Decimal Feet

We use metric feet in the oilfield, have tape measures in metric feet, (ten divisions to a foot) I wont say inches. Nowadays we drill in some areas in meters, but measure diameters in inches proper ones, talk about confusing!! Then we get into weights in tons, metric tonnes, newtons etc. etc. Liquids in barrels, cubes, lets not even get into pressure and the SI measurement system.
But I measure stuff in meters now, but of course, Englander was built with imperial units!! A bloody nightmare all this stuff!
 
You mean Decapede

decapede_med.jpg
 
Re: 2Tizwoz\'s Shed

There is one like that for sale on Portland, £60 grand.
Don't know if it comes with a dining table though
 
I find I am happier in Imperial, it's what I was thought. I can therefore fully appreciate that younger people will only work in metric. (I do myself when it suits) However I dont see why I should be denied the measurement system the state made me learn.

In French markets you can still find butter sold in 1/2 lbs yet our traders get locked up if they mention Lbs.

All I want is both systems to be displayed by traders. Once my age group are all dead then no one will notice if Imperial quitetly dies as well. Being FORCED to change NOW makes me angry and want to not change EVER. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
This reminds me of the radio vox pop in 1971 (change to decimal currency). One old dear said something along the lines of "Weel I'm shair this decimal stuff is a' very clever, but they shud hae waited till a' the auld fowk were deid..."
 
I was a baker's roundsman at the time, and one old lady said, as she riffled furiously through her purse, " I should have one o' they fifty pees in 'ere, I reckon I bin dwindled".
 
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I Like it.

Now I don’t mind decimal, so I am quite happy for it to be around the 40 - 50 years I am expected to put up with it (unless I die now that is)

With any luck we might change to Octal or Hex, then we would see what remarks we get from todays decimal only supporters, bet they wouldnt be so keen to wipe out decimal until they had gone. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
Point is decimal is not really helpful. What can you divide ten by? Funny how the 360 deg circle, and dozens survived so long. I was taught about furlongs, rods, poles, perches and chains. Thirty years on and a lot of us have not changed. We have no kilometres, but kilograms are illegal. The police, or Crimewatch, never describe suspects in metres or kilos. Grudgingly we talk about distance in metres, but only because we secretly think of them in yards. Even French fishermen use 'un bras' a fathom. Wonder why Napoleon's ten day week didn't survive? Apart from the fact that he was removed from power.....
 
I've just bought a YM Cruising Companion (West France) and it still talks about ****ing cables! Can you visualise "leaving a clearance of three cables fom a mark"? I can't.

I usually go through the books and alter them to metres (yards would work for me too) because I think it's a positive danger to use such an arcane unit of measurement.
 
I use metres for charted depths and heights, lengths of rope and chain, length of boat or berth, but feet and inches for my height and my anchor is a 35lb CQR. Cables and nautical miles for distance off, until I'm holding fingers up for distance to berth or mooring, then each finger is a metre.

I notice the European yacht manufacturers give them a name in feet eg. Bavaria 40 sounds better than Bav 12 (or whatever the conversion would be).

Fill car and boat with litres of diesel. Car does miles per gallon, boat does litres per hour.

Sat. nav in car is set to miles, but it (and the woman) always tells me how many metres to the next junction.

I'm 43 and did Decimalisation day at school as a youngster, but feet and inches, stones and pounds prevail for personal measurements, metric for everything else.

Think I might now take a leaf from the European boat manufacturers and go over to cm to describe my willie however.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

R
My boat trip hopefully in May Around Scotland
2 3
Replies
54
Views
1K
ProDave
ProDave

Share this page

Top