cable length (US) | 1 cable length (US) | 2 cable length (US) | 3 cable length (US) | 4 cable length (US) | 5 cable length (US) | 6 cable length (US) | 7 cable length (US) | 8 cable length (US) | 9 cable length (US) | 10 cable length (US) | 11 cable length (US) | 12 cable length (US) | 13 cable length (US) | 14 cable length (US) | 15 cable length (US) | 16 cable length (US) | 17 cable length (US) | 18 cable length (US) | 19 cable length (US) | 20 cable length (US) | 21 cable length (US) | 22 cable length (US) | 23 cable length (US) | 24 cable length (US) | 25 cable length (US) | 26 cable length (US) | 27 cable length (US) | 28 cable length (US) | 29 cable length (US) | 30 cable length (US) | 31 cable length (US) | 32 cable length (US) | 33 cable length (US) | 34 cable length (US) | 35 cable length (US) | 36 cable length (US) | 37 cable length (US) | 38 cable length (US) | 39 cable length (US) | 40 cable length (US) | 41 cable length (US) | 42 cable length (US) | 43 cable length (US) | 44 cable length (US) | 45 cable length (US) | 46 cable length (US) | 47 cable length (US) | 48 cable length (US) | 49 cable length (US) | 50 cable length (US) | 51 cable length (US) | 52 cable length (US) | 53 cable length (US) | 54 cable length (US) | 55 cable length (US) | 56 cable length (US) | 57 cable length (US) | 58 cable length (US) | 59 cable length (US) | 60 cable length (US) | 61 cable length (US) | 62 cable length (US) | 63 cable length (US) | 64 cable length (US) | 65 cable length (US) | 66 cable length (US) | 67 cable length (US) | 68 cable length (US) | 69 cable length (US) | 70 cable length (US) | 71 cable length (US) | 72 cable length (US) | 73 cable length (US) | 74 cable length (US) | 75 cable length (US) | 76 cable length (US) | 77 cable length (US) | 78 cable length (US) | 79 cable length (US) | 80 cable length (US) | 81 cable length (US) | 82 cable length (US) | 83 cable length (US) | 84 cable length (US) | 85 cable length (US) | 86 cable length (US) | 87 cable length (US) | 88 cable length (US) | 89 cable length (US) | 90 cable length (US) | 91 cable length (US) | 92 cable length (US) | 93 cable length (US) | 94 cable length (US) | 95 cable length (US) | 96 cable length (US) | 97 cable length (US) | 98 cable length (US) | 99 cable length (US) | 100 cable length (US) |
span | 960 span | 1 920 span | 2 880 span | 3 840 span | 4 800 span | 5 760 span | 6 720 span | 7 680 span | 8 640 span | 9 600 span | 10 560 span | 11 520 span | 12 480 span | 13 440 span | 14 400 span | 15 360 span | 16 320 span | 17 280 span | 18 240 span | 19 200 span | 20 160 span | 21 120 span | 22 080 span | 23 040 span | 24 000 span | 24 960 span | 25 920 span | 26 880 span | 27 840 span | 28 800 span | 29 760 span | 30 720 span | 31 680 span | 32 640 span | 33 600 span | 34 560 span | 35 520 span | 36 480 span | 37 440 span | 38 400 span | 39 360 span | 40 320 span | 41 280 span | 42 240 span | 43 200 span | 44 160 span | 45 120 span | 46 080 span | 47 040 span | 48 000 span | 48 960 span | 49 920 span | 50 880 span | 51 840 span | 52 800 span | 53 760 span | 54 720 span | 55 680 span | 56 640 span | 57 600 span | 58 560 span | 59 520 span | 60 480 span | 61 440 span | 62 400 span | 63 360 span | 64 320 span | 65 280 span | 66 240 span | 67 200 span | 68 160 span | 69 120 span | 70 080 span | 71 040 span | 72 000 span | 72 960 span | 73 920 span | 74 880 span | 75 840 span | 76 800 span | 77 760 span | 78 720 span | 79 680 span | 80 640 span | 81 600 span | 82 560 span | 83 520 span | 84 480 span | 85 440 span | 86 400 span | 87 360 span | 88 320 span | 89 280 span | 90 240 span | 91 200 span | 92 160 span | 93 120 span | 94 080 span | 95 040 span | 96 000 span |
A cable length or length of cable is a nautical unit of measure equal to one tenth of a nautical mile or approximately 100 fathoms. The unit is named after the length of a ship's anchor cable in the Age of Sail. The definition varies:
Name of unit | Symbol | Definition | Relation to SI units | Unit System |
---|---|---|---|---|
cable length (US) | ≡ 720 ft | = 219.456 m | Imperial/US |
cable length (US) | spans | cable length (US) | spans |
---|---|---|---|
1 | = 960 | 4 | = 3840 |
1.5 | = 1440 | 4.5 | = 4320 |
2 | = 1920 | 5 | = 4800 |
2.5 | = 2400 | 5.5 | = 5280 |
3 | = 2880 | 6 | = 5760 |
A span is the distance measured by a human hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger. In ancient times, a span was considered to be half a cubit. Sometimes the distinction is made between the great span (thumb to little finger) and little span (index finger to little finger).
Name of unit | Symbol | Definition | Relation to SI units | Unit System |
---|---|---|---|---|
span | span | ≡ 9 in | = 0.2286 m | Imperial/US |
spans | cable length (US) | spans | cable length (US) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | = 0.0010416666666667 | 4 | = 0.0041666666666667 |
1.5 | = 0.0015625 | 4.5 | = 0.0046875 |
2 | = 0.0020833333333333 | 5 | = 0.0052083333333333 |
2.5 | = 0.0026041666666667 | 5.5 | = 0.0057291666666667 |
3 | = 0.003125 | 6 | = 0.00625 |
cable length (US) | spans |
---|---|
1 | = 960 |
0.0010417 | = 1 |
Symbol | Definition |
---|---|
≡ | exactly equal |
≈ | approximately equal to |
= | equal to |
digits | indicates that digits repeat infinitely (e.g. 8.294 369 corresponds to 8.294 369 369 369 369 …) |