This page converts hands into fathoms using the factor 0.05555555556, and shows the reverse figure alongside it. Both units measure length, which is why one number does the whole job.
Exactly four inches, and still the only accepted way to state the height of a horse. Six feet, the traditional depth unit on marine charts.
The mil and the millimetre are not the same thing and are out by a factor of about forty. A mil is one thousandth of an inch — 0.0254 mm — and a spec sheet that quotes film thickness in mils means the small unit. British drawings write the same size as "thou". Below the calculator there is a step table for the values people look up most, and a second table putting real length figures into fathoms so the number you get has something to be compared against.
The formula
hands- The amount you are converting, in hands
0.0555555555556- The exact number of fathoms in one hand
fathoms- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in hands.
- It is multiplied by 0.0555555555556, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in fathoms, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A credit card’s long edge: 0.843 hh in fathoms
At 0.843 hh (a credit card’s long edge), the same quantity in fathoms is 0.843 × 0.0555556 = 0.0468333 ftm. One hand is 0.0555556 fathoms, so the numbers shrink as expected.
A marathon: 4.15e+05 hh in fathoms
At 4.15e+05 hh (a marathon), the same quantity in fathoms is 4.15e+05 × 0.0555556 = 23,055.6 ftm. One hand is 0.0555556 fathoms, so the numbers shrink as expected.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many fathoms are in one hand?
Exactly 0.0555555555556. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert hands to fathoms?
fathoms = hands × 0.0555555555556. Reversed, hands = fathoms ÷ 0.0555555555556, which is the same as multiplying by 18.
Which is the bigger unit, the hand or the fathom?
The fathom. One hand is only 0.0555556 of a fathom, so it takes 18 hands to make one fathom.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure length. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a hand?
Exactly four inches, and still the only accepted way to state the height of a horse.
What is a fathom?
Six feet, the traditional depth unit on marine charts.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Hands to fathoms reference tables
| Hands | Fathoms |
|---|---|
| 0.5 hh | 0.0277778 ftm |
| 1 hh | 0.0555556 ftm |
| 2 hh | 0.111111 ftm |
| 3 hh | 0.166667 ftm |
| 5 hh | 0.277778 ftm |
| 10 hh | 0.555556 ftm |
| 20 hh | 1.11111 ftm |
| 25 hh | 1.38889 ftm |
| 50 hh | 2.77778 ftm |
| 75 hh | 4.16667 ftm |
| 100 hh | 5.55556 ftm |
| 250 hh | 13.8889 ftm |
| 500 hh | 27.7778 ftm |
| 1000 hh | 55.5556 ftm |
| 5000 hh | 277.778 ftm |
Exact factor: 1 hand = 0.0555555555556 fathoms.
| Quantity | hh | ftm |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 0.8425 hh | 0.04681 ftm |
| A door height | 20 hh | 1.111 ftm |
| An Olympic pool | 492.1 hh | 27.34 ftm |
| The Eiffel Tower | 3248 hh | 180.4 ftm |
| A marathon | 4.153e+05 hh | 2.307e+04 ftm |
| Earth’s diameter | 1.254e+08 hh | 6.967e+06 ftm |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.