▁sea ▁water ▁was ▁not ▁practical , ▁fresh ▁water ▁was ▁taken ▁ab o ard ▁in ▁c ask s , ▁but ▁quickly ▁developed ▁alg ae ▁and ▁became ▁sl im y . ▁St agn ant ▁water ▁was ▁swe eten ed ▁with ▁be er ▁or ▁wine ▁to ▁make ▁it ▁pal atable , ▁which ▁involved ▁more ▁c ask s ▁and ▁was ▁subject ▁to ▁spo il age . ▁As ▁longer ▁voy ages ▁became ▁more ▁common , ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁storage ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁difficult ▁and ▁the ▁sail ors ' ▁substantial ▁daily ▁r ation ▁of ▁water ▁plus ▁be er ▁or ▁wine ▁began ▁to ▁add ▁up . ▁ ▁Following ▁England ' s ▁con quest ▁of ▁J ama ica ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 5 , ▁a ▁half - p int ▁( 2   g ills , ▁or ▁ 2 8 4   m L ) ▁of ▁rum ▁gradually ▁replaced ▁be er ▁and ▁br andy ▁as ▁the ▁drink ▁of ▁choice . ▁Given ▁to ▁the ▁sail or ▁straight , ▁this ▁caused ▁additional ▁problems , ▁as ▁some ▁sail ors ▁saved ▁the ▁rum ▁r ations ▁for ▁several ▁days ▁to ▁drink ▁all ▁at ▁once . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁subsequent ▁ill ness ▁and ▁discipl inary ▁problems , ▁the ▁rum ▁was ▁mixed ▁with ▁water . ▁This ▁both ▁dil uted ▁its ▁effects ▁and ▁acceler ated ▁its ▁spo il age , ▁prevent ing ▁ho arding ▁of ▁the ▁allow ance . ▁Vern on ' s ▁ 1 7 4 0 ▁order ▁that ▁the ▁daily ▁rum ▁issue ▁of ▁a ▁half ▁pint ▁of ▁rum ▁be ▁mixed ▁with ▁one ▁quart ▁of ▁water ▁and ▁issued