Nautical Term of the Week - Knot

Knot

A knot is one nautical mile per hour (1 knot = 1.15 miles per hour ). The term knot dates from the 17th century, when sailors measured the speed of their ship by using a device called a "common log." This device was a coil of rope with uniformly spaced knots, attached to a piece of wood shaped like a slice of pie.