Pretention or culture?

[Roy M]

I like the part on my license where it says MASTER. Now we're talking some really suggestive stuff. Now where did I leave that scabbard? I keep injuring myself when I posture. The only time I wear stripes and cap is when I'm burying someone at sea.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Siege

When advertisers and marketers got involved.

Precisely!

That's also when boats started to be 14 feet wide over 38 feet LOA, without handholds to spoil the condo experience or to block the view of bar, widescreen TV or vase of flowers on the fiddle-free dining table.

"Captains" frequently own those kind of boats, I find, and command a great view of the clubhouse.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Auzzee

Fair enough Cap'n Mike. No one is going to denigrate anyone else's credentials. Everyone deserves respect for having studied, passed exams and who keeps their knowledge current through continued study.

But; do you buy your sausages from a man who introcuces himself as Butcher Bill, have your taxation return sorted out by Accountant Fred, have your lights installed by Electrician Paul and your boiler repaired by the jolly fat guy coming down your driveway who, when you open your door greets you with, "Hi, I'm Plumber Frank"?

Cheers,
Journalist Dave.

Dave:

Actually, I do shop at a market where "Produce Pete" does announce the daily specials in the produce area. As far as the Captain moniker don't get me wrong. I don't go around wearing a white shirts with four gold bars on the shoulders and a little white visor cap that says "CAPTAIN" on it. Or call my boat a "yacht" etc... I really don't take myself that seriously. But, I do take the responsibility of being a licensed USCG mariner seriously when I'm on the water. So when on occassion I do introduce myself as Captain it is also a reminder to me of that responsibility. If others find it pretentious that's their problem. Though most of the time I mostly use the title to pull rank on my girlfriend in a discussion.

[sailorboy1]

I especially like the number of people who use "Capitan" in their CF name, like that is something special and unique on a forum full of boaters

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Auzzee

I occasionally meet fellow sailors who will introduce themselves using 'Captain' as a part of the introduction. As in 'Hi buddy, I'm Captain Bob'.

Him, and the guy with the Greek sailor's cap and a parrot on his shoulder. Give me a friggin' break. Can you say, "douchebag"? I knew you could.

[MysticGringo]

Out of context titles are usually signs of insecurity. Pretension is also usually a sign of insecurity. I have a tendency to tune out the rest of what someone says if they introduce themselves as "captain" out of context.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Tellie

Is it any more pretentious to always call the bathroom the head, or the kitchen the galley, pulleys the blocks, etc.?
Do something stupid like run your boat into a bridge or another boat and I assure you, pretentious or not, the local authorities will be calling you captain.

That's a little different. The head is on the boat, so it's a head. If you're the captain on a boat you can introduce yourself as such (although it's still a little blowhard). This is some guy at a winemixer ten miles from the ocean calling himself captain.

Part of my eyerolling about this whole thing is related to being in the Navy and meeting *real* captains. Guys with 20-30 years of experience being on the water more than half their lives. Combat operations, rescue operations, no-**** crew management, knowledge of vast complexity and solid seamanship skills on top of it.

In civilian settings, they introduce themselves by first name. If they're not walking around lugging the captain title around (even though that's their rank and official position) I don't see how some yachtie should be doing it.

Even the guys working 7 days a week on the fishing boats around here don't call themselves captain off the boat and they are light years beyond any goon walking around in topsiders.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Him, and the guy with the Greek sailor's cap and a parrot on his shoulder. Give me a friggin' break. Can you say, "douchebag"? I knew you could.

It's like hearing some boater claim a love of, and a habit of constantly playing, the collected works of Jimmy Buffett.

You could call my reaction a prejudice, but I prefer to term it discernment.

I'll be anchoring a little farther out tonight, thanks.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Even the guys working 7 days a week on the fishing boats around here don't call themselves captain off the boat and they are light years beyond any goon walking around in topsiders.

That was largely my old man's attitude.

[rover88]

We have a boat broker near our marina who bills himself as "Capt. Ted" in the course of his boat brokering business. The reason I'd cut this elderly gentleman some slack is because he is a retired Medical Doctor and obviously prefers identifying with his love of boats over his medical qualifications. As someone here said - it's a matter of context.

We used to have a young Army doctor at the marina who held the military rank of Major. I always gave him due deference by calling him "Doctor-Major-Captain-Pete" and such deference was always with tongue in cheek. When he introduced himself is was simply at Pete.

I second the poster's observation that those who choose to flout their professional titles are generally insecure personalities.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by ksanders

Using capatin in your greeting (unless you're chartering and meeting your guests) is pretentious.

So is calling your boat a yacht.

Concerning calling your boat a yacht, it depends on where you're from. Around these parts, a yacht simply means a boat which is not a motorboat. Synonym for sailboat. A normal conversation might be: "Does he have a motorboat?" "No, it's a yacht."

In the US, maybe, the word "yacht" might imply something large and fancy, but in other parts of the world -- mostly not.

[Dulcesuenos]

The admiral welcomes people aboard our as "Welcome to our Yachtshit"
Guess its an old joke

[bobconnie]

Ive had a 200 ton lic. I let all my lics Go years ago as I no longer needed them to make a living! I can't remember the last time I used the title Captain. I answer to it when checking into other countrys, and I also answer to Skipper when hailed by the Coastys! I cringe when I hear a sailor of a 30 or 40 ft boat calling him or herself Captain, even with a 100 ton Lic. ! Now a delivery person with the right credentials, has every right to call or advertise himself Captain, as thats part of his Imployment ! But to meet folks and introduce yourdelf as "Captain" is to me out of line and sorta silly ! Just my2 cents

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

Ive had a 200 ton lic. I let all my lics Go years ago as I no longer needed them to make a living! I can't remember the last time I used the title Captain. I answer to it when checking into other countrys, and I also answer to Skipper when hailed by the Coastys! I cringe when I hear a sailor of a 30 or 40 ft boat calling him or herself Captain, even with a 100 ton Lic. ! Now a delivery person with the right credentials, has every right to call or advertise himself Captain, as thats part of his Imployment ! But to meet folks and introduce yourdelf as "Captain" is to me out of line and sorta silly ! Just my2 cents

Yep.

Big difference between saying "I work as a captain" and "Hi, I'm Captain Eric."

[David_Old_Jersey]

To be fair, I think it is easy to confuse role with rank.

Onboard my boat (and very occassionally others) my role is Captain - with the pros and cons that role involves. Is it really a rank? I guess in some respects it is, but only in comparison to others onboard. The same persons role is also likely to be mechanic and the lucky sod who gets to unblock the head, but I guess calling self Chief Engineer and / or Bog Cleaner is perhaps not so glamorous ....at least not as a formal introduction .

I can understand Coastguard referring to someone as "the Captain" - it's shorthand for "we have identified you as responsible for the boat - and who we can put into prison if needed" . Nonetheless I don't think they regard the person concerned as having the rank of captain - merely the role. Over here of course less hailings and boardings by officialdom so perhaps the reason for less confusion?