On 23 August 1779, the USS Constitution set sail from
Boston, loaded with 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of
water, 74,000 cannon shot, 11,500 pounds of black powder
and 79,400 gallons of rum. Her mission: to destroy and
harass English shipping.
On 6 October, she made Jamaica, took on 826 pounds of flour
and 68,300 gallons of rum. Three weeks later, Constitution
reached the Azores, where she provisioned with 550 pounds
of beef and 2,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.
On 18 November, she set sail for England where her crew
captured and scuttled 12 English merchant vessels and took
aboard their rum. By this time, Constitution had run out of
shot. Nevertheless, she made her way unarmed up the Firth
of Clyde for a night raid. Here, her landing party captured
a whiskey distillery, transferred 13,000 gallons on board
and headed for home.
On 20 February 1780, the Constitution arrived in Boston
with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, and no
whiskey. She did, however, still carry her crew of 475
officers and men and 18,600 gallons of water. The math is
quite enlightening: Length of cruise: 181 days Booze
consumption: 1.26 gallons per man per day (this does NOT
include the unknown quantity of rum captured from the
12 English merchant vessels in November).
Naval historians say that the re-enlistment rate from this
cruise was 92%.
Where do I sign up???