Please identify the ring on my mast?

[kingfisher]

New to us boat and I'm still trying to figure out what is what. For example: what is the big ring on the front of our mast? Is that the spinnaker pole attachments? That seems kinda flimsy? The boat doesn't have a pole, nor a spinnaker. But the wear marks on the mast seem to indicate there was a pole?

 

[Minerva]

Well the car on the mast is a towable spinnaker pole car - however the big hoop looks just the ticket for attaching your hammock to on a warm, still summers’ day.

 

[Supertramp]

I think it looks like the ring has been added to the pole fitting. Not sure what pole end fitting goes onto the bracket - new to me. Usual ring fitting is a much more substantial ring mounted horizontally.

 

[Roberto]

If you hoist it at a convenient height you can attach the two pole end fittings to that metal ring and to the fixed one at the mast base, pole storage.
If the big metal one can be turned in flat horizontal position you could fit one end of the pole inside it.