Based on the length of the nautical mile, knots were tied along the log line at intervals of 14.4 meters. вЂњA wedge-shaped piece of wood, a small glass timer, and a really long rope.вЂќД«ut not just any rope would do. вЂњThey used materials they had on hand,вЂќ she explains. But when the nautical mile - 1.852 kilometers - was introduced in the 15th century, they had a handy standard against which to measure speed and created out of necessity the chip log, the worldвЂ™s first maritime speedometer. вЂњWith no landmarks to gauge their progress across the open sea, sailors couldnвЂ™t tell how fast or how far they were traveling,вЂќ explains Camila Caballero, an MIT senior and the academic coordinator forВ Amphibious Achievement, an athletic and academic outreach program for urban youth in Boston. Unless sailors knew how fast they were going, they could end up days off schedule, endangering those on board and worrying loved ones awaiting them in port.

Because 15th-century sailors didnвЂ™t have GPSвЂ¦ By Sarah JensenДЄdventure novels and history books are filled with harrowing stories of sailing ships delayed at sea - tales of sailors running low on food and fresh water, dying of scurvy, and getting trapped in the doldrums, or the tropics during storm season.

Word meaning speediness