Unchained Preppers
Off Topic/ B.S. => General Off Topic => Topic started by: JoJo on April 10, 2020, 03:39:17 PM
-
Those were the days!
The U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides), as a combat vessel, carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (I.e. Fresh water distillers).
However, let it be noted that according to her ship's log, "On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S.Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum ."
Her mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping."
Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum.
Then she headed for the Azores , arriving there 12 November. She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine .
On 18 November, she set sail for England .. In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchant ships, salvaging only the rum aboard each.
By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, although unarmed she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland . Her landing party captured a whisky distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. Then she headed home.
The U.S.S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum , no wine , no whisky , and 38,600 gallons of water .
GO NAVY!
-
...a little bit different from my days on the open Ocean Blue. Sounds like they had priorities for sure. Morale & Welfare of the crew.
-
Precious!
-
I love old naval history. Originally they ration was beer or wine (depending on availability geographically). Then became rum and developed into grog (4:1 water to rum). It may seem that this was for morale & welfare but it was really for practical purposes. Water would go bad too quickly for practical purpose of provisioning. Beer was replaced by rum as it once again extended the storage times before going bad.
I can definitely get behind this however as there is little better in the world that sitting in the cockpit or on the rail of a sailboat while underway with a beer or cocktail. Water shedding off the bow, wind in the rigging and a beautiful sunset. I know this is not why the admiralty created the ration, but I am willing to pretend :-)