can be used in many
places to eliminate chafe
and make a strong conÂ
necting point between a
line and shackle.
Lizards:
A round thimble
spliced into the end of a
line with an eye splice
can also function as a
kind of sheaveless block.
This configuration is
known as a lizard.
There are places in
the rigging where a line
might occasionally need to slide, as through a block, but where the
load and the amount of slide is minimal and where the use of a block
would be overkill. In this case a lizard might be used.
In some cases the thimble is made of wood
(technically called a bull’s eye) commonly out of
an oily wood like teak or mahogany, and the line
passed through the center of the lizard allowing
the same function as a block without the size,
weight, or expense of a block.
If you are looking for a versatile addition to
your rigging bag, throw in a handful of round
thimbles.
