The blokes in the book that I read got some water from rainfall, but it wasn't much. They also managed to catch a couple of turtles and drink the blood (and eat the flesh) from those. But I think on a daily, their main source of hydration was their own piss.
Ok... Googled it. The ship was called the Essex. They did stop at the Galapagos, but that was before they got smashed by a whale. They spent most of their time circling around the Southern Pacific.
This is the book I read if anyone is interested. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex https://www.amazon.com/dp/0141001828/?tag=not606-20
I'll check that out I want to say the story I read was in Mark Twain's letter's from Hawaii. When he was working as a correspondent for a Sacremento newspaper before he became famous as an author, but I'd have to double check that
Apparently one Joseph of Essex was at the helm and spotted something shiney off the starboard bow and therefore turned the ship to pursue it... but it remained tantalizingly just out of reach ... turned out in the end it was the moon's reflection on the water but by the time the captain realized, it was already too late ... they were on a pointless voyage that could only end in disappointment... and thus, the Arsenal Supporters Club was founded ...
The account I mentioned was in Mark Twain's Letters from Hawaii. The ship was called the Hornet and the men were adrift for 43 days ! The day before they spotted land, they had actually agreed to draw straws to determine which of them would be sacrificed, so that the others could eat him
Thats how they did it on the Essex too. Apparently, that was the accepted way of things for sailors in those days. It was expected if you went to sea and faced a starving situation you would be expected that you give yourself up for eating if you draw the short straw.
On the Hornet, one of the guys was dying from dehydration and they took a collective decision not to give him any more water so that they could eat him when he croaked. But one of the other sailors took pity on him and secretly gave him his ration. So the next day they decided to draw straws to decide who would be sacrificed. The day they were due to do that, they spotted land ...
Was looking for the relegation thread - there must be one, surely? - but came across this and decided to “bump” Edit; just looked up. Pinkie and potato geezer talking about eating people. Wtaf?
