>The Royal Navy has banned sailors from drinking alcohol for at least two days a week, in a ruling that would have been unthinkable in the days of splicing the mainbrace and the daily rum ration
>New regulations will require ships to remain dry on certain days, with crews restricted to 14 units of alcohol per week – the equivalent of six pints of lager.
>The order replaces the “two-can rule” imposed across the Armed Forces, which equates to around 21 units per week, well above the NHS recommendation of 14 units.
>The policy was outlined in official documents, entitled Alcohol Policy Onboard Ships, that revealed that drinking on board “remains a significant concern” to Navy chiefs, although some former officers expressed concern that the move might be a step towards dry ships.
>The policy is the latest attempt to curb drinking culture in the military.
>Junior ratings were previously permitted to buy three “half-pint” cans of beer a day, with no limit on the drinking habits of senior rates and officers.
>In 1970, the Navy ended its 300-year-old daily rum “tot” tradition in what is now known as Black Tot Day.
>The custom was implemented to boost morale but was eventually axed because of concerns about operational efficiency.
>The papers, seen by the Daily Mail, found that nearly half (48 per cent) of sailors were estimated to consume excess alcohol.
>“These figures highlight the critical need for stricter alcohol policies to safeguard personnel, enhance operational performance and mitigate risks to operational capacity,” the document read.
>It is understood the updated policy limits alcohol consumption to a maximum of three units per day for all staff, regardless of rank. With the two dry days, this would limit the total amount for any one sailor to near the 14-unit target.
>By comparison, the US navy operates a more stringent policy, with alcohol banned on warships. The rule has been in place for more than a century, having been introduced in 1914.
>American captains can authorise a single “beer day” for ships that have spent 45 days at sea, where sailors are allowed two cans of alcoholic beverages as a way to boost morale.
>The British restriction aims to move the Navy in line with government health targets.
>Warship bars will be stocked with zero and low-alcohol alternatives to “promote responsible drinking habits”.
>The move, however, has been criticised by former Navy chiefs. Retired Rear-Adml Chris Parry told the Mail: “This is very sad and I’m a teetotaller.
>“You have to trust your sailors and your leaders aboard ships to set the rules. I never had any problems in my career with crew members stepping out of line. You can screw down a system too much. Sailors take great risks and make big sacrifices.”
>Retired Cdr Tom Sharpe added: “This is an inevitable step towards dry ships. The Navy is changing. The modern sailor is more interested in gym and Wi-Fi.”
>However, retired Rear Admiral Philip Mathias, a former nuclear submarine captain, told The Telegraph: “In my view alcohol consumption and being at sea in a warship are incompatible.
>“Even if someone is not on watch, they will always be immediately available if there is a serious accident such as a fire or a grounding or the ship is in a threat environment being attacked by the enemy.”
>The Navy has a long tradition of providing sailors with alcoholic beverages.
>During long voyages in the 17th century, sailors were issued a daily gallon (eight pints) of weak beer, when water supplies turned rancid in wooden barrels or had run out entirely.
>The beverage was known by sailors as “liquid bread” because of the carbohydrates and vitamins it provided.
>Meanwhile, the rum ration has spanned over three centuries of Naval history.
>Sailors were given the drink straight until 1740, before Adml Sir Edward Vernon oversaw it being watered down to one part rum and four parts water because of concerns about how it was affecting service personnel.
>This tradition continued, via the creation of the grog – a drink containing rum, water and citrus juice.
>The rum ration was halved in 1823, before being cut in two again in 1850, and then its eventual discontinuation in 1970.
>On special occasions, a Splice the mainbrace order would be issued, meaning sailors received an extra ration of rum.
>The name originates from fixing the mainbrace rigging by splicing a long piece of hemp rope.
>The phrase came to mean that the crew would be rewarded with an extra drink after victory in battle, the change of monarch or a Royal birth.
>The last official Splice the mainbrace order was issued in 2012 for Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, although specific units did so to celebrate the birth of Prince Louis in 2018.
>A Royal Navy spokesman said: “The updated policy aligns with advice from the UK chief medical officer, ensuring that our people remain fit for naval operations and comparable with modern military and civilian maritime standards.
>“It also prioritises the health of our people, which is paramount, and ensures they are ready to respond to the dynamic demands of naval operations, while also continuing to enjoy downtime.”
NotoriousP_U_G on
Woke! Pint of rum a day is essential to any British sailor!
Local-Owl-1459 on
Nah that isn’t going to happen, no way, matelots are notorious drinkers unless things have changed…for the worse.
RecentTwo544 on
I thought we were supposed to be bolstering our armed forces, not pushing them into total collapse?
thedybbuk_ on
That… should be fine right? Even when I was younger I
couldn’t manage 6 or 7 days a week it made me feel dreadful. Or is the culture in the Navy still very alcohol orientated?
WickerSnicker7 on
The Royal Navy ruled the waves with everyone half-cut. This is known.
mpanase on
2 days a week?
That’s something that needs to be asked for?
MetalingusMikeII on
Better for their cognitive ability if they *don’t* drink alcohol, regularly…
FatYorkshireLad on
First the got rid of the tot, now this? We used to be a proper country!
ReputationApart5983 on
I saw a video the other day from 1970 where sailors were complaining their “tot”was cancelled. For 239 years sailors were allowed 3 glasses of rum a day until 1970 when it was cancelled for sailors but not officers. They were doing an interview with the sailors who were upset and all drunk complaining they worked better when drunk. Their rum ration was replaced with beer vouchers.
To make up for the lack of rum and the lash, sailors will be asked to put extra effort into sodomy if morale is to hold firm.
Cheaddar86 on
Ill be honest i cant think of much worse than being just VERY slightly drunk on a ship at sea, then again though I either have to be stone cold sober or pretty drunk, I cant get comfortable in that middle point at the best of times.
DaveN202 on
THIS IS ACTUAL POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD! I really wanted to use that sentence.
chunderwood on
One of my drunkest nights ever was in the officers bar of a royal navy ship in the Bahamas. I have never been in the Navy.
Tomby_93 on
They finally decided what to do with those drunken sailors then.
ThatZephyrGuy on
Unlucky if your “all night in” ends up on one of the ships dry days. No morale for you shipmate.
(For the uninformed, sailors keep watches, usually 1 in 4, and they have 1 night not on watch (an all night in) where they are permitted to drink, as drinking while holding a watch is forbidden)
Retention is a nightmare and the mob really thought that this was the best solution?
FoxyInTheSnow on
I was in the navy when I was a young man. Sure, they could’ve taken my rum. I’d learn to adapt. But if they tried to take my precious sodomy, there would have been consequences!
ItsTheAlgebraist on
Due to budget cutbacks, it’s now rum, sodomy, OR the lash.
Local-Owl-1459 on
Knowing Jack he’ll just save them as usual and get bolloxed when hes all night in, as b4.
Tbh haven’t looked at how it will be enforced
CiderChugger on
What do you do with a drunken sailor? Tell them to drink coffee until Wednesday
kirkyking on
Once again command makes another tone deaf decision which will undoubtedly slash morale further. Honestly the people at the top making policy in the RN have no idea what the average ratings want, with retention being this low it’s nice to know they’re continuing the tradition of making the job worse every year. Embarrassing how far it’s fallen.
locutus92 on
uhmm… Not sure how this is going to improve morale.
Howthehelldoido on
I’ve been in the RN for nearly 18 years.
This will KILL mess life onboard. I’ve been down the senior rates mess onboard both current Aircraft Carriers, and when the fridges are locked, they are dead after the working day. Everyone either has their own cabin, or shares with someone else (seniors and officers). Why sit around watching the same TV in the “mess” when you can just sit in your cabin and watch whatever you want on your own TV?
Every mess event involves alcohol. Is that good or bad? Not sure.
Horse racing night? Who wants to run around on the flight deck sober?
Pickle night? Good luck enjoying that, singing songs and throwing bread rolls at each other sober? Hell, can you even get through all of the toasts without breaching 3 units of alcohol?
Two days without booze? That’s going to be a shit one when you’re on watch 3 nights out of 4, and you finally get an “all night in” and it falls on the day where the beer fridges are locked.
This will make people avoid going to sea even more.
Also, what do people do when they can’t drink openly? They either hide it, or do drugs.
This is a slippery slope towards dry ships, and it’s going to be a depressing place when it is.
I’ve spent time on Various NATO units, many of which are dry, some which aren’t, and I know which ones I prefer.
Odd_Principle2202 on
I served in the early 2000s, I recall crossing the equator, I couldn’t drink as I was on watch duty roundsman (checking weapons systems) but 95% of the rest of the ships company were fucked. The guy in charge of the ops room was on duty asleep dressed as a fairy.
Naked bar being called on the focsel in culturally sensitive areas. senior rates dressing as bears to come and fight junior rates, all hammered. I had to have my head stapled but don’t know how it happened and apparently I thought it was hilarious japes. There are continents I don’t remember visiting. In Peru we took a flight to Cusco to visit Machu Pichu but I don’t remember the flight and ruined the trip as I was so hung over. Swimming in shark infested waters in the middle of the ocean, vomiting underwater diving in the Seychelles. The ship getting booted out of Bahrain for fighting the septics. It felt like Lord of the Flies at sea. Halcyon times. I’m teetotal now.
Beautiful_Staff2254 on
As with the smoking/vaping ban on ships, this will just force people to drink on the sly. It’ll make no change to overall health as most people either don’t drink or abstain for at least two days a week on their own schedule anyway. It’s just a net loss to morale/retention
and an increase in babying sailors.
gerhardsymons on
Historically, serving in the Navy guaranteed three things: rum, sodomy, and the lash.
I can’t speak to the veracity of this since I served in the Army.
itmymonkey on
Rum bum and concertina. No rum, no bum next and then where will the navy be .??
Jonmc88 on
Mate, glad I swerved it years ago. The highlight of being at sea, was the drinking. Things like miners night. Putting bin bags on every wall, turning it into a pitch black cave. Good times. Everyone will just sit in their bunks, watching films . Was heading that way back in 2011.
28 Comments
>The Royal Navy has banned sailors from drinking alcohol for at least two days a week, in a ruling that would have been unthinkable in the days of splicing the mainbrace and the daily rum ration
>New regulations will require ships to remain dry on certain days, with crews restricted to 14 units of alcohol per week – the equivalent of six pints of lager.
>The order replaces the “two-can rule” imposed across the Armed Forces, which equates to around 21 units per week, well above the NHS recommendation of 14 units.
>The policy was outlined in official documents, entitled Alcohol Policy Onboard Ships, that revealed that drinking on board “remains a significant concern” to Navy chiefs, although some former officers expressed concern that the move might be a step towards dry ships.
>The policy is the latest attempt to curb drinking culture in the military.
>Junior ratings were previously permitted to buy three “half-pint” cans of beer a day, with no limit on the drinking habits of senior rates and officers.
>In 1970, the Navy ended its 300-year-old daily rum “tot” tradition in what is now known as Black Tot Day.
>The custom was implemented to boost morale but was eventually axed because of concerns about operational efficiency.
>The papers, seen by the Daily Mail, found that nearly half (48 per cent) of sailors were estimated to consume excess alcohol.
>“These figures highlight the critical need for stricter alcohol policies to safeguard personnel, enhance operational performance and mitigate risks to operational capacity,” the document read.
>It is understood the updated policy limits alcohol consumption to a maximum of three units per day for all staff, regardless of rank. With the two dry days, this would limit the total amount for any one sailor to near the 14-unit target.
>By comparison, the US navy operates a more stringent policy, with alcohol banned on warships. The rule has been in place for more than a century, having been introduced in 1914.
>American captains can authorise a single “beer day” for ships that have spent 45 days at sea, where sailors are allowed two cans of alcoholic beverages as a way to boost morale.
>The British restriction aims to move the Navy in line with government health targets.
>Warship bars will be stocked with zero and low-alcohol alternatives to “promote responsible drinking habits”.
>The move, however, has been criticised by former Navy chiefs. Retired Rear-Adml Chris Parry told the Mail: “This is very sad and I’m a teetotaller.
>“You have to trust your sailors and your leaders aboard ships to set the rules. I never had any problems in my career with crew members stepping out of line. You can screw down a system too much. Sailors take great risks and make big sacrifices.”
>Retired Cdr Tom Sharpe added: “This is an inevitable step towards dry ships. The Navy is changing. The modern sailor is more interested in gym and Wi-Fi.”
>However, retired Rear Admiral Philip Mathias, a former nuclear submarine captain, told The Telegraph: “In my view alcohol consumption and being at sea in a warship are incompatible.
>“Even if someone is not on watch, they will always be immediately available if there is a serious accident such as a fire or a grounding or the ship is in a threat environment being attacked by the enemy.”
>The Navy has a long tradition of providing sailors with alcoholic beverages.
>During long voyages in the 17th century, sailors were issued a daily gallon (eight pints) of weak beer, when water supplies turned rancid in wooden barrels or had run out entirely.
>The beverage was known by sailors as “liquid bread” because of the carbohydrates and vitamins it provided.
>Meanwhile, the rum ration has spanned over three centuries of Naval history.
>Sailors were given the drink straight until 1740, before Adml Sir Edward Vernon oversaw it being watered down to one part rum and four parts water because of concerns about how it was affecting service personnel.
>This tradition continued, via the creation of the grog – a drink containing rum, water and citrus juice.
>The rum ration was halved in 1823, before being cut in two again in 1850, and then its eventual discontinuation in 1970.
>On special occasions, a Splice the mainbrace order would be issued, meaning sailors received an extra ration of rum.
>The name originates from fixing the mainbrace rigging by splicing a long piece of hemp rope.
>The phrase came to mean that the crew would be rewarded with an extra drink after victory in battle, the change of monarch or a Royal birth.
>The last official Splice the mainbrace order was issued in 2012 for Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, although specific units did so to celebrate the birth of Prince Louis in 2018.
>A Royal Navy spokesman said: “The updated policy aligns with advice from the UK chief medical officer, ensuring that our people remain fit for naval operations and comparable with modern military and civilian maritime standards.
>“It also prioritises the health of our people, which is paramount, and ensures they are ready to respond to the dynamic demands of naval operations, while also continuing to enjoy downtime.”
Woke! Pint of rum a day is essential to any British sailor!
Nah that isn’t going to happen, no way, matelots are notorious drinkers unless things have changed…for the worse.
I thought we were supposed to be bolstering our armed forces, not pushing them into total collapse?
That… should be fine right? Even when I was younger I
couldn’t manage 6 or 7 days a week it made me feel dreadful. Or is the culture in the Navy still very alcohol orientated?
The Royal Navy ruled the waves with everyone half-cut. This is known.
2 days a week?
That’s something that needs to be asked for?
Better for their cognitive ability if they *don’t* drink alcohol, regularly…
First the got rid of the tot, now this? We used to be a proper country!
I saw a video the other day from 1970 where sailors were complaining their “tot”was cancelled. For 239 years sailors were allowed 3 glasses of rum a day until 1970 when it was cancelled for sailors but not officers. They were doing an interview with the sailors who were upset and all drunk complaining they worked better when drunk. Their rum ration was replaced with beer vouchers.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gh5PCghfbs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gh5PCghfbs)
To make up for the lack of rum and the lash, sailors will be asked to put extra effort into sodomy if morale is to hold firm.
Ill be honest i cant think of much worse than being just VERY slightly drunk on a ship at sea, then again though I either have to be stone cold sober or pretty drunk, I cant get comfortable in that middle point at the best of times.
THIS IS ACTUAL POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD! I really wanted to use that sentence.
One of my drunkest nights ever was in the officers bar of a royal navy ship in the Bahamas. I have never been in the Navy.
They finally decided what to do with those drunken sailors then.
Unlucky if your “all night in” ends up on one of the ships dry days. No morale for you shipmate.
(For the uninformed, sailors keep watches, usually 1 in 4, and they have 1 night not on watch (an all night in) where they are permitted to drink, as drinking while holding a watch is forbidden)
Retention is a nightmare and the mob really thought that this was the best solution?
I was in the navy when I was a young man. Sure, they could’ve taken my rum. I’d learn to adapt. But if they tried to take my precious sodomy, there would have been consequences!
Due to budget cutbacks, it’s now rum, sodomy, OR the lash.
Knowing Jack he’ll just save them as usual and get bolloxed when hes all night in, as b4.
Tbh haven’t looked at how it will be enforced
What do you do with a drunken sailor? Tell them to drink coffee until Wednesday
Once again command makes another tone deaf decision which will undoubtedly slash morale further. Honestly the people at the top making policy in the RN have no idea what the average ratings want, with retention being this low it’s nice to know they’re continuing the tradition of making the job worse every year. Embarrassing how far it’s fallen.
uhmm… Not sure how this is going to improve morale.
I’ve been in the RN for nearly 18 years.
This will KILL mess life onboard. I’ve been down the senior rates mess onboard both current Aircraft Carriers, and when the fridges are locked, they are dead after the working day. Everyone either has their own cabin, or shares with someone else (seniors and officers). Why sit around watching the same TV in the “mess” when you can just sit in your cabin and watch whatever you want on your own TV?
Every mess event involves alcohol. Is that good or bad? Not sure.
Horse racing night? Who wants to run around on the flight deck sober?
Pickle night? Good luck enjoying that, singing songs and throwing bread rolls at each other sober? Hell, can you even get through all of the toasts without breaching 3 units of alcohol?
Two days without booze? That’s going to be a shit one when you’re on watch 3 nights out of 4, and you finally get an “all night in” and it falls on the day where the beer fridges are locked.
This will make people avoid going to sea even more.
Also, what do people do when they can’t drink openly? They either hide it, or do drugs.
This is a slippery slope towards dry ships, and it’s going to be a depressing place when it is.
I’ve spent time on Various NATO units, many of which are dry, some which aren’t, and I know which ones I prefer.
I served in the early 2000s, I recall crossing the equator, I couldn’t drink as I was on watch duty roundsman (checking weapons systems) but 95% of the rest of the ships company were fucked. The guy in charge of the ops room was on duty asleep dressed as a fairy.
Naked bar being called on the focsel in culturally sensitive areas. senior rates dressing as bears to come and fight junior rates, all hammered. I had to have my head stapled but don’t know how it happened and apparently I thought it was hilarious japes. There are continents I don’t remember visiting. In Peru we took a flight to Cusco to visit Machu Pichu but I don’t remember the flight and ruined the trip as I was so hung over. Swimming in shark infested waters in the middle of the ocean, vomiting underwater diving in the Seychelles. The ship getting booted out of Bahrain for fighting the septics. It felt like Lord of the Flies at sea. Halcyon times. I’m teetotal now.
As with the smoking/vaping ban on ships, this will just force people to drink on the sly. It’ll make no change to overall health as most people either don’t drink or abstain for at least two days a week on their own schedule anyway. It’s just a net loss to morale/retention
and an increase in babying sailors.
Historically, serving in the Navy guaranteed three things: rum, sodomy, and the lash.
I can’t speak to the veracity of this since I served in the Army.
Rum bum and concertina. No rum, no bum next and then where will the navy be .??
Mate, glad I swerved it years ago. The highlight of being at sea, was the drinking. Things like miners night. Putting bin bags on every wall, turning it into a pitch black cave. Good times. Everyone will just sit in their bunks, watching films . Was heading that way back in 2011.