Go-getter Ensign Jeff Carney is ready for his first assignment in the United States on board a brand-new nuclear attack submarine. But when a medical condition drastically changes his course, he accepts orders to step aboard the USS EYAK instead, a navy salvage ship also known as a “fleet tugboat” that hasn’t completed a mission in years.

Determined to pass inspections for a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, Ensign Carney harnesses his leadership skills—even as he faces setbacks and antics like a roommate with a flair for flatulence, a laundry staff who enjoy taking rides in the dryer, and a captain who doesn’t want him around. But despite every challenge on his sanity, he refuses to keep his dreams anchored.

When the USS EYAK finally sets sail, will the truth about navy life sink Ensign Carney’s spirit for good? Or will every day at sea prove that his ambitions are worth it, no matter what?

Jeff Jockel