From left, SN Josh Ford, QMC(SW) Randy Dreis and SN Alex Juarez pass mooring lines to each other while preparing to get underway aboard the Yard Patrol craft. USNA photo by MCSN Michael Croft.

Every YP has a Craftmaster, an engineer, and at least one deck seaman, all of whom wear many different hats to keep the boat seaworthy.

‘‘One thing I had to learn and get used to was helping out on the deck with mooring lines,” said Engineman First Class (SW) Robert Chapman, chief engineer of YP 682. ‘‘As the [Leading Petty Officer] on the boat I have more responsibility than just working on the engines, I also have to help and train the seamen.”

For the deck seamen on the YPs, the work doesn’t stop when the boat is clean.

‘‘Keeping the YP clean and handling lines isn’t all we do, we have to help train the Mids too,” said Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class (SW) Kenyada Torrence, who helps teach the Midshipmen line-handling, basic damage control and proper watch standing.

Unlike their peers in the Fleet, an Engineman on a YP does more than keep the engines running. They are second in charge of the boat, and are responsible for helping out the deck seamen with any duties they might have, as well as fixing problems ranging from electrical issues to plumbing.

‘‘It’s hard to be able to keep up with so many things at one time,” said Engineman 2nd Class (SW) Emanuel Burykin. ‘‘During a fire drill or a runaway engine drill there are so many things you have to do and think of and you have to do them all on the spot, all at the same time.”

Craftmasters are in charge of not only their crew but the entire YP and everything that happens on board. Each Craftmaster must know their boat from bow to stern in order to run it properly and train Midshipmen on boat operations.

‘‘To be a Craftmaster you have to have a lot of patience and flexibility,” said Quartermaster 1st Class (SW⁄AW) Carlos Lobo, Craftmaster of YP 684. ‘‘It’s a very high-tempo job. In every aspect, a YP is a naval ship, and we only have four people to maintain and run it.”

Lobo said the Craftmaster has to utilize his or her Sailors to make sure the boat is seaworthy 365 days a year.

Training to become a Craftmaster takes many months of learning how to operate the YPs and what to do in certain situations. Because the majority of the Academy’s Craftmasters are Boatswain’s Mates and Quartermasters, a lot of the training they receive is familiar to them, although some of it is entirely unique to the YPs.

‘‘As a Quartermaster, learning the engineering side of it all was the hardest,” said Lobo. ‘‘Driving the YP was also a lot harder than I thought it would be. All the books we have to read plus all the training we get can be a lot to absorb in four months.”

Lobo added that even though the training is intense, the satisfaction that comes with training Midshipmen is worth the hard work.

‘‘The most rewarding aspect of my job is the chance I get to leave a lasting impression on the future leaders of the Navy,” said Lobo. ‘‘You have the satisfaction of teaching them to lead their own ship. Hopefully they remember you when they are out in the Fleet. It gives me pleasure to know what I am teaching them matters.”