Captain is the traditional customary title given to the person in charge of a ship at sea.
On most legal documents in the merchant shipping industry, the captain is more formally referred to as the ship's Master. A nautical "captain" may be a civilian with a master's license or a naval commissioned officer of any rank.
On shore, a Harbourmaster, as the equivalent chief of a port, is sometimes titled "captain" if he had merchant marine or naval rank and professional service in command at sea. Many shipping companies also hire experienced captains to run their operations department.
Master
A person holding an unrestricted master's license (or certificate) is called a Master Mariner, and may use the acronym MM after their name. The term unrestricted indicates that there is no restriction of size, power or geographic locale on the license. It is the highest level of professional qualification amongst mariners.
Among professional mariners, the title "Captain" is generally reserved for someone who has served in command of a merchant vessel, and not for someone who may hold a command license but has never been appointed to a command position. Captains retain the title while working in a maritime related field ashore.
The term Master Mariner was in use in England from at least the 13th century and was introduced in America in the mid-19th century.
An unrestricted master's license is colloquially called a "Master's Ticket", "Master's Unlimited" or just a "Master's." In the UK the official name a Master Mariner’s qualification has varied over the years. The conventions or acts governing the license have evolved alongside the shipping industry. The master's license is sometimes still referred to as a Class 1 or Master Foreign-Going certificate as it was named during the latter part of the 20th century. The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency, inline with the amended STCW convention, currently title the license as Master Unlimited.
Rights and responsibilities
The captain has enormous legal powers and is responsible in all aspects for a ship underway. Powers include the right to use deadly force to suppress piracy and mutiny. It was a myth that the captain can conduct a marriage[citation needed]. However this can now be done on Bermudan flag ships in international waters. The Master must hold a Marriage Officers License, valid on a designated ship, in order to do this, which is issued by the Minister of Labour, Home affairs and Public Safety in Bermuda. But at sea, the captain enjoys absolute command. This authority holds true even if higher-ranking persons are aboard. If a higher-ranking person gives the captain an order, care is taken to specify what is desired rather than how to do it. Rank does not give the right to interfere in the captain's running of the ship.
Uniform
The traditional sleeve emblem for captains is four gold stripes (often called "rings") on the lower sleeve or shoulderboard. Many navies follow the precedent of the Royal Navy and have an "executive loop" on the top or inner ring. Often harbormasters have a fouled anchor or other local symbol on the gold rings.
Modern-day merchant ship crews rarely wear uniforms - There is little need to display badges of rank or dress smartly at sea, particularily when the crews of most supertankers number less than 30. The standard dress code for most civilian captains on board vessels is a clean shirt and comfortable trousers such as jeans.
The exception to this is in the passenger-carrying trade, where a unified corporate is desired and it is useful for those unfamiliar with the vessel to be able to identify members of the crew and their function. In this case, captains on duty usually wear the four stripes and rings with the traditional emblem or design of their particular shipping company or vessel’s nationality. Some companies and countries do have an "executive loop" similar to that of the Royal Navy. The Captain and Officers on British ships often wear the traditional diamond shape within the stripes. This loop represents the wake of a ship's propeller. It should be worn on the correct direction. The over lapping loop should always be facing forward. Most captains in the United States do not wear a uniform unless they are in the Merchant Marine Reserve.
Subordinates
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For more details on this topic, see Seafarer's professions and ranks.
The officer who is ranked immediately below the captain of a ship is designated the chief mate, chief officer, or first officer (also executive officer on naval vessels or staff captain on large passenger vessels). The chief mate is responsible for implementing the orders of the captain as well as conferring with the captain on matters concerning the ship. The "second in command" is typically responsible (along with the senior enlisted petty officer) for maintaining minor discipline on the ship as well as the vessel's cargo, stability and maintenance. The second mate (navigational officer), the third mate (safety officer), and the boatswain (crew foreman) are ranked below the chief mate.
Related terms
In older times, a captain was a nobleman given responsibility over a ship, but was not likely to have any nautical experience. The next officer of the ship would be the ship's master. The master carried out the executive functions of a captain, while the titular captain filled a ceremonial and legal role.
Sailing master
In the Royal Navy in the days of sail, "master" was often used as an abbreviation for the
Sailing Master, the warrant officer responsible for the
A ship's master was a wardroom officer. A ship's most senior warrant officers, those who headed the ship's technical departments, received their warrants from various Boards and Commissions. Their appointment and promotion did not lie within the Captain's discretion. The rate of the more junior crew members did lie within the captain's discretion—even midshipmen.
Master's mates
The Master's Mates were the assistants to the Sailing Master, also warrant officers. These were usually young men with family connections not quite good enough to become midshipmen who either aspired to become sailing masters themselves or to be commissioned as lieutenants, as often happened. Fletcher Christian was Master's Mate on HMS Bounty.
Master and Commander
Master and Commander was the full title of the rank held by Commanders when they were first introduced into the Royal Navy, then equivalent to a major in the British Army. This title formed the basis for the historical novel Master and Commander. The title was shortened to commander in 1814 . The corresponding title in the U.S. Navy was "Master Commandant".
See also
- Bar pilot
- Bottomry
- Category:Fictional captains
- Harbour pilot
- List of sea captains
Notes
References
- International Maritime Organization [1978] (1995). "II: Standards Regarding the Master and Deck Department", International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, Section A-II/1.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S.A.) (2007). Water Transportation Occupations (PDF). Occupational Outlook Handbook. Government Printing Office. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
- Hayler, William B. (2003). American Merchant Seaman's Manual. Cornell Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87033-549-9. .
- Turpin, Edward A.; McEwen, William A. (1980). Merchant Marine Officers' Handbook, 4th, Centreville, MD: Cornell Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87038-056-X.
External links
Master Mariner Associations
- The Council of American Master Mariners
- The Honourable Company of Master Mariners
- The Company of Master Mariners of Australia
- The Irish Institute of Master Mariners
- The Company of Master Mariners of Canada
- Master Mariner's Blog
| Typical ship transport occupations |  |
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| ←Junior Unlicensed |
Senior→ Licensed |
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| Deck: | Ordinary Seaman | Able Seaman | Boatswain • Carpenter | 3rd Mate • 2nd Mate • Chief Mate | Captain • Pilot |
| Engine: | Wiper • Oiler | QMED | Electrician | 3rd Engr • 2nd Engr • 1st Engr | Chief Engineer |
| Steward: | Steward's Assistant | Chief Cook | Chief Steward | Purser | |
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