what's in a name?

[Bernadette]

Just thinking out loud here as a result of my other posting regarding crew for my coastal passage. I always refer to my self as Skipper when I take people out sailing. It's a bit of a joke really but by the same token, I do believe that with certain nervous nellies or novice sailors especially, the use of a title does instill a remote sense of confidence!!! In any case, I am wondering, if given the size and type of craft I sail: is "Skipper" indeed the correct terminology? Others have tried to call me Captain which I believe is technically incorrect. What's it to be?? Bernadette aka the skipper!!! smile.gif

[paladin]

your bote...you izz drivin'....you izz Captain...

[uncas]

What's in a name?
No matter what one calls the crew members individually...the owner alias the captain is always right...

[igatenby]

Is Boss OK Ma'am?

[Stiletto]

Your Highness? ;)

[TimH]

Master

[Zimmer]

How about " big mamma"?

[Ian McColgin]

Around here, "Captain" is for those who have a ticket. "Skipper" is the term bestowed by professionals on amateurs who happen to own a boat.

People with armed forces experience may refer to whom ever is in command of a vessel as "Skipper" without the disparaging connotations of the civilian use.

[Paul Girouard]

Originally posted by Ian McColgin:

People with armed forces experience may refer to whom ever is in command of a vessel as "Skipper" without the disparaging connotations of the civilian use.Ian I have to disagree, USN 8 years , AE-1 , E-6.

This is how we did it then and I suspect still.

If you are the person responsable for the ship , boat / craft you are the Captain of said vessel.
A Commander is generally the "Captain" of a sub, he is called Captain by His crew . He would be refered to as Commander so in so by any sailor not under his command , IE some one at the NEX or Gym he would run into. He would have a "command pin " over his left pocket above his ribbons or metals .

If as in say river boat / gun boat a E-6 /7 /8/9 was the person in charge of his vessel he would be Captain to his crew .

We airdales call our commanding officer , MTL a Commander , Skipper . So a squardon commander is Skipper to his sqd people but would be Commander so in so to other navy personnel. Again he has a command so he would have a "command pin" on his uniform. Keep in mind there are 6 to 10 or so Squadron deployed on a carrier, so a equal # of Skippers , would be also deployed with there unit.

So if Bernadette is in charge / responsble for her vessel she would be Captain.

On a aircraft carrier there are around 20 or so Captains in rank while deployed. Dept heads , Doctors , etc. But there is one and only one Captain of the ship.

MTL one Admiral would be on board a carrier , he still is not in charge of the ship and it's day to day functions . The carrier would be his flag ship as he would be a fleet Adm.

So Captain Bernadette is the right answer , IMO. Paul

[ 11-30-2005, 06:50 PM: Message edited by: Paul Girouard ]

[Paul Girouard]

If I'm thinking right in PT boats , the guy in charge of his PT boat was a called Skipper. And PT boats, like aviation units deployed as Squadrons , hence the Skipper of the PT boat was properly a Skipper , the Commanding officer of the Squadron of PT boats would be the , CO , of that squadron. Hence it would not contain a Capt. unless "the Rank" of the CO happened to be Capt.

[ 11-30-2005, 08:39 PM: Message edited by: Paul Girouard ]

[Rick Clark]

Gilligan Say's hay Skipper

[JimJ]

I think we are getting carried away here. I would just settle for "Skipper"

I guess on the legal side of things as far as Queensland Transport is concerned you are "Master of the Vessel"

[werner]

Skipper in dutch : heer van het schip "schipheer"
= master of the ship.The term captain came also in use in the 18th century.In dutch captain ( kapitein) is more in use for a seaship while for a barge or a small yacht skipper (schipper)is more often used.

[Tom Lathrop]

The first time I thought seriously about that was when I brought a 30' sailboat into a dock and the dock man called me "Captain". I thought that a bit overboard until I realized that the term clearly made direct contact between the dockman and the person in charge on the boat. No ambiguity at all.

After 4 years in the fleet, I should have known better, but it was my first time as "Captain".

[Alan D. Hyde]

From what I know, I think Paul's right...

Alan

[paladin]

When I first entered the U.S. with my 31 footer, the Coast Guard dude addressed me as "Captain"...later got the papers....

[Stu Fyfe]

In most communications with the Coast Guard, dock masters and launch drivers, I've always been refered to as the Skipper. Never Captain. To me Captain refers to a rank. Skipper seems to be used for the person in charge of operating the vessel.

[Rick Clark]

Stu Fyfe said:

In most communications with the Coast Guard, dock masters and launch drivers, I've always been referred to as the Skipper. Never Captain. To me Captain refers to a rank. Skipper seems to be used for the person in charge of operating the vessel.

In the US Navy that is just what it means the way he tells it!!!!! :D

[uncas]

Aw Hecik...as I sail alone usually, I hear Skipper or Captain intermixed...As I am the only one on board...well, I guess I just don't pay much attention...except I know they gotta be talkin' to me.

[Paul Girouard]

Well you go here and ask where the Skipper is , http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/027125.jpg

Bridge of any (edited to say any USN aircraft carrier) { I can not speak to small boys / tankers only rode one on my way out , "the first time" :rolleyes: } Hey it was a lunch time / short time post :rolleyes: USN ship, when the Capt. not just a "Captain" comes thru the hatch , the first person to see him reports , "CAPT'N on the bridge " . You'll find Skipper's in their Ready rooms.

[ 12-01-2005, 11:41 PM: Message edited by: Paul Girouard ]

[Tom Lathrop]

Originally posted by Rick Clark:
Stu Fyfe said:

In most communications with the Coast Guard, dock masters and launch drivers, I've always been referred to as the Skipper. Never Captain. To me Captain refers to a rank. Skipper seems to be used for the person in charge of operating the vessel.

In the US Navy that is just what it means the way he tells it!!!!! :D Maybe things have changed in the last 50 something years. All the masters of the USN Destroyer I sailed on were refered to as either Captain officially or as Skipper unofficially although they were all of Commander rank. Just looked at an old logbook to verify this so that is the way of it.

[Rick Clark]

Yes that they may as I retired 24 years ago.
Good luck SKIPPER smile.gif

[Paul Girouard]

Originally posted by Rick Clark:
[QB]Yes that they may as I retired 24 years ago.
QB]Roger that Skipper , thanks for your service to our country smile.gif Paul

[Andrew S/Y Rocquette]

In a naval vessel the commanding officer is The Captain regardless of rank - the Royal Navy has COs of ships ranging from lieutenant to commodore in rank - all are captains of their ships - called "The Old Man" by their crew (behind his back) or even occasionally "Skipper", "Captain" to his face and on board by ANY visitor, and by rank (e.g Lieutenant-Commander Bloggs) ashore (unless in connection with his command, in which case he's still "THE Captain" - as compared with "A captain").

Skipper was used in WWI for Royal Naval Reserve officers (qualified merchant navy masters) in command of armed merchant vessels and was a substantive rank. No longer.

In current British Merchant Navy terminology, a merchant ship's captain is legally entitled the Master. This therefore applies to yachts as well, as British yachts are technically British merchant vessels (they fall under the aegis of the 1995 Merchant Shipping Act).

The Royal Yachting Association-administered and Department of Trade-endorsed commercial yacht command qualification is called the "Yachtmaster".

"Skipper" is therefore now a slang term potentially applied to any master or captain, but as a word of ancient origin (as others have indicated) has earned its place in the lexicon, and is in practice interchangeable in the non-official context.

Cheers

Andrew Thomas
(Sub-Lieutenant Royal Naval Reserve, Master of Rocquette, and in reality under the direct command of the Admiral Charlotte in all things...)

[Andrew S/Y Rocquette]

In a naval vessel the commanding officer is The Captain regardless of rank - the Royal Navy has COs of ships ranging from lieutenant to commodore in rank - all are captains of their ships - called "The Old Man" by their crew (behind his back) or even occasionally "Skipper", "Captain" to his face and on board by ANY visitor, and by rank (e.g Lieutenant-Commander Bloggs) ashore (unless in connection with his command, in which case he's still "THE Captain" - as compared with "A captain").

Skipper was used in WWI for Royal Naval Reserve officers (qualified merchant navy masters) in command of armed merchant vessels and was a substantive rank. No longer.

In current British Merchant Navy terminology, a merchant ship's captain is legally entitled the Master. This therefore applies to yachts as well, as British yachts are technically British merchant vessels (they fall under the aegis of the 1995 Merchant Shipping Act).

The Royal Yachting Association-administered and Department of Trade-endorsed commercial yacht command qualification is called the "Yachtmaster".

"Skipper" is therefore now a slang term potentially applied to any master or captain, but as a word of ancient origin (as others have indicated) has earned its place in the lexicon, and is in practice interchangeable in the non-official context.

Cheers

Andrew Thomas
(Sub-Lieutenant Royal Naval Reserve, Master of Rocquette, and in reality under the direct command of the Admiral Charlotte in all things...)

[Alan D. Hyde]

:D

Alan

[Meerkat]

When embarked on a ship, an Army or Air Force Captain automatically gets a courtesy rank bump to Major because there is only one captain aboard a ship.

In the old Navy, a Lt JG was called a "master" and, at least as of the late 60's was still a proper title for the rank. When I was in, we had a Lt. JG Baites - guess what we called him! :D

[Lucky Luke]

How one who is aboard your boat should call you, Bernadette?

I personally don't care...the only "title" that any man would have liked to give you is: "Darling"...and the "position" allowing that is already taken... :(

That's why I won't go cruising with you! tongue.gif

[ 12-04-2005, 10:23 PM: Message edited by: Lucky Luke ]

[Wild Dingo]

:cool:

[ 12-14-2005, 07:47 AM: Message edited by: Wild Dingo ]