Friction rings

Friction rings for boating

The friction ring is a piece of deck hardware built as a single element, without any moving parts. The rope passes through the ring, and it is secured all around.

Smaller, lighter, stronger, and cheaper than a block with equal load capacity, the friction ring is an excellent solution for static loads or maneuvers with small displacements (such as the backstay or a furler line).
Indeed, the absence of a moving sheave results in higher friction than with a traditional block (a load loss of about 45%). By reserving the ring for ropes that require few frequent adjustments, you can fully benefit from its exceptional tensile strength and absolute reliability at sea.

It is a widely used element in boating, for both racing and cruising.
It is also found in other applications: tree climbing, logging, industry, etc.

Nodus Friction Rings

At Corderie Gautier, we offer Nodus brand friction rings made from different materials:

• High-quality rings made of anodized duralumin (hard anodized aluminum), coated with Teflon for a truly very slippery surface.
• Rings made of technical resin, self-lubricating, even lighter than aluminum.

The many advantages of the friction ring

Simpler to manufacture than a block, the friction ring is consequently much more economical. While they were mostly found on racing boats, their attractive price has made them widely available and they now equip many pleasure boats.

Extremely light and strong, its weight-to-strength ratio is one of the most interesting:

• At equal breaking strength, the friction ring is 10 times lighter than a block.
• And the weight saving on board, even for cruising, is not negligible for improving boat performance and facilitating navigation.
• In terms of safety, the friction ring is also very interesting.
• It is not made up of several movable elements, which makes it more robust and reliable, less prone to breakage.
• Above all, the reeving through the middle ensures that the rope will not be released in case of breakage, unlike the vast majority of blocks.

Light, strong, practical, and reliable, the friction ring is ideal on board for quick repairs in case of damage once at sea, especially if a block were to break. It allows you to easily and quickly replace the block, to return safely to port.

In addition to boating, for leisure or competition, friction rings are also widely used in tree climbing, 4x4 outings, and rallies.