Keel (unit)

Keel was a unit used to measure coal in the northeast of England, being the quantity of coal carried by a keelboat on the Tyne and Wear rivers. In 1750 it was said to be equal to 8 Newcastle chaldrons (waggons), a measure of volume, or a weight of 21 (long) tons 4 cwt (21.54 metric tons).[1]

  1. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.)