Does anyone measure distance in "Cables"?

[JPA Cate]

^^^^^^^^^^

Bwahahaha!

A.

[TrentePieds]

Oh my aching head! I think you are just trying to confuse us ;-)!

2 shackles is wot I do - on deck!. 'Cept they aren't really shackles, are they, when your cable is mostly string?

And because I'm a scaredey-cat I skive off for a nice sheltered harbour - mit pub - long before string becomes inadequate. And in the Salish Sea we have one of them every coupla miles :-)

Geologically, as you no doubt know, the coast of B.C is very much like the coast of Chile, but Vancouver Island has to be the best break-water you ever saw. Inside VI, no sweat. OUTside - I might go to all chain, say THREE shackles, although that would bring me down by the head quite substantially.

TrentePieds

[JPA Cate]

Allow me to explain, I was not laughing at El Pinguino, whom I respect, but laughing in merriment at Trente Pieds' post, which I thought quite amusing, considering his screen name.

Ann

[TrentePieds]

You are just laughing at me cos I failed to mention that TrentePieds is a third of a shackle on deck :-)

And that, for me, 2/3 of a shackle is Mark Twain.

TrentePieds

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

Anybody use the term "shots" when anchoring?

Not only do I use shots, but my chain is marked with shots. Well, they're quasi-shots since the marks are 30 meters apart, a little more than 15 fathoms. For me shots are intuitive and right-feeling unit of measure for chain. My major marks (white) are shots, minor marks (orange) are 10 meters.


As to cables -- universal in Northern European waters, and also intuitive, at least to my mind. 1/10 of a mile and roughly 200 meters.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by steve77

No, I'm not a member of the iThing generation of sailors. I just believe in clear communication over the radio. My question is how common is it to hear distances measured in cables when a commercial vessel is communicating with a pleasure craft. In previous radio communications with other vessels, we have managed to get along nicely using nautical miles or some fraction thereof.

Steve

I believe that using cables instead of tenths of a mile, is universal among professionals.

Around here, it's universal also among recreational sailors.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by skipmac

The last time the subject of arcane measurements came up I recall someone suggested measuring speed in furlongs per fortnight.

You're a bit late. See post #16 above

[Pelagic]

Most commercially trained mariners using radar and logging anchor position via distance and bearing at the "let go" position used cables in the log and chart

At the smallest ranges, the fixed rings on radars are at cables or 1/10 the NM

[StuM]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

You are just laughing at me cos I failed to mention that TrentePieds is a third of a shackle on deck :-)

And that, for me, 2/3 of a shackle is Mark Twain.

TrentePieds

?? So now your shackles are three fathoms ??

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by steve77

No, I'm not a member of the iThing generation of sailors. I just believe in clear communication over the radio. My question is how common is it to hear distances measured in cables when a commercial vessel is communicating with a pleasure craft. In previous radio communications with other vessels, we have managed to get along nicely using nautical miles or some fraction thereof.

Steve

In my practice this is absolutely common. I do not think an operator on a commercial or military vessel will think twice whether they are talking to another commercial vessel or to a pleasure craft. Talking from the bridge to any of the invisible men, I too used 'cables' (long ago, I may be imagining now more than I actually remember)

You are at sea, you are supposed to understand and use maritime terminology.

But I am also 100% with posters who indicate that this may in fact depend on which maritime tradition your training was based. Mine was (so I think) based on the British tradition - I use things like cables and fathoms and all this old junk. Off course, I am 100% conversant with people who will for their own reasons use decimals and meters and kilometers.

The way you asked about it now made me rethink my own foolosophy and so tomorrow I will investigate how the Spanish (this is where I elected to live) and the French (this is where many of my sailing friends come from) use the terms. For it is clearly a possibility that a 'cable' is all natural to me but not too common elsewhere!

Big hug & thanks for pointing the finger!

b.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

You are just laughing at me cos I failed to mention that TrentePieds is a third of a shackle on deck :-)

And that, for me, 2/3 of a shackle is Mark Twain.

TrentePieds

Well, I believe that he was a literary giant, but I really don't think that Sam Clemens was 60 feet tall!

Jim

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Well, I believe that he was a literary giant, but I really don't think that Sam Clemens was 60 feet tall!

Jim

Doh! I just realised what he meant.

He marks every 10m/5 fathoms, not in the traditional fathoms, so "Mark Twain" really is 60 feet (all preceding lengths are approximate )

[Offshore1960]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

Anybody use the term "shots" when anchoring?

Yes US merchant ships use it all the time. I do when I anchor, customary 3 shots to the waters edge. Also whenever we are in VTS controlled anchorages such as in New York harbor we give our length over all and the number of shots we are going to deploy. VTS then plugs that into their system and defines our swing circle then assigns us a grid number within the anchorages. They do this to maximize the use of space with the commercial anchorages within the port.

1 shot equals 90', we also measure our chain off in shots and its marked accordingly. Painted at the detachable links between each shot.

[SunnyJ]

Had a Navy Captain who went bonkers when subordinates mentioned, "Nautical Miles". Yes we are in a vessel, on the waterways and therefore it is implied that we will not use "Statute" miles. Nautical Miles are for Weekend Warrior Yachtie types he would yammer.

[El Pinguino]

I reckon its time to bring back the kenning.... if you can ken the land its time to hove to...

And yes ... using 'nautical' ahead of the mile shows the utterer to be serious lubberly....