# What is stopping you? Metric, again **URL:** \ **Category:** Scuttlebutt\ **Created:** [May 9, 2024, 11:35am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402 "2024-05-09T11:35:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![KPChief](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kpchief/32/26_2.png) [@KPChief](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/KPChief)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 3:07pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/41 "2024-05-11T15:07:38Z")
Apparently the forum is doomed to discuss this ad nauseam from time to time. Perhaps every time you wonder why the US is this way you could just watch this for the origin story. It makes perfect sense. [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/e/9/e9a02f54c1dc18fba309e501e812c4d823b2ae5e.jpeg "Washington's Dream - SNL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYqfVE-fykk) ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 3:22pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/42 "2024-05-11T15:22:05Z")
I think there’s two different things being discussed On the one hand there’s the ability to directly visualize or imagine distance when given in various systems of measurement. On the other hand there’s just doing the math. For draft, depth and UKC no visualization required. If the chart is in meters and the draft marks are in feet and tenths it’d be better to convert the draft to meters and stay in one system. ---
**Author:** ![research\_sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@research\_sailor](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/research_sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/43 "2024-05-11T15:40:34Z")
“Bartender, get me 500cc’s of lager, stat!” ---
**Author:** ![research\_sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@research\_sailor](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/research_sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 3:50pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/44 "2024-05-11T15:50:40Z")
This thread cannot end until someone advocates for using Smoots for length. There, now that the bridge has been crossed, we may return to debating more weighty matters, like mass vs. weight vs. displacement. ---
**Author:** ![Hartley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/hartley/32/7603_2.png) [@Hartley](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Hartley)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 4:10pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/45 "2024-05-11T16:10:41Z")
Makes sense to me - on our little boat, the only folks driving are my wife and I, so little chance of confusion. But for big ships, crews are constantly changing, and not knowing what the last DF set up the system for could be a major problem! Seems a useful bit of standardization. ---
**Author:** ![retdmarineengineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@retdmarineengineer](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/retdmarineengineer)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 4:33pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/46 "2024-05-11T16:33:31Z")
> [@Kennebec\_Captain](#): > > I agree but if someone who ‘think’s’ in one system becomes immersed in another, say at work for example, it’s relativity easy to switch or use either once it becomes a habit. Very true. But I really think it the understanding is in auto mode. Same guy for example is working on a mechanical drawing and is dimensioning in both feet/inch and metric units in parentheses below is completely familiar with both. And when he is out of the office and meets a buddy and the guy talks about his home in his hometown is 200 sq mts, quite sure he would need to some mental math to convert to sft. I think most of the time it is really the concept or idea of comparing to what your mind is familiar with in terms of size. For example any measure of length beyond what you can put your hands around or what your eyes can imagine (maybe over 100 ft?), you mind tends to compare – such as a football field, etc to get an idea. ---
**Author:** ![retdmarineengineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@retdmarineengineer](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/retdmarineengineer)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 4:36pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/47 "2024-05-11T16:36:03Z")
Same thing right? 1 meter OR 3 feet? In any case if maneuvering into such areas I would make sure all the sea filters on the low and high sea chests are clean. ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 4:36pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/48 "2024-05-11T16:36:31Z")
Same with the Doppler log and echo sounder, neither have any option for depth except for meters. ---
**Author:** ![retdmarineengineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@retdmarineengineer](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/retdmarineengineer)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/49 "2024-05-11T16:39:58Z")
And the market cap of quite a few American corporations are bigger than the GDP of most countries! ---
**Author:** ![Urs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/958977/32.png) [@Urs](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Urs)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/50 "2024-05-11T17:02:01Z")
There was the famous, failed Mars Orbiter rocket… …the rocket failed because some high rise scientists meddled with the millimeters to inches transformation. > **[Mars Probe Lost Due to Simple Math Error](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-01-mn-17288-story.html)** > > NASA lost its $125-million Mars Climate Orbiter because spacecraft engineers failed to convert from English to metric measurements when exchanging vital data before the craft was launched, space agency officials said Thursday. ---
**Author:** ![Meme.Lord](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/meme.lord/32/29401_2.png) [@Meme.Lord](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Meme.Lord)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 11:09pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/51 "2024-05-11T23:09:11Z")
If you’re loaded to 28 feet and in a 10 meter deep channel, if you just thought 10 meters=30 feet you could be waiting for a tide, when in reality you’ve got a foot to spare. ---
**Author:** ![powerabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 12:37am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/52 "2024-05-12T00:37:42Z")
that was a pleasureboat system, had they done route planning on an ecdis it wouldnt have happened. ---
**Author:** ![powerabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/53 "2024-05-12T00:40:13Z")
whats a metric tapered thread? ---
**Author:** ![yacht\_sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ed655f/32.png) [@yacht\_sailor](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/yacht_sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 1:51am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/54 "2024-05-12T01:51:57Z")
![metric](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/f/2/f23ef7b320af71361ea6b121582438706b2b9280.jpeg) I could really confuse the next guy on watch with this! (looking for the furlongs per fortnight setting) ---
**Author:** ![New3M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/new3m/32/394_2.png) [@New3M](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/New3M)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 3:00am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/55 "2024-05-12T03:00:41Z")
Ahh the old BSPP and BSPT threads. ---
**Author:** ![powerabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 3:52am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/56 "2024-05-12T03:52:44Z")
I was thinking npt, the only proper tapered threads ---
**Author:** ![dbeierl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/dbeierl/32/11833_2.png) [@dbeierl](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/dbeierl)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 3:54am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/57 "2024-05-12T03:54:22Z")
> [@ombugge](#): > > No, not a dead horse, Very much a dead horse because we like it the way it is. As Farmer Jones said to the deacon who tried to convince him that switchel was better than rum, “I don’t want nuthin’ better than rum!” ---
**Author:** ![dbeierl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/dbeierl/32/11833_2.png) [@dbeierl](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/dbeierl)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 4:05am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/58 "2024-05-12T04:05:56Z")
> [@Meme.Lord](#): > > But its really 32’ 9" which is a bit of a difference So you multiply by three and add ten percent. Almost as easy. ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 10:02am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/59 "2024-05-12T10:02:34Z")
> [@dbeierl](#): > > because we like it the way it is. This is (mostly) true, I don’t know why the U.S. using a mixed system apparently bothers Europeans so? My guess is the metric system is best when it’s the only system in use but with the American system adding the metric option actually makes it more useful. ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 10:11am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402/60 "2024-05-12T10:11:20Z")
Aboard ship I use the ship’s dimensions as a reference, One ship length (in my case) is 200 meters the beam is about 30 etc, When mooring for distance off containers are often nearby, the 20’s and 40’s are about 6 and 12 meters, other common objects, vehicles etc come to mind. A standard school bus in the U.S. is about 10 meters long. [Previous page](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402.md?page=2) [Next page](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-is-stopping-you-metric-again/69402.md?page=4)