[OT] Re: I can't find this network cable!

[Douglas Allan Tutty <dtutty@porchlight.ca>]

On Fri, Apr 27, 2007 at 01:16:54PM -0500, John Hasler wrote:
 
> A cable does not always imply metal.  In nautical usage it can refer to a
> large rope.

I'll split that hair further.  A cable is a rope lay.  It could be any
size.  Normal rope is right hand lay.  A cable is made up of three
right-hand ropes themselfs laid up left hand.  It looks like a left-hand
lay rope if you don't know what to look for.  The reason for cable-lay
is: 1) when rope was 'walked' there was a limit to the size of a rope so
if you wanted to make a larger rope you made a cable; 2) its stretches
more than rope, useful when it was used for anchors before chain was big
enough, and for mooring lines.  Note on terminolgy.  Rope is rope on a
spool, but when its put in use in a specific role it becomes a line.
Cable is cable.  Cable is also a distance (the length of a typical piece
of cable-laid rope): 1 nautical mile is 6000 ft = 1000 fathoms.  A cable
is 1/10 nm = 100 fathoms = 600 feet.  When anchoring with a 1:10 scope
its adequate for anchoring in 60 feet of water.

Then again, on anything but small boats, most anchor rodes are chain,
and (to turn full circle), mooring lines are often wire cable.

Of course, that can be wireless to: "Thrusters to station-keeping
Sulu".

:))

 
Doug.