Today, sailing vessels and naval fleets use reverse-osmosis desalination systems to get drinking water right from the ocean. But before the modern age, sailors had one major preoccupation beyond storms, scurvy, shipwreck, and pirates: the need for fresh water.  Surrounded by undrinkable seawater on every side, they were perpetually at risk of dehydration. Fresh water was not merely a comfort but a survival necessity, and obtaining it consumed an extraordinary amount of a sailor’s time, planning, and ingenuity. Here’s a look at how ships kept vital fresh water on hand even when they were miles ...Read More