Subject:
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Re: John E. Doolittle
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.pirates
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Date:
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Fri, 28 Jan 2000 16:02:21 GMT
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Viewed:
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3016 times
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In lugnet.pirates, Dave Schuler writes:
> In lugnet.pirates, Bruce Schlickbernd writes:
> > I bow to the other post on the chain. A league is variable, but usually • three
> > miles. A fathom is six feet. It should be noted a nautical mile is 6000
> > feet, not 5280.
>
> Since my knowledge of maritime issues extends only far enough to know that a
> whale is not a fish, I ask the following question:
> How many whats are in a "knot?" Is it shorthand for "nautical mile?" Is it a
> standard value, or is it a more elastic measurement depending on who's using
> it? Did I even spell it right?
> Help a poor landlubber understand...
>
> Dave!
Webster's Dictionary says:
<quote>
In nautical usage knot is a unit of speed, not of distance, and has a built-in
meaning of “per hour.” Therefore, a ship would strictly be said to travel at
ten knots (not ten knots per hour).
knot: (a) A division of the log line, serving to measure the rate of the
vessel's motion. Each knot on the line bears the same proportion to a mile
that thirty seconds do to an hour. The number of knots which run off from the
reel in half a minute, therefore, shows the number of miles the vessel sails
in an hour. Hence: (b) A nautical mile, or 6080.27 feet; as, when a ship goes
eight miles an hour, her speed is said to be eight knots.
<endquote>
I don't quite know what all this means, but maybe you can figure it out from
here...
-Adam
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: John E. Doolittle
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| (...) Since my knowledge of maritime issues extends only far enough to know that a whale is not a fish, I ask the following question: How many whats are in a "knot?" Is it shorthand for "nautical mile?" Is it a standard value, or is it a more (...) (24 years ago, 28-Jan-00, to lugnet.pirates)
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