What Is This Tool?
This converter allows you to transform measurements from the international nautical league—a historical maritime length unit—into the US survey chain, a traditional land surveying unit. It is designed for users working with historical nautical distances and US cadastral data.
How to Use This Tool?
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Enter the value in nautical leagues (int.) you want to convert
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Select the target unit as chain (US survey)
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Click the convert button to display the equivalent value in chains
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Use the results to interpret historical maritime data or land survey records
Key Features
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Converts the international nautical league to US survey chain with a fixed conversion factor
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Supports length conversions relevant to maritime history and US land surveying
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Browser-based and easy to use without additional software
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Provides practical use for archival, legal, and scholarly applications
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Includes examples to demonstrate accurate conversions
Examples
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Convert 2 nautical leagues (int.): 2 × 276.1865151515 = 552.373 chains (US survey)
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Convert 0.5 nautical league (int.): 0.5 × 276.1865151515 = 138.093 chains (US survey)
Common Use Cases
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Interpreting distances on 18th–19th century maritime charts and sailing logs
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Converting historical nautical distances into land surveying measurements
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Integrating old nautical data into U.S. cadastral and geographic information systems
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Archival research and legal documentation involving historic maritime units
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Describing rural property boundaries and rights-of-way using legacy units
Tips & Best Practices
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Verify the historical context before converting to ensure appropriate unit use
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Be cautious of jurisdictional differences in the survey foot and chain definitions
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Use the tool for archival, scholarly, or GIS data conversion with attention to unit legacy
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Cross-check conversions when integrating with modern measurement systems
Limitations
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The nautical league (int.) is mostly obsolete and may vary in historical sources
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Minor precision errors can occur due to differences in survey foot and link definitions between jurisdictions
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Conversion assumes exact unit definitions without adjustments for historical variations
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Use with caution when applying conversions to critical legal or cadastral matters
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is a nautical league (int.)?
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An international nautical league is a historical maritime unit of length equivalent to 3 international nautical miles or 5,556 metres, used for measuring sea distances.
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What defines the US survey chain (ch)?
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The US survey chain is a land surveying unit equal to 66 US survey feet, subdivided into 100 links, historically used in cadastral and property boundary surveys.
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Why convert nautical leagues to US survey chains?
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This conversion helps translate maritime distance measurements from historical nautical units into land-based surveying units for archival, GIS, or legal applications.
Key Terminology
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Nautical league (int.)
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A historical international maritime length equal to three international nautical miles, used mainly in the 18th–19th centuries.
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Chain (US survey) [ch]
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A traditional land surveying length unit equal to 66 US survey feet, subdivided into 100 links, historically used in cadastral surveys.
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Cadastral Survey
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A survey that defines land ownership and boundaries, often using legacy measurement units.