How far apart were ships positioned in a line-of-battle formation?

In the line-of-battle formation, ships were typically positioned at regular intervals of approximately 100 to 300 yards from one another.123

This columnar formation, also known as "line ahead," required each vessel to follow in the wake of the ship directly in front of it. By maintaining these intervals, the fleet could function as a cohesive unit under the admiral's command, even amidst the smoke of battle, while maximizing the firing power of their broadside guns. Depending on the size of the fleet, these formations could stretch for several miles, sometimes reaching up to 12 miles (19 km) in length.123