The U.S.S.
Constitution (Old Ironsides) 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 (fresh water
distillers).
However, let
it be noted that according to her 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 merchantmen, salvaging only
the rum aboard each.
By 26 January,
her powder and shot were exhausted.
Nevertheless, and though unarmed, she
made a night raid up the Firth of
Clyde in Scotland. Her landing party
captured a whiskey 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
whiskey and 38,600 gallons of stagnant
water.
GO NAVY!
Now these guys
knew how to drink!