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Length/Distance | Convert from shackle to palmo [Spanish] |
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Common Length Conversions Metric Length Conversions Unit Definition (shackle) The shackle is a traditional unit of length used for measuring the lengths of nautical cables and chains, especially anchor chains. Anchor chains are formed by using shackles to join short lengths of chain. When the anchor is dropped and the chain runs out, a seaman counting the number of shackles can report the total length of chain deployed. The size of the unit therefore varied somewhat, depending on the length of the short chains used. In Britain, the unit became standardized in the 16th century at 12.5 fathoms (75 feet or 22.86 meters). In 1949, the Royal Navy adopted a length of 15 fathoms, which is 90 feet or 27.432 meters; this brought the British shackle in line with the U.S. unit, which is usually called the shot. Unit Definition (palmo [Spanish]) The palmo is a traditional unit of distance in Spain and Portugal. The traditional Spanish palmo equals 9 pulgadas or 1/4 vara: this is about 20.9 centimeters in Spain and a little more than that in Spanish Latin America. Under the metric system in Spain, the palmo is an informal unit equal to 20 centimeters. These units are based on the width of a person's outstretched hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger, a definition identical to that of the English span.
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