Cable Length

A cable length or cable's length is a nautical unit of measure equal to one tenth of a nautical mile or 100 fathoms, or sometimes 120 fathoms. The unit is named after the length of a ship's anchor cable in the age of sail. The definition varies:

  • International: 1⁄10 nautical mile, or 185.2 m
  • Imperial (Admiralty): 1⁄10 Admiralty mile, or 608 ft (185.32 m), about 101 fathoms
    • The traditional British fathom varied from 5½ feet to 7 feet in the Merchant Navy.
  • U.S. customary (US Navy): 120 fathoms (720 feet, 219.456 m)

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