YARD PATROL BOATS

摘要

On a warm Wednesday afternoon in early September, the Severn River outside of Annapolis, Maryland, is a blizzard of sails: A dense fleet of recreational sailboats, propelled by a smart breeze, cuts merrily through the water. Incongruously moving through this picturesque scene at the deliberate pace of a waterborne elephant is a 108-longYard Patrol Boat (YP). It dwarfs the other boats. YPs are a frequent sight on the Severn-and on the greater Chesapeake Bay. Used by the U.S. Naval Academy as training vessels, they are floating classrooms aboard which students-midshipmen, in Academy parlance-learn the basics of seamanship. The vessels are among only a handful of contemporary ones remaining in the U.S. Navy that are built, at least partially, of wood-Avenger Class Mine Countermeasure Ships being another notable example. Why wood for these training ships? Because YPs take a beating in the hands of inexperienced students, and wood is forgiving and relatively easy to fix. Just a few years ago, in 2012, one of the YPs ran aground off Kings Point, New York, during a monthlong summer training cruise. It suffered only minor damage to the propeller and rudder, and the accident was chalked up to just another learning experience. After a few repairs, the vessel went back into service for another school year, when a new class of would-be officers boarded it for the first time.