The hawse hole is a rounded opening in a vessel's bulwarks just above deck level, especially at the bow and stern quarters, through which pass the lines used to moor the ship.
The hawse hole is an opening though which lines and cables can be passed through the bulwarks for mooring or towing the vessel.
The hawse hole is bolted or welded into the bulwarks below the gunwale. It has rounded edges to avoid chafing the mooring lines which pass through it. Some hawse holes are fitted with horizontal and vertical rollers.
Choice will depend primarily on the diameter of the mooring lines.
