Did sailors drink water

Answer 1

Generally, no. First of all, salt water dehydrates people. (The salt in the salt water pulls water out of your cells.) Second, it was very difficult to purify water prior to the mid-1800s, because it was more-or-less impossible to remove diseases and contaminants. Most people did not drink water on any regulars basis. Sailors were especially incapable of purifying their supplies of water. Most sailors drank beer and hard liquor, which tended to preserve better and remained antibacterial.