Invidious comparisons
Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2017 4:32 pm
A regular question from passengers is "How fast will it go?" If I give them the answer in in statute miles per hour they pause and are obviously thinking, "Not so fast."
If I give them the answer in nautical miles per hour their thinking is most likely running in at least two ways. One, is, "What the hell is a knot and why isn't it 'knots per hour'. And the other is, again, "Not so fast."
I suggest the following option as it should largely short circuit such thinking. I am resolved to give out the speed in Furlongs per Fortnight. First of all, especially here in the states, few people have any idea how far a furlong is and the same thing is true of a fortnight.
The exact conversion is one knot equals 3093.2363 . . . furlongs per fortnight or f.p.f. This means that when everything on my boat is being pushed to the limit at 6.5 kts. I and proceeding at just over 20,000 f.p.f. All very impressive!
It is had been suggested by some of my more practically minded associates that the numbers are a bit large and that one might move the decimal point over three places and have k.f.p.f. That way I will be making my big stern wave at 20 k.f.p.f.
Frankly I prefer the larger number as it is the rare specimen who can recover from the shock of such an obscure rating in time to come up with the usual low comment about water skiing.
Comments and suggested improvements are welcome.
If I give them the answer in nautical miles per hour their thinking is most likely running in at least two ways. One, is, "What the hell is a knot and why isn't it 'knots per hour'. And the other is, again, "Not so fast."
I suggest the following option as it should largely short circuit such thinking. I am resolved to give out the speed in Furlongs per Fortnight. First of all, especially here in the states, few people have any idea how far a furlong is and the same thing is true of a fortnight.
The exact conversion is one knot equals 3093.2363 . . . furlongs per fortnight or f.p.f. This means that when everything on my boat is being pushed to the limit at 6.5 kts. I and proceeding at just over 20,000 f.p.f. All very impressive!
It is had been suggested by some of my more practically minded associates that the numbers are a bit large and that one might move the decimal point over three places and have k.f.p.f. That way I will be making my big stern wave at 20 k.f.p.f.
Frankly I prefer the larger number as it is the rare specimen who can recover from the shock of such an obscure rating in time to come up with the usual low comment about water skiing.
Comments and suggested improvements are welcome.