Length/Distance 

Convert from shackle to quadrant

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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 (quadrant)
The quadrant is a unit of distance equal to the distance from the North Pole to the Equator. The metric system was originally designed to make this distance exactly 10 million meters (6213.71 miles). The actual meter comes close to the design. Using the conventional figures of 12 756 kilometers for the equatorial diameter of the earth and 12 714 kilometers for the polar diameter, and assuming the earth to have elliptic cross section, the length of the quadrant is about 10 001 300 meters (6214.52 miles). In principle, the quadrant is divided into 5400 nautical miles; in fact, 5400 international nautical miles equal 10 000 800 meters.


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