Nautical Term: Eye

Definition of Eye

The term ‘eye’ refers to the forward opening at the forward end of the ship’s hull, located below the upper decks. This opening is situated near the stem, where the sides of the ship approach very close to each other. The hawse pipes, which are used to secure the ship to the dock, are usually run down through the eyes of a ship.

For instance, while loading cargo onto a ship, the dock workers secure the ropes of the cargo crane to the hawse pipes that are located at the eyes of the ship. This ensures that the cargo is safely secured to the ship before the cargo crane is pulled away from the dock.

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