Nautical measured mile
Encyclopedia
A nautical measured mile is a nautical mile
which is marked by two pairs of towers. A mile is measure by sailing on a given bearing
and lining up the pairs of towers. The start of the mile is recorded when the first pair of towers line up and the end of the mile recorded when the second pair line up.
To accurately measure performance ships must make at least four to six runs in both directions to allow for the wind and tide.
There are several nautical measured miles around the British Isles:
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
which is marked by two pairs of towers. A mile is measure by sailing on a given bearing
Bearing (navigation)
In marine navigation, a bearing is the direction one object is from another object, usually, the direction of an object from one's own vessel. In aircraft navigation, a bearing is the actual compass direction of the forward course of the aircraft...
and lining up the pairs of towers. The start of the mile is recorded when the first pair of towers line up and the end of the mile recorded when the second pair line up.
To accurately measure performance ships must make at least four to six runs in both directions to allow for the wind and tide.
There are several nautical measured miles around the British Isles:
- Between Talland BayTallandTalland is a hamlet and ecclesiastical parish situated between Looe and Polperro on the south coast of Cornwall...
and Hannafore, West Looe, CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. - At SkelmorlieSkelmorlieSkelmorlie is a village in North Ayrshire, Scotland.Although it is the northernmost settlement in the council area of North Ayrshire it is contiguous with Wemyss Bay, which is in Inverclyde. The dividing line is the Kelly Burn, which flows into the Firth of Clyde just south of the Rothesay ferry...
, North AyrshireNorth AyrshireNorth Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland with a population of roughly 136,000 people. It is located in the south-west region of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the north-east and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the East and South...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. - There are four Admiralty Distance Poles at St Abb's HeadSt Abb's HeadSt. Abb's Head is a rocky promontory at the village of St. Abbs, Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, and a National Nature Reserve administered by the National Trust of Scotland...
, BerwickshireBerwickshireBerwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. - There are two consecutive miles on the Isle of ArranIsle of ArranArran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
between South SannoxSannoxSannox is a village on the Isle of Arran, Scotland. The name comes from the name the Vikings gave to the area, Sandvik, meaning the Sandy Bay.Sannox sits with a stunning backdrop of scenery to it in the shape of Glen Sannox...
and Corloch.