Climb aboard YP 700, a US Naval Academy training vessel where midshipmen take a maritime version of driver's ed

USNA midshipmen learn shiphandling in special boats called YP 700. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Midshipmen at the US Naval Academy learn seamanship on training vessels called yard patrol craft. After classroom instruction, midshipmen take trips where they manage every aspect of the journey. Yard patrol craft YP 700 features a pilothouse, racks, a galley, and a common area. At the United States Naval Academy, every midshipman learns to drive. Their driver's ed curriculum doesn't involve slow circles in empty parking lots or parallel parking tests. Instead, the future naval leaders learn how to drive, steer, and navigate a ship by going out on the water and doing just that. After midshipmen learn the basics of navigation, boat handling, man-overboard maneuvers, and standard commands in the classroom, they put their knowledge into practice on training vessels known as yard patrol craft. During my visit to the Naval Academy in August, I got to climb aboard the yard patrol craft YP 700 to see how midshipmen learn shiphandling and navigation on the job. Take a look. Midshipmen at the US Naval Academy practice their seamanship skills on yard patrol boats. ANNAPOLIS, Maryland (March 21,