A pad eye (or padeye) is a small, fixed metal or soft fastening point secured to a boat's deck, bulkhead, or mast to provide a secure anchor for blocks, hooks, lines, or safety harness tethers. Often made of stainless steel or high-performance composites, these versatile, often low-profile fittings are used for rigging, hardware attachment, and mooring.

Key Aspects of Pad Eyes
Structure: Consists of a baseplate with a protruding, fixed loop or ring ("eye").

Common Locations: Installed on decks, cockpits, masts, and booms.

Applications: They are essential for attaching deck blocks, barber haulers, jib sheets, and safety lines.

Types:
Fixed/Solid: Traditional, strong, permanently welded or bolted.

Folding/Articulating: Reduces snagging and prevents toe injury when not under load.

Soft Padeyes: Modern, high-performance, lightweight soft shackles secured with high-modulus lines (e.g., Nodus Factory).

Removable: Threaded systems designed to be removed when not needed.