A Morning Constitutional For Your Enjoyment

[JPA Cate]

Here's something I just received from a friend.

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!


************


Belatedly though the British got even and invaded Washington and burned down the white house !

[nhschneider]

I wonder what they needed the water for?

[meatservo]

You don't want to do yer washin' up with rum, you'd be all sticky...




meatservo

[did-g]

Originally Posted by nhschneider

I wonder what they needed the water for?

Brushing teeth.

[Olly75]

Ye can take oor ships but dinnae mess wi oor scotch.

Ye ken?

[hugosalt]

Great read, especially if your ex navy and have enjoyed a little too much rum yourself.
...but sadly not even close to being plausible. Will say was safer consuming the
rum and wine over the water.
But keep the tales coming as need a little escape, sadly last sail of the season on my boat was Christmas eve here on Long Island sound and am waiting for temp to get out of the teens to go cover boat, hopefully before it snows.

[hugosalt]

Jim, just wondering should this be moved to the
"how long do you provision for" thread?

[TreblePlink]

Very interesting. How credible is this report?

[Seabeau]

I believe the British burned DC in retaliation for our burning of the Canadian town of York.

[sailorboy1]

Yes, go USN!

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by hugosalt

Jim, just wondering should this be moved to the
"how long do you provision for" thread?

Hugo, I'm legally responsible for Ann's debts, but not for what she posts. I would never have posted that fallacious story... I know tht there was LOTS more rum than was reported on board. Those figures are only the ships stores, and don't include what the swabbies smuggled in for their own usage.

Jim

[StuM]

Originally Posted by TreblePlink

Very interesting. How credible is this report?

Not at all. Ask Snopes

https://www.snopes.com/uss-constitution/

[JPA Cate]

Snopes and the rest of you all are thinking that they drunk all that, or couldn't, but my thought was more like rum running, that the skipper had a business going, on the side.

Too bad it isn't true.

Ann