K's and F's

Extract

In the old Cunard Line the log-books on the passenger steamers had a K and an F column on the left-hand page of each opening. This was taken to mean, and in fact was so used, as Knots and Fractions (not fathoms as in W. E. May's article, p. 116, Vol. 27).

Each noon the junior third officer filled in the columns for the previous 24 hours, and each hour had the nautical miles and the fraction thereof expressed in cables which had been steamed, entered in the appropriate box. Thus the figures in the F column never exceeded 9.