Is 'skipper' an insult?

snowleopard

snowleopard

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While sailing on the Lord Nelson a few years back under a female captain I heard one of the permanent crew saying that she should never be called 'skipper' as she would take great offence.

Are other merchant masters similarly offended by the term or is she a one-off? How about the RN?
 
I suppose since Captains in the Merchant Navy and Royal Navy have given years of their lives to their trade they have earned the right to be addressed as Captain. I can't imagine how insecure you'd need to be to get pissed off at being called skipper though.
 
Skipper is generically a term for the person in charge of a vessel that does not require by law a fully qualified master, ie fishing boats had skippers, coasters had masters. Modern usage has blurred this somewhat but if she was a qualified master she was entitle to that form of address, and may well have taken offence at a title which suggested she was less qualified.
 
Woodlouse said:
I suppose since Captains in the Merchant Navy and Royal Navy have given years of their lives to their trade they have earned the right to be addressed as Captain. I can't imagine how insecure you'd need to be to get pissed off at being called skipper though.
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It depends if she looked like Barbies best pal, Skipper. I would get peeved if folks called me Ken, ye ken?
 
I can't answer your question but being called Captain makes my skin creep! I normally get called either Brian, Fat *******, or skipper. Even skipper makes me feel like my crew don't know me or my boat very well.

If I was a professionally trained seaman, then I'd expect to be called by the rank name. I would include this for super yacht type vessels as well as RN & MN vessels. Just my view and not an official opinion!

Cheers, Brian.
 
British tend to use the word 'skipper' especially when referring to the person in charge of a yacht or relatively small boat. Have noticed in the med other nationalities tend to use the word 'Captain', have never known any one have a problem with either
 
Ships have a captain, fishing boats have a skipper.

If you'd spent years training to be a master and then are compared to a fisherman I can see it being a cause for offence.
 
I'm happy to be called skipper, I've had a lot worse !

The only time I can remember a more formal term was when I had a chum along who was a dedicated sun-bather.

I later found a cross on the chart marked " Captain steered under cloud here ".
 
In the Merchant Navy 20 years ago, or Captains were generally called "Sir", and the First Mate, "Chief". 2nd and third officers were generally called by their 1st names by the other officers, and either "Sec" or "Second", or "Third", by the crew.

Different lines may have had different policies or traditions... I was with Blue Star Line.

Can't remember a Captain ever being called Skipper to his face.

... But a skipper of a sailing yacht... Bit up her own backside if you ask me.... Or insecure as above.
 
Richard10002 said:
But a skipper of a sailing yacht... Bit up her own backside if you ask me.... Or insecure as above.
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To be fair, it is a British registered ship and she held at least a master mariner's ticket.

There is generally a strange atmosphere on board in that 'amateurs' are regarded with overt contempt by the professional crew. The able-bodied crew members, despite being essential to the running of the ship, are considered a nuisance, scorn being specially reserved for anyone with an RYA ticket.
 
wadget said:
I'd love to see you say that to her face.
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I'd happily say so to her face; my ym offshore instructors were a Tall ship skipper ( his term ) a Container ship Captain, and a Submarine First Officer; the examiner had been an officer on HMS Exeter at the Battle Of The River Plate and took part in every Fastnet post WWII, I'd happily call any of then 'Sir' any time, but none were so up themselves as to require it !
 
Definitely not "Skipper" on the TSYT ships; some will take genuine offence.

In the third person, generally "the captain".

Face-to-face is awkward - other officers use first name, but as a Volunteer (sort of NCO-esque position) that doesn't quite sit right with me except possibly during social occasions. I have heard "Boss" used.

Pete
 
Richard10002 said:
.... Can't remember a Captain ever being called Skipper to his face.

... But a skipper of a sailing yacht... Bit up her own backside if you ask me.... Or insecure as above.
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It is hardly a sailing yacht at 180 ft and 491 tons: -

http://www.jst.org.uk/lord-nelson.aspx

The vessel she commands carries a bit of respect, so if she is a qualified Captain, it is not unreasonable that she would expect to be addressed as Captain. It certainly sounds better than Mam or The Old Lady.
 
I have always regarded 'skipper' as an informal term off respect. I certainly do not object to it on my boat or on any boat that I am driving.

I once knew a young lady who skippered a 500 ton+ coaster. She was happy to drink with the best of us and equally happy to be known by all in the pub as 'skipper' or 'The Skipper'
 
Seajet said:
I'd happily say so to her face; my ym offshore instructors were a Tall ship skipper ( his term ) a Container ship Captain, and a Submarine First Officer; the examiner had been an officer on HMS Exeter at the Battle Of The River Plate and took part in every Fastnet post WWII, I'd happily call any of then 'Sir' any time, but none were so up themselves as to require it !
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Yes but as a yachtmaster instructor they are acting as a skipper on a yacht not a captain of a ship.

Most captains will introduce them something like this "hi my name is xxxxx, I'm the captain" its up to you what you call them. Generally by their first name in a social setting, and captain or sir on the bridge or when they are giving orders.

However calling them skipper is something completely different.

The best way to explain it to you is that imagine a doctor, they introduce themselves to you by their first name. you can either call them by their first name or doctor, however you would not call them nurse. There is nothing wrong with being a nurse or a skipper but you don't call someone it when they are not one.
 
I understand the distinction but if a fully qualiied Master Mariner was in charge of a small yacht, surely he would be its skipper. For example. it would be a bit OTT to call the helm of a sailing dinghy 'Captain' even if he happened to have been one on a merchant vessel.
 
davidej said:
I understand the distinction but if a fully qualiied Master Mariner was in charge of a small yacht, surely he would be its skipper.
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Yes - but Snow Leopard was talking about the Lord Nelson, a 500 ton ship, and her captain. Other people introducing yachts to the discussion are merely confusing matters.

Pete
 
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