Cable length
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. Owing to anachronisms and varying techniques of measurement, a cable length can be anywhere from, depending on the standard used.
Etymology and origin
The modern word cable is directly descended from the Middle English cable, cabel or kabel and also occurs in Middle Dutch and Middle German. Ultimately the word comes from Romanic, probably from a cattle halter. A cable in this usage cable is a thick rope or by transference a chain cable. The OED gives quotations from onwards. A cable's length is simply the standard length in which cables came, which by 1555 had settled to around or.Traditionally rope is made on long ropewalks, the length of which determines the maximum length of rope it is possible to make. As rope is "closed" the length reduces, thus the ropewalk at Chatham Dockyard is long in order to produce standard coils.
Definition
The definition varies:- International: 185.2 m, equivalent to nautical mile
- UK traditional:, though the Admiralty used of a sea mile, 1 minute of latitude locally.
- US customary :