Four U.S. Naval Academy vessels docked at Hodgdon Marina in Boothbay Harbor Monday evening, bringing with them around 120 crew members, students and staff. The ships are here as part of a two-week training trip from the academy in Maryland, and this is their northernmost stop. They came from Boston and plan to head for Martha’s Vineyard Wednesday.

The four Yard Patrol craft, or "YPs," are used by the Navy for training and research. Each carries around 30 people; in this case, mostly midshipmen from the academy.  

Lieutenant Sean Brennan, who acts somewhat like a captain on one of the vessels, said the trips provide students with experience running a ship as part of their leadership training. He said the crew of sophomores to seniors are largely responsible for manning the ships under light guidance from staff and officers as they visit ports.

“We can see different weather patterns. We can see different tides and currents, and how to handle a ship in different situations,” he said.  

For example, Brennan pointed to some stations on the bridge where students would steer, navigate, or keep watch while he or another lieutenant oversaw from an officer's chair. He said students rotate ship responsibilities to get a range of hands-on experience.

Although they only travel up to 30 miles offshore, sailing them provides real-world challenges. Brennan said one of the biggest was navigating the 120-foot vessels around lobster pots and fishing gear. “We were Tokyo drifting around them for sure.” 

However, some duties, like cooking, are almost all up to the students. On one trip, a single student acted as the ship’s cook, never having to take a watch. On other trips, the duty was split between midshipmen.  

Brennan said they are also here for goodwill. They took a few days to explore Boothbay Harbor and get a little rest. Students were seen jogging around town, fishing, shopping, enjoying local restaurants, and several were looking for ways to visit Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.  

“Ultimately, we try just to pull into ports, and, realistically, just build relationships with the public. We can talk about the Navy. We can give tours, give some good PR for things like that, and just try to connect to people with what we do,” Brennan said.