NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Lengths
From: Steven Wepster
Date: 2001 Jul 13, 6:15 AM
From: Steven Wepster
Date: 2001 Jul 13, 6:15 AM
IMHO 'cable' is quite an informal untit of length; i.e. it is used in an informal way. Bowditch defines the cable as "one tenth of a sea mile" and I have seen the 100-fathom reference, can't remember where and I do not remember if it was meant as a definition or as an estimate. Shackles were (and are) used when referring to the length of anchor chain paid out. I think it is a length of about 27 metres, will look that up. At one shackle from the anchor, a shackle is painted white; at two shackles, 2 shackles etc. So when the master says he wants "three shackles on the bow" all you have to do is let the anchor and chain go until three mud-covered, rust-worn, barely-white shackles come whizzing by, and stop the winch just before they enter the chain pipe... _Steven. > The use of 'cable' as an expressive length is still quite common in UK; for > example, "pass that headland a couple of cables off". It is also a more > convenient way of saying 'one tenth of a (nautical) mile' > > A standard shackle is 15 fathom > > NG
