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CLSNA' LamontCentral Forum -> Cowal Tavern -> LITTLE KNOWN TIDBIT OF NAVAL HISTORY...
Post Info TOPIC: LITTLE KNOWN TIDBIT OF NAVAL HISTORY...
Drac


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LITTLE KNOWN TIDBIT OF NAVAL HISTORY...
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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 and68,300 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 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 water.

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Wood Badger


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According to my wife "It sounds as though the crew was extreamly happy! biggrin

at least they had the sence to drink a little water, probably to wash down the wine and rum.

thanks for the info.



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Richard R. Barden
Drac


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Who said they drank it. It was also for washing....

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Luckey


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Now there's a crew who had their priorities straight!

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MacPatrick


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Yep, imagine having 40,000 gallons of Single Malt Scotch Whisky in your bar stock, it would last all of us a couple of months.

On another note, I watched a documentary on the Cunard Line's new Queen Mary ocean liner, they carry 40,000 bottles of wine on each crossing. 

The Brits never sail dry.

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Jim Lovelace
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Steve Brown


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Hey! I live right up the street from the U.S.S. Constitution. It isn't all that large, so obviously to have space for more plunder, you need to weed out that that is in the way. I am sure the libation was near the doors to the hold, and therefore easiest to remove from wasting all that space.
With enough Scotch imbibed who really cared how much the ship was tossed about on the ocean?

Slainte

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Drac


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Over the years in the Reserves I've had a couple chances to service my two weeks a year on the USS Constitution.  Once was about 6-7 years ago and than again about 4 years ago.  I was lucky both times.

The first time I was gifted some materials left over time from restorations.  I was given wood from the mast, iron from a cannon, copper plate from the powder room, a brass spike and two copper pins.  The wood and the copper plate are thought to be about 50+ years old as these get replaced fairly often.  The iron has to be at least 150+ years old as that was the last time the had functional cannons.  The brass spike and copper pins are thought to be original from a yard worker who got them from another, who got them from another, etc, which means the were made by Paul Revere.

With the help of 4 others a project was made a project of the materials.  One person made the blades using the steel (I don't forge only grind), I did the handles using the wood, copper and brass.  Another used the copper plate for the sheaths and the last person did the engraving on the sheath and knives. 

All three:

us4akk7.jpg
Close up on one:
us2a.jpg

One knife was given to the Captain on a turn about cruise.  That was my second time out and let me tell you it was a real honor to sail on the USS Constitution!!!!

0051os6.jpg

The second was given to the ship's museum and the third was auctioned off and the money divided between the ship & museum.

I was a great experience serving there.  You get to see things only the crew sees, shoot the cannons, and all sorts of other things.  One of the funnest things was when I went to soot the cannon for morning colors the guy told me to look out the port hole and you could see people standing on their porches in their bathrobes, coffee in one hand and car remote in the other to turn off the alarms that would go off when we fired the cannon.

Jim

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Wood Badger


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The artistry of your work never ceases to amaze me! shocked.gif
The knives are AWESOME!!

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Richard R. Barden
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