capt. lee,
enjoyed your post…hope it didn’t hit a nerve…not really…LMAOAY
“Seadog I can see right now you are one of those guys I call something that starts with a “P” and ends with a “Y”.”
to respond at your level and in kind…what a sad sad waste of your good daddy’s juice and my time.
have a wonderful day…a good life…hope to see you in the funny papers
No, it didn’t hit a nerve. It is just sad to see someone with so much experience be so insecure with their abilities. There are a lot of things I did when I was younger that I probably would not do today and running 24 kts in the fog is one of the things I would not do. As far as the Master, Chief Mate, 2nd Mate, etc. Most of the lower license positions in the gulf just operate as everyone is a captain, but Captain so and so is the Master, Most of the time they all hold them same license. In the cases I have been involved in there has never been a dispute over who was actually in charge and the system can work well if you have a good group of guys. The Master is the captain and that is it. I have ran as Master with a 500 Ton License with a 1600 ton Master as a mate, but I did not call him Mate, I called him captain. I have other things to worry about other than the pecking order or who is liable. I thought I had a little authority when I was on OSV’s and Anchor Handlers, but let me tell you how much authority a DPO on a drilling rig has…ZERO. There is only one Captain on the rig I work on and everyone else is either the Chief Mate or a DPO. Everything goes through the Captain. The USCG may issue your license and they have the authority to revoke your license, but you should also keep in mind who signs your pay check.
They only call you Captain in court.
Where I grew up, young people addressed Captains, and even mates and pilots, as Captain…Captain Kenny, Captain Earl, etc. We used it like we used Mister when addressing an elder who was not a mariner.
They were Captains whether they were aboard ship or not. Some of them had the same disposition as C.Captain: Captain all the time and all knowing all the time.
Young people still greet my Dad as “Captain Bucky” and he’s been retired for a while. Retired military officers retain their rank after retirement. I would think a master mariner with a seventh issue license would earn the same respect. And that’s what it is…a sign of respect, not command or authority. I’ve sailed with a few men who were licensed Masters and expected and required you to call them “Captain” that shouldn’t have been allowed on the bridge.
Insecure, C.Captain? Or paranoid? Or both? You’ve sure got a hang up about something!
Nemo (Not Captain)
prophetic when you say a mariner on his 7th issue license…
[ul]
[li]people who can, do…[/li][li]those who can’t do, teach…[/li][li]those who can teach, write…[/li][li]those who can’t write, yak…[/li][/ul]and before you say I’m one of the last…NOT! I’m a working mariner who’s been tacking to windward now for a quarter century and by damned, I sure hope I don’t have to keep beating into it forever! It’s gettin mighty old and my riggin ain’t what it used to be…
ps…to call a man captain who doesn’t call himself one IS a sign of respect expecially for an older retired master…I testifies to his having been there and lived to tell the tales
I know a few who can, do, teach AND write…and some that can’t do any of them.
Nemo
Well I did have something to say, made a long spiel and sheesh, the post did not go through. Now I don’t want to go through it all again until I make a test post…hope you are watching Mike.
Thinking of writing a book…would this be a good place to sell it?
Can’t believe I’m still a Tinhorn.
I am such a believer in that…as far as I am concerned, if you are no longer Captain of a vessel, then you are not a Captain.
I also admit that I am the biggest hypocrite, because I put Captain on my business card, and not because I want to be called Captain…never!..but more just in my chosen career as salesman, to let some people know that I might understand just a little bit about what I am selling.
For the first 10 years I was quite happy without the title, but then I had a bad experience in HK with a “Captain Superintendent” who looked down his nose at me like I was some second rate citizen, just because I was trying to do my job. Give me a break, everyone is professional and we all have a job to do…a little respect please.
So I put the title back. I would be quite happy to call myself ex-Captain Pugwash or take it out and just leave the MNI as a clue to my dim and distant past…
A bit slow with my posting here but Mike had a problem…at first I thought he had me blacklisted for such irrelevant posts in my quest to become an Old Salt.
Still Green
[quote=Old Bakelite;13574]Thinking of writing a book…would this be a good place to sell it?
[/quote]
Oh Mr. Bakelite, for God’s sake NO! Don’t you remember the infamous Mr. theManOverboard !!!
Good luck on your way to old saltdom & btw…in this era of thermo injected polystyrene do they still make anything out of Bakelite?
C. Captain,
If you met your captain on the dock on the way aboard, would you say “Hey Bill”, or “Hey Cap’n”.
Does that change as soon as he crawls across the caprail?
That’s like saying an Admiral isn’t an Admiral unless he’s on the bridge of a battleship. If he’s not I guess he’s just a sailor…“Hey swab, fetch my bag”.
To say that captains aren’t captains while they’re on the beach is ridiculous. As soon as the lines are made fast and the engines are shut down you’re no longer captain? I hope other captains don’t think that way.
I’m glad I’ve never sailed with you. I hope I never do.
I understand why you been “tacking to windward” for so long. If you’re not making any progress, try a different tack. You’ve wound up on a lee shore.
Nemo
[quote=Capt. Nemo;13581]C. Captain,
If you met your captain on the dock on the way aboard, would you say “Hey Bill”, or “Hey Cap’n”. [/quote]
No, what I’m talkin about is the cocktail party glad handing sort of situation. “Hi…I’m Captain Smlodgett…you may have heard of ME but let’s talk about you.”
“What do you think of ME?”
and btw Nemo, try to recognize sarcasm when it’s trying to bite you in the nose…as old Bakelite said a moment ago “sheeesh”
HEY I KNOW…
INSTEAD OF WORRIN ABOUT WHO TO CALL CAPTAIN OR MASTER OR COMMANDER OR ADMIRAL OR WAITER OR BUSSBOY OR WHATEVER…
…WHY DON’T WE JUST CALL EVERYBODY…
The SKIPPER!
C.C
most excellent…you got my vote!
as for me…when ashore call me what you like…if you can find me…I am the one drinking a few beers, playing some pool, sniffing some perfume, enjoying a good meal, perhaps a cigar, and if I’m lucky getting to "crack Jenny’s teacup…isn’t the “life” grande!
Hey Skipper,
I guess the sarcasm was lost on me. I don’t have much of a sense of humor.
I’ve never been in a social situation where people introduced themselves as “Captain Joe Bagadonuts”…and I’ve been around a LOT of captains, both maritime and other.
I guess your previous posts lured me into thinking you were serious. My mistake. I won’t take anything you say seriously again. Thanks for the heads up.
Nemo
Thinking I have the hang of blogging…thinking of changing name to Capt. Old Bakelite (but thought of having to start at “Just Browsing” puts me off)…recalling that sarcasm is lowest form of wit…thinking that Capt. Nemos last post could could have been construed as sarcastic but was actually quite witty.
Just kidding about the book c.c. but my ambition is still to be an Old Salt on g.Captain…something I probably failed miserably at in real life.
Am I there yet?
[quote=Capt. Nemo;13588]Hey Skipper,
I guess the sarcasm was lost on me. I don’t have much of a sense of humor.
I’ve never been in a social situation where people introduced themselves as “Captain Joe Bagadonuts”…and I’ve been around a LOT of captains, both maritime and other.
I guess your previous posts lured me into thinking you were serious. My mistake. I won’t take anything you say seriously again. Thanks for the heads up.
Nemo[/quote]
I sailed with Joe Bagadonuts when I was a cadet! How is the old fart anyways? Man, he could rip em like nobody else…now there was a captain’s captain!
C.Captain…I mean skipper…That picture is hilarious!
I’m enjoying the hell out of this discussion, so I thought I’d add my two cents.
First a question…how is the seatime letter written with all those Captains on board? That whole concept is very weird to me, and makes no sense at all.
Secondly, regarding c.captain’s comment, as an unlimited 2/M (and former 100 ton guy), I have never had an unlimited Captain insist to be called Captain in a non-work social setting. However, I live in the yachting hot-bed of S. Florida, and I can tell you that there are plenty of 50-ton and 100-ton charter boat captains that insist on being called Captain. I recently offended one of them at a party because I kept calling him Bill instead of Captain Bill. He ran a water taxi.
All that said, at work, I subscribe to the following personal “rules”:
I always call Captain as Captain, even in a social setting in port. I call former captains I see while on vacation by their name, but ones I currently work with I continue to call Captain.
I call the Chief Mate as Chief Mate when in any work situation, especially in front of any of the crew, visitors, longshoremen, etc., and always over the radio. I call him by his name in any social setting, even on board, such as the officer’s lounge.
I call the 2/M or 3/M as such over the radio. Pretty much any other time I call them by their name. I have worked with 3rd Mates who had Unlimited Masters licenses, but they were still just 3rd Mates. That’s another thing that’s sets us apart from the Navy. Your position is your title (except, apparently, on supply boats).
The crew should always call me Mate at work, but I am pretty flexible with this. However, I insist they do so in front of the Captain, Pilot, company rep, and always over the radio. Ashore, I insist they call me by my name. Any foreign crew I have worked with will never do so, no matter how many times I ask.
I believe the title adds to the air of professionalism, and the chain of command is necessary, more so now than ever with the criminalization of mariners, and the advent of the VDR recorders on the bridge.
I also have enjoyed reading this thread from the beginning just now, and have some thoughts on the subject.
Ultimately it all boils down to respect it is possible to demand respect and deserve it at the same time. In my industry, (inland boats) we seem to be much more relaxed about it. I am the Relief Captain so I am in charge of things in the Captain’s off time. I refer to my self as such unless I am talking with someone at home whom I do not wish to explain it to. Some times I do not even mention the title, I just say I drive boats.
I wondered off there ^ what I wanted to say is. if you NEED to demand it … then you may not deserve it … you know what I mean? if others do not see you in that light, there might be a reason
