half-cable's-length

Updated: July 1, 2026

The war-ship herself became a blaze of illumination, as did also her consort, which could now be seen lying but a half-cable's-length distant, and which also opened a tremendous fire upon the flag-ship. The other two ships of the English squadron, meanwhile, had shifted their helms and were fast approaching, guided by the flashing of guns and the uproar of the action.

Harry Collingwood - Across the Spanish Main: A Tale of the Sea in the Days of Queen Bess