www.soundingsonline.com

By Stephen Blakely

Of all the places to explore by boaton the Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis isone of the must-see ports of call. Andthe real gem of Annapolis is the U.S.Naval Academy, where the Navy trainsits officer corps.

For this sailor’s taste, the academyand its campus — known as “the Yard”— is the main reason to visit Annapolis.The town’s City Dock commercial wa-terfront is chockablock with tourists,traffic and tawdry chain stores, but theNaval Academy is a place apart: Spa-cious and beautifully landscaped, richin history, home to an active, rigorous,storied university that dates to 1845.The 338-acre campus and its buildingsand monuments, harking back to ournation’s early days, make it a living mu-seum, especially with the uniformedMids walking to class or being marchedabout in drills.

What to seeOne million visitors come through

the academy’s gates each year. Popularspots include Bancroft Hall, one of theworld’s largest dormitories and the ad-ministrative center of the academy,parts of which are open to the public.Be sure to see Memorial Hall, whichhas several rolls of honor and theNavy’s most famous battle ensign, the“Don’t Give Up the Ship” flag flown byCommodore Oliver Hazard Perry at the1813 Battle of Lake Erie (it bears thedying command of Capt. James

Lawrence, captain of the USS Chesa-peake, killed trying to break the Britishblockade off Boston).

Hard to miss is the architectural cen-terpiece of the campus — the NavyChapel. This is always an extremelybusy place after graduation: Midshipmenare required to be single and, as soon asthey graduate, many of the newly mint-ed officers line up to get married in thechapel in full dress uniform.

In a vault beneath the sanctuary is thetomb of John Paul Jones (“I have onlybegun to fight!”), the country’s firstnaval hero. A Scotsman who fought for

America during the Revolutionary War,Jones died in Paris and was buriedthere in an unmarked coffin before hisbody was eventually exhumed andbrought back to America for intermentin the academy chapel. Although theNavy says his body was positively iden-tified, some historical research saysthere is legitimate doubt Jones’ body isactually the one in the crypt.

The Naval Academy Museum inPrebel Hall, which has lots of academylore, intricate model ships and memora-bilia of U.S. naval history, is currentlyclosed for renovations through 2008.

Among the notable monuments inthe Yard are the iron mast of the battle-ship Maine, bent by the explosion thatsank it in Havana Harbor in 1898 (thespark that touched off the Spanish-American War), and the TechumsehStatue in front of Bancroft Hall, abronze replica of the figurehead ofship-of-the-line USS Delaware.

The Army figures prominently in thisNavy stronghold. The Japanese bell infront of Bancroft Hall is rung each timeNavy beats Army in their storied foot-ball rivalry. “Go Navy, Beat Army!” is a

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GEM OF ANNAPOLIS: THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY

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CALENDAR: 7 LOCAL NOTICES: 11 C.G. RESPONSE: 13

Party at the docks2 Nordic Tugs dealers, including

one in Annapolis, are hosting thefirst annual National Nordic Tug Fest inJuly with sea trials and special events.

New boats splashed10 Several new and varied power-

boats have hit dealerships, in-cluding vessels from Sabre Yachts, Jef-ferson Yachts, Cobalt and Striper.

Back on the water14 The weather gods smiled on a

fleet of nearly 150 racing sail-boats on 70-degree water for threedays of Charleston Race Week in April.

Great ship goes down16 The 1912 wreck of the Titanic re-

mains a nautical icon of tragedy.A new book raises intriguing theoriesabout what sent the ship to the bottom.

continued on Page 8

New Moon 7/2 Last Quarter 7/25Full Moon 7/18First Quarter 7/10

The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis is a unique destination for the cruising boater, full of sights, sounds and plenty of color.

Midshipmen train on one of the academy’s new Navy 44 sloops, while a company of plebes are drilled in marching.

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moral character, and pass physical fitnessand vision tests. Since 1903, each U.S.senator or congressman can make twoappointments to the academy per year,and currently each member of Congressand the vice president can have up tofive appointees at the Naval Academy atany one time. Lawmakers generally nom-inate 10 candidates per vacancy, whichthe academy admits by competitive pro-cess; if a member of Congress makes a“principal” (personal) appointment, thecandidate need only be qualified.

A certain number of spaces are re-served each year for children of mili-tary members killed in action, 100 per-cent combat disabled or active dutyNavy or Marine enlistees. Children ofMedal of Honor recipients need onlyqualify to be admitted.

ToursVarious special tours are available by

reservation ($8.50 per adult, $7.50 persenior, $6.50 per child), such as a Histor-ical Tour, Tour & Tea (at the Officers’and Faculty Club), a Military Reuniontour for veterans, an African-AmericanTour, the Jewish Chapel and Levy Cen-ter Tour, a Navy Boot Camp for first-through fifth-graders, and an EducationalTour for fourth- through 12th-graders.

The academy typically is open topedestrians through the Main Gate from6 a.m. to midnight Sunday throughThursday (and until 2 a.m. Friday and Sat-urday), with photo ID. Cars are not per-mitted without a Navy parking pass. Be-cause of special events or other securityissues, be sure to contact the academy’spublic affairs office before your visit tomake sure they are open: (410) 293-2291or -1523, e-mail pao@usna.edu, Web sitewww.usna.edu/PAO/

Want to see some action? The fullBrigade of Midshipmen holds alunchtime formation about 12:10 p.m.weekdays, weather permitting, inTecumseh Court in front of BancroftHall, as they are marched in to eat. Also,

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Since Midshipmen cannot be married, many flock to the Navy Chapel for marriage ceremonies immediately after graduation.

Plebes work to reach the top of the

greased Herndon Monument to replace

the plebe “Dixie cup” sailor hat with a

Midshipman’s hat.

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school mantra. And varsity letter win-ners whose team beats Army are award-ed a special gold star to affix near the“N” on their blue cardigans.

The Santee Basin and Robert CrownSailing Center, located on the northeast-ern corner of the Yard, is where theacademy keeps its fleet of boats forteaching Midshipmen how to sail. Theacademy has extremely active intercolle-giate and offshore sailing programs, andrecently spent about $17 million to re-place its aging fleet of Navy 44 yawls (de-signed by Bill Luders) with brand-newNavy 44 sloops (designed by McCurdy &Rhodes), all with gleaming dark-bluehulls. Recent news reports indicate theoffshore program is facing deep budgetcuts, which may force some of the boatsto the mothballs and many of its sailorsinto other training programs.

A unique academy tradition is theHerndon Climb, a right of passage held

each May and the ultimate final exam forplebes who have survived their gruelingfirst year. More than 200 pounds of lardare slathered on the 21-foot-high Hern-don Monument, with a plebe’s “Dixiecup” sailor hat carefully placed on top.To mark their departure from the bot-tom of the academy ladder, the classmust form a human pyramid around the

greasy monument so a classmate canreach the top and replace the Dixie cuphat with a Midshipman’s hat. The grunt-ing, sweating, slippery pile of bodiesoften collapses, but a plebe always reach-es the top, no matter how long it takes.

On rare occasions, a tradition will end— such as the private Naval AcademyDairy Farm, which was discontinued a

decade ago. Congress authorizedthe farm after an epidemic of ty-phoid fever (traced to taintedmilk) swept through the acade-my in 1910, and it lasted 90 yearsbefore falling demand and pri-vate-sector prices made the oper-ation obsolete. Anne ArundelCounty now holds a 30-year leaseon the land, with Maryland Sun-rise Farm as the tenant and oper-ator. The facility, 15 miles north-west of Annapolis in Gambrills,Md., is open to the public.

Commissioning Week is typi-cally held in mid- to late-May

each year, and its numerous eventspretty much take over Annapolis, cul-minating in the full-dress graduationceremony held at Navy-Marine CorpsMemorial Stadium. The high point — aspectacular air show performed overthe stadium by the Blue Angels, theNavy’s precision flying squadron — isalso extremely popular with boaters, asthe dark blue jets and their heart-stop-ping acrobatics are easily visible fromany anchorage in Annapolis harbor.

About the AcademyThe academy is one of four for train-

ing U.S. military officers. (The Army’s isat West Point, N.Y.; the Air ForceAcademy is in Colorado Springs, Col.;and the Coast Guard Academy is inNew London, Conn.) Among its rivals,the Naval Academy is known derisivelyas “Canoe U,” “the Boat School,” and“Shipwreck Tech.” The academy’s mas-cot, Bill the Goat, is a symbol dating to1893 (the original goat, El Cid, wasdeemed to have helped Navy to a 6-4victory over Army that year), and hasbeen a frequent target of Armypranksters from West Point.

More than 10,000 students and enlist-ed personnel apply to the academy eachyear, of which about 1,200 are admitted.The entire student body, known as theBrigade of Midshipmen, totals about4,200 men and women. The 600-plusfaculty members are roughly split be-tween civilians and military officers.Upon graduating from the four-year uni-versity, Midshipmen have a five-yearcommitment as a Navy or Marine Corpsofficer. If they choose to join the Navy,they are commissioned as ensigns, whilethose entering the Marine Corps aregiven the rank of second lieutenant.

The academy’s graduates include 4,000admirals and generals, one president(possibly two, if U.S. senator and formerNavy fighter pilot John McCain wins elec-tion in 2008), 19 members of Congress,five governors, 73 Medal of Honor recipi-ents and two Nobel Prize winners.

Getting inTo be admitted, Naval Academy candi-

dates must be between 17 and 23 yearsold, single with no children, of good

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Pick up the Red “2” nun bell buoy at the mouth of theSevern River and proceed about three miles on a head-ing of about 227 degrees magnetic to the Green “5” canbuoy between Eastport and Greenbury Point. You willsee the broad green copper dome of the Naval AcademyChapel ahead (the smaller, white-and-black wood domefarther to the left is the Maryland Capitol building). Abouta mile farther on, 305 degrees magnetic, is the mouth ofSpa Creek; to the left you will see a field of white moor-ing balls floating in the water off famed Ego Alley andCity Dock, which are rented out by the city (contact theAnnapolis Harbormaster).

Since these mooring balls are practically impossibleto get on weekends, most boaters anchor in the triangu-lar-shaped “Naval Anchorage” off the academy’s eastbulkhead. If you have a dinghy, the dinghy dock is at

the head of Ego Alley. If you don’t, call VHF channel 68for a water taxi to get into town ($2-$4 per person, de-pending on location).

Once on land (City Dock), walk two blocks north on Ran-dall Street to the Main Gate of the academy. You will needa photo ID to get through the security checkpoint, whichputs you at the Visitors Center. This provides a good his-torical overview of the academy and, not coincidentally, agift shop with many buying opportunities for Navy trinkets.

The academy is usually open seven days a week, butthere are security restrictions and special events, socheck before you go.

Links:• Annapolis Harbormaster: www.ci.annapolis.md.us/info.asp?page=1320

• Annapolis water tax: www.watermarkcruises.com/watertaxi.htm• Naval Academy Visitors Center: www.usna.edu/NAFPRODV/VC/• Naval Academy security restrictions: www.usna.edu/SecuInfoPers/index.htm

Getting there by boat is easy

A vault beneath the Navy Chapel contains the

tomb of John Paul Jones.

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visitors may watch the brigade’s formaldress parades on Worden Field, held onvarious occasions in the spring, summerand fall. Most athletic events are opento the public free of charge, and theacademy also hosts concerts and plays,some free. Check the academy’s Website (www.usna.edu) and public affairsoffice (below) for listings. n

Steve Blakely sails his 26-foot IslandPacket, Bearboat, out of Galesville,Md., about 15 miles south of theNaval Academy. He also writes a sail-ing blog at www.travelbeat.net/sailing

U.S. Naval Academy: www.usna.edu/

Naval Academy Museum: www.usna.edu/Museum/

Naval Academy Chapel: www.usna.edu/Chaplains/

Visiting the USNA: www.usna.edu/visit.htm

USNA Public Affairs: www.usna.edu/PAO/

Robert Crown Sailing Center: www.usna.edu/SailingTeam/faq/rcc.html

To apply to the USNA: www.usna.edu/Admissions/

Maryland Sunrise Farm (formerUSNA Dairy Farm): www.mdsunrisefarm.com/

12 Home Waters Soundings July 2008

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23 Classic

If you are among the 10 percent of ap-plicants who get into the U.S. NavalAcademy, you enter as a plebe — as inplebian, Latin for the lowest of Romansociety. In this case, it means the abso-lute bottom rung of the academy ladder.

On Induction Day, after the familygoodbyes are said, the plebes are pro-cessed, hair shorn off, uniforms and gearissued, upperclassmen begin the loud,long and excruciating drill of strict mili-tary discipline: How to properly wear the“Dixie cup” sailor’s hat (plebes don’t getto wear a real upperclassman’s hat yet),how to salute, stand in formation andmarch, how to (and not to) pass inspec-tion, how to answer to your superiors.

The Naval Academy does not believe insummer vacation, beyond a two-weekbreak. Basic military training begins with“Plebe Summer,” starting around July 1.It’s an unforgettably punishing experience,even for those in good shape: Up at 5:30a.m. for calisthenics, marching, weaponshandling, maneuvers and exhausting ob-stacle courses on land, in water and mud,on ropes. This is during the hottest monthsof the year on the Chesapeake Bay.

The second summer is spent aboardvarious ships to learn and experiencehow Navy vessels actually work; this pe-riod includes either a three-week coastalor offshore cruise aboard a Navy 44 sail-boat or aboard a Yard Patrol craft travel-ing on the East Coast. The third summeris spent visiting both Navy and MarineCorps bases. In their fourth and last sum-mer, Mids join an operational unit of theNavy or Marine Corps for several weeks.

The 4,200-member Brigade of Midship-men is organized into two regiments, sixbattalions and 30 companies. The com-pany is considered the most important tothe small-unit experience of building mu-tual trust, reliance and teamwork. AllMidshipmen live in Bancroft Hall and eat,sleep, study, drill, play and compete aspart of their company.

Students do not use academic titles(freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior),but are referred to by military rank, thelowest being Fourth Class (the plebes).Third Class are known as “youngsters.”Second Class Mids are responsible forsupervising and training the plebes (re-porting directly to First Class Midship-men). The First Class (or “Firsties”) enjoyfar more relaxed rules, but still must meetacademic and athletic standards and are

responsible for leadership of the Brigade.The term “Midshipman” stems from

the 17th century, designating youngboys or cadets appointed by or appren-ticed to the captain and stationed amid-ships to second the orders of officersand help with whatever needed to bedone. In the early days of the Navy, Mid-shipmen were trained aboard ship untilthey were commissioned as ensigns.Academy sports teams are referred to as“the Midshipmen” or “the Mids.” Theterm “middie” is considered derogatory.

Students at the academy can selectone of 43 majors within 13 fields ofstudy, and graduate with a Bachelor ofScience degree. Upon graduation, theycan choose from various service options,ranging from aviation, nuclear ships,special operations, Navy SEALs, surfacewarfare or submarines.

The Navy pays for the tuition, room andboard, and medical care of Midshipmen.Monthly pay for the students is $764, fromwhich laundry, barber, cobbler, activitiesfees, yearbook and other service chargesare deducted, leaving net cash pay of$75–$100 per month in the first year, grow-ing to $400 per month in the fourth year.

Not all who enter the Naval Academygraduate. Midshipmen who resign or areexpelled in their first two years incur nomilitary service obligation, but those whoare separated (voluntarily or involuntarily)after that time are required to serve on ac-tive duty in an enlisted status, usually fortwo to four years. To avoid service, sepa-rated former Midshipmen can repay thegovernment for their educational expens-es — a bill often more than $200,000.

Congress authorized the admission ofwomen to all of the service academies in1976, and the integration of women intothe Naval Academy has not been easy.Gender tensions were inflamed in 1979,when current U.S. Sen. James Webb (D-Va.), an academy graduate (1968), deco-rated ex-Marine and prolific writer, pub-lished a controversial essay titled“Women Can’t Fight,” opposing the inte-gration of women at the academy. Webbrecanted his essay during his 2006 cam-paign for the Senate after it became apolitical issue and several female acade-my graduates publicly criticized him.

Currently, women comprise about 19percent of entering plebes and about 17percent of each graduating class.

— Stephen Blakely

Life in “The Yard” is rigorous

Life at the

academy is far

from easy, from

a plebe buzz cut

to grueling

daily training

exercises.