RN or Alcoholics Anonymous?

[SC-Zester]

With the impending release of this title I dug up my old James Henderson books Sloops & Brigs, and Frigates. I had forgotten this gem about the matelots grog issue from The Frigates book:-

 

Drink was only too plentiful. The allowance of beer was a gallon a day, and of rum half a pint; but this rum was almost pure alcohol, and when cut down with water it was still equivalent to very nearly two bottles of rum at the strength at which it is retailled today.

 

So eight pints of beer and two bottles of rum per day would make us wimps effective workers?

 

I wonder what the French issued their sailors?

 

 

 

 

[Ampen]

Sounds a bit much, actually, especially being on the sea. I wonder about the beer at least, I doubt that was pure alcohol, but the rum might have been. Known about 17th century beer at least was that it was way weaker than the beer we have today, and pretty much everyone drank it, including children. But two bottles of rum should really get things spinning anyway.

[Brigand]

That really sounds like a lot!

I know that on ships of the V.O.C. (the Dutch East India Company), sailor where provider one oorlam a day (a small glass, the size of a modern shot, of Old Genever). It was absolutely forbidden or men before the mast to bring any acoholic beverages aboard.

 

~Brigand

[Ampen]

Not that it was uncommon to pitch out some booze before combat, under those circumstances it was more of a rule. But during combat you didn't want people staggering around dead-drunk, what was sought after was more a soft, gentle 'fogginess'. More like 2 drinks than 2 bottles.