Long distance Sailing. With or without alcohol?

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by df1995

...
These days, I believe that, US sailors now are entitled to two beers if they are at sea for 45 days.

I was USN from 1990-1996 and from 1991-1996 I was underway for more than 45 days eight different times. None of them was alcohol ever offered.

I do believe one of my Captain's was a drunk who hid in his Quarters for days at a time. This was on a sub, maybe the surface fleet is/was different, but I highly doubt it.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

I was USN from 1990-1996 and from 1991-1996 I was gone for more than 45 days eight different times. None of them was alcohol ever offered.

I do believe one of my Captain's was a drunk who hid in his Quarters for days at a time. This was on a sub, maybe the surface fleet is/was different, but I highly doubt it.

Well, I'd have to say that if they did drink onboard it wasn't enough because when the carriers came into bases I was on (after the military) the alcohol fumes would be pouring out of these guys the days after they arrived.

The guys I dealt with (from the Carriers) were AB's which are featured in the start of the movie Top Gun.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

My Brother however was an Alcoholic, the amount of Jack Daniels he would drink daily was staggering, it is I believe what killed him.

Condolences.


As an aside, I actually know knew 3 people who literally drank their livers off. I know one of them was denied a spot on the liver transplant list because they couldn't stay dry for 6 months.

During my stab at boat maintenance, I worked with another guy who was a far-gone alcoholic. His suffering during the day was such that sometime our boss would take pity on him and we'd hit a bar for lunch. It was sobering to watch him absorb two beers in the space of a minute or two, and the relief it would bring.

We sometimes had a problem if we were working on a boat with alcohol aboard; he'd get into it. He even once removed the hinges of a locked cupboard. I know he survived liver cancer a few years back; I don't know if he's still on the planet.

Alcoholism IS a disease...

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Well, I'd have to say that if they did drink onboard it wasn't enough because when the carriers came into bases I was on (after the military) the alcohol fumes would be pouring out of these guys the days after they arrived.

The guys I dealt with (from the Carriers) were AB's which are featured in the start of the movie Top Gun.

So after seeing the danger these guys endured on their 12-16 hour duty days in very dangerous conditions on those carrier flight decks I thought they deserved every drink they could handle.

Green shirt is engineering (catapult maintenance and operation), yellow aircraft handlers, purple fuels.

https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/gr...ing-1661399335

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNxvXj9nff4

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

I was USN from 1990-1996 and from 1991-1996 I was underway for more than 45 days eight different times. None of them was alcohol ever offered.

I do believe one of my Captain's was a drunk who hid in his Quarters for days at a time. This was on a sub, maybe the surface fleet is/was different, but I highly doubt it.

I attended the NCO academy in I’d guess about 1985. We were allowed two beers a day in the afternoon.
During about that same time you were allowed two beers while on duty, say lunch for example.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by thomm225

So after seeing the danger these guys endured on their 12-16 hour duty days in very dangerous conditions on those carrier flight decks I thought they deserved every drink they could handle.

I've never heard of the Navy letting anyone stand watch more than six hours at a time as the normal practice. Four to six hours was the norm, and I presume it still is.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

I've never heard of the Navy letting anyone stand watch more than six hours at a time as the normal practice. Four to six hours was the norm, and I presume it still is.

You've lived a sheltered life then

The AB's do 12 hour days during ops and it's very dangerous. I hired five of them to handle the firefighting school maintenance/ops in Pensacola in the 1990's and got to hear all the stories while having (a couple) drinks at a nearby bar just off base

The green shirts handle the catapults and all equipment on the deck, yellow shirts are the (aircraft) handlers, purple shirts are the fuel guys.

https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/gr...ing-1661399335

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-V0dKwyu6E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffNpsHHX9NQ

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by thomm225

You've lived a sheltered life then

The AB's do 12 hour days during ops and it's very dangerous. I hired five of them to handle the firefighting school maintenance/ops in Pensacola in the 1990's and got to hear all the stories while having (a couple) drinks at a nearby bar just off base

The green shirts handle the catapults and all equipment on the deck, yellow shirts are the (aircraft) handlers, purple shirts are the fuel guys.

https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/gr...ing-1661399335

True, a few relatives on USN Carriers but no one on the flight deck.
I guess flight operations don't happen 24/7/365.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

True, a few relatives on USN Carriers but no one on the flight deck.
I guess flight operations don't happen 24/7/365.

I wouldn't know since I was in the marines...…….as a tech which even some marines didn't know existed in their branch of the service.

[fox9988]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I wouldn't know since I was in the marines...…….as a tech which even some marines didn't know existed in their branch of the service.

Were you in the Marine Corps pre 1947?

[model 10]

I heard that in the Canadian Navy these days, it's 30 days from bong to throttle and still 8hrs, bottle to the throttle. The 30 day thing varies with your job, but so in some aviation jobs.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by fox9988

Were you in the Marine Corps pre 1947?

No I'm in my early 60's (Vietnam Era Vet barely) but still try to complete the PFT minus the sit-ups.

I did 2.5 miles on Wednesday (after a 21 mile bike ride last Sunday) plus it's report week at work. But I'm paying for it today.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Must have missed this thread the first time around.

When the boat is moving, no alcohol gets consumed. Once the boat is secure to anchor or dock, and no weather or other issues are reasonably expected to hit, then the beer and wine come out.

The longest passage we’ve done so far is only three days. But I suspect we’ll maintain this pattern. With only two of us on board, there’s not much time or point imbibing during our four hour off-watch periods.

[Dave_S]

I have a bit of a laugh. I see lots of people go sailing and wont have a drink, land at the dock, and out comes the grog then hop in the car and drive home.

You are much safer to have a grog on a boat than you are on the road.

It is quite amazing how a little amount of grog affects your reflexes. We used to go motoX riding on weekends. Tear around racing each other through the bush then stop for lunch have 2 light beers (well under the legal limit for people to drive on the road). Hop on the bikes and go for an afternoon ride and stuff up corners repeatedly until we slowed down.

I think a reasonably small amount probably has negligible effects on your decision making but a great effect on your reflexes. Driving cars you need both, sailing is much more about decision making.

[model 10]

[QUOTE=thomm225;2923632]No I'm in my early 60's (Vietnam Era Vet barely)

You might want to remove that from your resume. I am 69 and barely from that era.