Chipper,

Regarding your message of July 14th @ 8:23 a.m.

‘’The statute rod is listed as a surveyors’ measure, but it’s also a canoeists’ measure, and is used by canoeists for just about everything. The statute mile is shown for land use, and the nautical mile for water use, but canoeists use the statute mile for both land and water use.’’

Chipper, thanks for the reminder.

Info @

http://www.weights-and-measures.com

And topic:

Common Linear Measure
Suffolk Surveyors’ Measure
Gunter Surveyors’ Measure
Common Nautical Measure


1 stt.rd. = 16 1/2’
1 stt.ch. = 66’
1 stt.fur. = 660’
1 stt.ml. = 5280’
1 stt. league = 5280 yd.
1 stt. ken = 5280 fth.

1 ntl. cable = 608’
1 ntl.ml. = 6080’
1 ntl. league = 6080 yd.
1 ntl. ken = 6080 fth.

In the US, the statute mile is used for all charts of inland waters, including the Great Lakes and Intracoastal Waterway. The nautical mile is used for coastal waters and offshore. This probably explains the canoeists' choice. A typical canoe would be pretty close to a rod long wouldn't it? So perhaps they just measure in canoe lengths.

http://www.boatus.com/onlinecourse/documents/CHARTING.html
<<Distance
Distances on charts are measured in statute or in nautical miles. Use of the statute (or land) mile of 5,280 feet is limited to the Great Lakes, inland rivers, and the Atlantic and Gulf Intracoastal Waterways. The nautical mile of 6,076.1 feet is used on ocean and coastal waters.
>>

1 land mile is 1609.344 m and one nautical mile is 1853 m, a difference of 243 m. Thus there is about a 1 km difference between four of the two different miles. Every additional 4 miles increases the difference between them by an additional 1 km. That is a big difference if you assume the wrong version when the word mile is spoken or written but not clarified.

<<1 land mile is 1609.344 m and one nautical mile is 1853 m, >>

Depends. For the land mile (in the US), if it was accurately surveyed, it was probably measured in US survey feet, hence 1609.347 m is closer (exact is 1609.344/0.999998 m). In the UK, it would be based on the International foot. (It takes VERY high accuracy surveying for 3 mm/mile to make a difference)

For the nautical mile, the International nautical mile (adopted by the US in 1954) is 1852 m, but the UK uses 1853 m (don't know why).

That is the glory of imperial units. You can pick whatever conversion factor you want. If the majority want it at 1852 m and you want to be different and pick 1853 m, you are free to do so. This maybe why imperial users hate metric. They have to accept the standard definitions as they are and can not change them at whim.

With imperial, you can have 27 different versions of the pint if you see fit and all would be right. So what if that makes the units ambiguous just as long as you get a warm fuzzy feeling inside when you say pint.

Daniel, all imperial conversion factors are established by the government.

However, you are free to believe otherwise if you wish.

:-D

Nice retort, Bud.

But the best retort is being carried out by other regular posters.

(and here is where I have to invent a new word...)

"ignoration".