An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir March 2018 www.dfmagazine.ie 22 | By cdt cuan Kenneally & cdt christoPher MalcolM, 56 naval cadet class We were quickly made welcome after our arrival at the USNA in Annapolis as we were shown around the academy. What first struck us was the size and scale of everything. For example, the building we were staying in, Bancroft Hall, is home to 4,000 mid- shipmen in training. The first phase of the training block was classroom based, en- suring we all knew the theory and had the skills required for the upcoming voyage. This included a brief sea survival course and a basic navigation test. We were introduced to the crew of the yard patrol (YP) craft we would be onboard and the two lieutenants who were attached to us for the duration of the patrol. After lessons on the navigation equipment and techniques we started reviewing the charts we would use for our voyage, which would bring us from Annapolis to Baltimore, then on to Philadel- phia, New York, and Boston, travelling in a convoy of four boats. Next came familiarisation with the YPs, including practicing coming in and out of the harbour and putting our navigation theory to the test. We were also put into our watch teams for the voyage. We were in Blue watch for the close-to-shore legs and watch Three for the legs that did not require as many people on the bridge. Each person in the watch was given a role to start with, such as radar operator, navigator, lookout, or officer of the day. However, during each watch we would rotate jobs, so every- one got experience in each bridge role. The morning before we got underway was spent loading provi- sions and our kit onto the boats and carrying out final checks. A final navigation brief was held in the academy with the YP crews and the expedition's commanding officer. This dealt with each stage of the voyage and highlighted key sections, such as canals, dangerous areas, and anchorages. All that was left was to get underway. The first leg, to Baltimore, only took eight hours but served as a warm up for the longer legs that lay ahead. Blue watch held the first watch out of Annapolis and Chesapeake Bay, which gave Gold watch a chance to take in the scenery and prepare for our navigation into Baltimore. The four YPs travelled mostly in Forma- tion One, a simple line with one boat behind the next, with the first boat giving commands via radio for things like speed, mark- ing turns, or changing formation. Each watch lasted three hours and the time spent off the bridge was used to rest, cook or get to An Cosantóir March 2018 www.dfmagazine.ie 22 | in June 2017, ns cdts Kenneally and Malcolm travelled to the united states naval academy (usna) in annapolis, Maryland to join the usna's yard Patrol (yP) craft atlantic patrol train- ing block for midshipmen training to become officers of the us navy. this is their report...

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