A cable (as a unit of distance) is roughly one-tenth of a nautical mile.

What is a “cable”?

In nautical usage, a cable or cable length comes from the length of a ship’s anchor cable and became a standard way to measure short distances at sea.

  • Internationally, 1 cable ≈ 0.1 nautical mile.
  • A nautical mile is about 1,852 meters or 6,076 feet.

How far is a cable in meters and feet?

Because different navies used slightly different standards, the exact value can vary a bit.

Typical values you’ll see:

  • International / general modern use: about 185.2 meters (≈ 607–608 feet).
  • British (Royal Navy, traditional): about 608 feet ≈ 185 meters.
  • U.S. Navy (traditional): 720 feet ≈ 219 meters.

So if you just need a practical answer, you can say:

A cable is about 185 meters, or roughly 600 feet, i.e., one‑tenth of a nautical mile.

Quick HTML table version (for your “Quick Scoop”)

Below is an HTML table you can drop into a post:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Standard / Usage</th>
      <th>Distance (meters)</th>
      <th>Distance (feet)</th>
      <th>Relation to nautical mile</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>International (modern)</td>
      <td>≈ 185.2 m</td>
      <td>≈ 607–608 ft</td>
      <td>1 cable = 0.1 nautical mile</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>British (traditional)</td>
      <td>≈ 185 m</td>
      <td>≈ 608 ft</td>
      <td>1 cable ≈ 0.1 nautical mile</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>U.S. Navy (traditional)</td>
      <td>≈ 219 m</td>
      <td>≈ 720 ft</td>
      <td>1 cable ≈ 0.12 nautical mile</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Mini “storytelling” nugget for your post

Sailors originally judged a cable by the actual anchor cable running out from the ship, and battle lines used to keep about a cable’s distance between ships. Over time, this rough, very practical measure was standardized into the neat “one‑tenth of a nautical mile” unit still referenced today.

Meta description suggestion:
“Wondering how far a cable is? Learn how the nautical unit ‘cable’ relates to a nautical mile, why different navies vary, and the exact distance in meters and feet.”