"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."

LOL! Sure that wasn't an Irish ship?

Every time I heard the story, it always closed with, "Go Navy! Beat Army!"

I knew that story was bogus because had we actually stolen that much single malt scotch from the Scots we would still be at war with Scotland.

LMAO!

Maybe I don't drink alot.

This must have been one of the many undeclared little wars that the U.S. fought at that time.
I know that British ships were capturing American vessels and commandeering them, and their crews. An out and out act of piracy, of course. This must have been in retaliation for that.
The U.S. Navy fought the French, about this time, also. Same thing. Piracy. French pirates based in Algiers were attacking American ships in the Med.
U.S. ships fought the French navy over this, also. And only a few years after they had helped the colonies defeat England.
Fascinating stuff, and a fascinating time in History, too.

on men o wars in that time they drank everything except water, because it usually went putrid....

Yep, that's right. As a matter of fact, I've read that the Pilgrims had to rush their decision on where to make land-fall and start a settlement because they were running dangerously low on beer.

Water was used to scrub the decks and wash the blood off those that were flogged.....not for drinking

That's what happens when a former ally goes through a radical "regime change".

You aren't thinking about the Barbary pirates in Tunisia are you?