Fathoms vs Feet

[wild1]

I had a friend ask me why we measure depth offshore in fathoms and not feet. I didnt know the answer.

[Glenn W]

tradition

[gofshn]

because it takes an intelligent mind to convert, hence we can keep our depths we were fishing a secret from the inshore gossip!

[clt_capt]

It is fancy and we get to think we are talking in code...

Why Knots?
Why are ropes lines?
Why is it a head and not a restroom?
Why is it a salon or saloon and not the cabin?
Where the hell is the lazarette?
Bow? Stern? Forward? Aft? Port? Starboard?

Could be worse - you could be a blow boater...
Why the hell do they call a line a sheet?

[Talbot29]

It's deeper out there...

[FinRazr]

Don't know for sure but would guess it has to do with the old way of doing soundings with a rope with knots spaced 6' apart and a weight on the bottom.Mariners in general are slowwwww to change and resist changes in tradition.

[Lowcountryboy]

My boat gets forty rods to the hogshead, and that's the way I likes it...

[Capt_John]

because it takes an intelligent mind to convert, hence we can keep our depths we were fishing a secret from the inshore gossip!

Uh oh....gonna start something.

[Storm]

I had a friend ask me why we measure depth offshore in fathoms and not feet. I didnt know the answer.

Was that a question or a statement?? If it's a question, I can't quite fathom it !! Tell your friend we measure depth inshore in fathoms as well.

[Storm]

I had a friend ask me why we measure depth offshore in fathoms and not feet. I didnt know the answer.

Ummmmmm.......... and the real answer is: Yeah, depth measurements were traditionally done with soundings using a rope. The reason for the six-foot increment is because it is the average length of a man's outstretched arms - hence a built-in measuring device. The end.