Today is the 94th Anniversary of the USN starting PROHIBITION aboard it's ships, which in turn, immediately trickled down to the USCG, and eventually to the US Merchant Marine Fleet.

Otherwise, we'd be like every other nation in the world allowing their crews to enjoy 2 beers per day per man.

Wannnhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

Indeed, it is a day that should live in infamy.

I would note that the law has not been followed on every merchant vessel. I was on one ship in the mid-80s on which the average consumption per day was about 8 beers a day, and on that ship, the three mates hardly ever drank anything.

I also had one trip as a cadet when the Captain made me post signs about the company drinking policy. The policy was simple: no drinking, no alcohol on board, no alchohol in you when you were on board. I posted the signs, and that afternoon the Captain pointed to the sign leaving the lounge at coffee time, and said: "If I had to enforce this, I'd have to fire everyone one on board, including myself."

I also know things have been getting tighter and tighter. The industry is not a the same as when I was on board. It was not the same then as when my father started, and it had changed then from when the generation before him started. I've heard about the days when your first beverage in the morning was not a cup of coffee, but about three shots worth of whiskey.

That is a sad day.

Yet another reason for joining the Air Farce!

Let's see, a super carrier has over 5000 soles on board, times two, times a lengty deployment (not counting resupply both while in port and underway), that is one big pile of beer cans!!!

Screw the beer.
Bring back the grog ration.

Of course aircraft carriers are not strictly 'dry'. Aviators are allocated one or two shots of liquor after every landing. Many ships stock similar 'medicinal' supplies that are allocated as called for. More recently the entire crew of an aircraft carrier got a beer ration after being deployed for eight or nine months.

On an interesting historical note the term 'Dutch courage' came from the Dutch practice of issuing rum when enemy ships were sighted and battle was deemed likely. Sailing ships would often take hours, or even days, to close and conclude the nerve wracking sailing contest of maneuver for advantage. The rum was said to steady the nerves and instill a sense of unity and camaraderie.

True, but the pile of hops (and other required goodies) would be huge. And some swabbies will tell you, after a navy shower, that they can't even make enough fresh water to keep up with demand...

That they would. Probably end up as the stinkiest bunch of drunks afloat!!!

I have a few crews that they would be hard-pressed to match in that regard. I remember one pair of deckhands that were not allowed to leave the vessel without square pieces of carboard with 6 inch sides, that were hung on strings and placed around their necks.

The signs said: "Hello my name is ________. I am a deckhand on the Tugboat _________. If found please call ______." It had the boat's cell phone number.

The Captain and Engineer were worse in terms of drinking than either deckhand.

"...The Captain and Engineer were worse in terms of drinking..."

Ship wasn't the Exon Valdez was it?