NavList:

Probably many NavList members have noticed that the date Frank chose as an example of one of his preferred formats, 18 Brumaire VIII, is, to the best of my knowledge, the ony one which is remembered much better as a French Republican calendar date that in its Gregorian calendar equivalent (9 Nov 1799).  It is also interesting that it has to do with the same person, Napoleon Bonaparte, who made the logical decision to abolish the Republican calendar and re-adopt the Gregorian one afew years later.  Conversely, I think it is regrettable that the French Republican 100 degree (grade) right angle was never adopted. I presume it might have prevented many degrees/minutes/seconds conversion errors made by tired navigators.