A little known tidbit of navel history

[Destroyer]

The USS 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 6 months of sustained operations ar sea. She carried no evaporators. (Fresh water distillers)

However, let it be noted that, according to her ships log, "On July 27, 1798, the USS Constitution sailed from Boston with a full compliment of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 12,400 gallons of rum".

Her mission? "To destroy and harass English shipping".

Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 9,300 gallons of rum.

Then she headed for the Azores, arriving there 12 November. She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 15,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.

On 18 November she set sail for England. In the following days she defeated 5 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 transfered 9,600 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. Then she headed home.

The USS Constitution arrived in Boston harbor 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!!!!

[Road King Cole]

That comes out to about 2.75 gallons of hard liquor per person per week.

(assuming Willy wasn't there and everyone drank the same amount).

I wouldn't be able to hang in that party for long...

rkc

[tsubaki]

DANG, now I don't feel so bad!
Wife and daughter's been after me for a while about the 1/2 gallon a week I disperse.
THANKS Destroyer!

[reelapeelin]

Amazin' they FOUND their way home...

[spareparts]

" Yo Ho blow the man down" take another drink

[willy]

I am an Army Guy, but you Navy Boys are OK in my book.
Great story. Wish I was on that run.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by willy

I am an Army Guy, but you Navy Boys are OK in my book.
Great story. Wish I was on that run.

Willy, I'm thinking that we try for a reinactment of that run in a scaled down version later this year at Tices. I especially like the part where we could storm ashore and grab some single malt Scotch. We could call it the Official 2nd Annual Tices Shoals Old Ironsides Reinactment Gathering.... or maybe we could call it the Tices Official Annual Sobriety Trip.. or toast for short. (Which is what we will all be if we liberate too much of that Single Malt.

(Maybe we should invite the press?)

[Stinky_Hooker]

LOL...good stuff!

[yodaddy]

hmm...what did Churchill say about naval traditions of "rum, sodomy, and the lash" ? My USMC mind recoils at the thought of how much sodomy and lashing probably accompanied all that boozing.

[willy]

All right, I take back what I said, glad i was not on that trip.