Nantucket Sounder

Sounder with Line 

A bronze sounding lead with an inset hollowed star that can be filled with vaseline, grease, even peanut butter, so you'll know what the bottom's surface is like before you set your hook, as well as knowing how much scope you need for anchoring. Also include: instructions/background info. 

Complete Sounder: (line, lead, bag)

Sixty feet of braided line is included. The sounding lead of many years ago was most often attached to a very long line, as there were no electronic sounders to probe great depths. Instead of a knot every fathom, more elaborate markings were used to indicate unambiguously a variety of depths: 

2 fathoms - a 2-ended scrap of leather

3 fathoms - a 3-ended scrap of leather

5 fathoms - a scrap of white calico

7 fathoms - 1 strip of red wool bunting

10 fathoms - leather bound with hole in it

13 fathoms - a piece of thick blue serge

15 fathoms - a piece of white calico

17 fathoms - a piece of red wool bunting

20 fathoms - a cord with 2 knots

30 fathoms - a cord with 3 knots

 

What the heck is a fathom? An "international" fathom is:

1.8288 meters

2 yards

6 feet

18 hands

72 inches

And a British fathom is 1.85 meters, or 6.08 feet.

Weight of the sounder is 3 lbs.  & is 7 1/2" long & 1 1/2" at the base.
Made in the US.