Is 'skipper' an insult?

snowleopard said:
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?
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Anyone who takes offence at what title they are called should examine how far up their own rear ends they are IMHO. This thing "offence" has got way out of control in our society. We run around worrying about offending people.

So what? If someone calls you something, or gets your title wrong nothing actually happens. No one gets hurt, loses their job, gets ill, or dies, it's just a title FFS.

People can feel free to call me anything they like. It makes not a blind bit of difference to me.
 
Ex-SolentBoy said:
Anyone who takes offence at what title they are called should examine how far up their own rear ends they are IMHO. This thing "offence" has got way out of control in our society. We run around worrying about offending people.

So what? If someone calls you something, or gets your title wrong nothing actually happens. No one gets hurt, loses their job, gets ill, or dies, it's just a title FFS.

People can feel free to call me anything they like. It makes not a blind bit of difference to me.
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+1 Sad individuals IMHO!
 
"Skipper" can be used offensively in a training context. If a trainee Yachtmaster (say) has done or suggested something silly, the instructor might well say "OK, so what are you going to do next, skipper?". A similar tactic used to be used effectively during medical students' training, when it would be "What next, doctor?", but I believe it is now considered too offensive for the poor souls.
 
Ex-SolentBoy said:
Anyone who takes offence at what title they are called should examine how far up their own rear ends they are IMHO. This thing "offence" has got way out of control in our society. We run around worrying about offending people.

So what? If someone calls you something, or gets your title wrong nothing actually happens. No one gets hurt, loses their job, gets ill, or dies, it's just a title FFS.

People can feel free to call me anything they like. It makes not a blind bit of difference to me.
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Are you serious??
If someone has earned a rank then why should they be called by another one. I'm sure the captain concerned would take no offence to being called by their first name if you didnt want to call them captain.

This has nothing to with people being offended its just manners and etiquette, by not calling someone something they are not.
 
johnalison said:
"Skipper" can be used offensively in a training context. If a trainee Yachtmaster (say) has done or suggested something silly, the instructor might well say "OK, so what are you going to do next, skipper?". A similar tactic used to be used effectively during medical students' training, when it would be "What next, doctor?", but I believe it is now considered too offensive for the poor souls.
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I'm not sure thats offensive, its just putting more pressure on the trainiee and making the training more realistic.
 
Babylon said:
What do the French call yacht skippers?
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Well most of the time people would refer to the skipper as the "capitaine" (but all the previous distinctions following your post are exact).

Nowadays, french people start using skipper for pleasure craft (where before it was more a racing term).

From what I remember, the french equivalent of the RYA would translate yachtmaster as chef de bord... but don't quote me on this.
 
Having been skipper (Master) on cargo ships, but for the last 20 odd years on large anchor handling tugs, my crew call me either Capt, Captain, or Skipper, I dont really care, so long as they are polite.
In the third person, I'm referred to as the old man, I used to take a bit offense to that when I was 28.
Young ladies in various bars around the Far East would always call me Captain, very polite.

To be very technically correct, her title should be Master.
Captain is a courtesy title. And, technically, the mates are mates, not officers.


snowleopard said:
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.
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If it really is like this on board the Nelson, I'm glad I turned down the opportunity to work there, regarding fellow crew with contempt, overt or otherwise just plain sucks, and would indicate a poorly managed vessel.
 
According to Chambers;

skipper noun 1 a ship's captain. 2 the captain of an aeroplane. 3 the captain of a team. verb (skippered, skippering) to act as skipper of something.
ETYMOLOGY: 14c: from Dutch schipper shipper.
 
Babylon said:
See http://www.wordreference.com/enfr/skipper

skipper:
(of merchant ship) capitaine m;
(of fishing boat) patron m;
(of yacht) skipper m;
gen (leader) chef m.

skipper de bateau militaire: commandant nm
skipper barreur anglicisme: skipper nm
skipper de vaisseau marchant: capitaine nm
skipper de bateau de pêche: patron nm
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The fishing boat one is interesting. I always wondered what they meant when my Spanish relatives referred to the "patrón" of a fishing boat. Now I realised that's what they call the captain!
 
Ex-SolentBoy said:
Anyone who takes offence at what title they are called should examine how far up their own rear ends they are IMHO. This thing "offence" has got way out of control in our society. We run around worrying about offending people.

So what? If someone calls you something, or gets your title wrong nothing actually happens. No one gets hurt, loses their job, gets ill, or dies, it's just a title FFS.

People can feel free to call me anything they like. It makes not a blind bit of difference to me.
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~Then you wn't mind if I call you a pillock.
 
wadget said:
Are you serious??
If someone has earned a rank then why should they be called by another one. I'm sure the captain concerned would take no offence to being called by their first name if you didnt want to call them captain.

This has nothing to with people being offended its just manners and etiquette, by not calling someone something they are not.
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"called by their first name if you didnt want to call them captain."

I don't see how that fits with the rest of your post. If the person introduces themselves with their first name, to me that implies that one may use it in conversation. If they do not, they should be spoken to with some formality.

On joining the Lord Nelson, I would expect someone would introduce new crew to the Captain, even if it was as a group. "This is Captain Smith".

So one would address them as "Captain" first and "Sir" or "Ma'am" after, until invited to do otherwise.
 
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snowleopard said:
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.
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I noticed in your first post that the prof crew did not say what you should call her. Or did they?

More important to me, how did the captain address the crew? My expectation is that no matter how great or little the difference in status, if the superior expects to be addressed formally, then the subordinate should be addressed formally also.

As a junior army officer I was expected strictly to address all subordinates by rank and surname. My senior officers felt free to call me by my first name even though I had to call them "Sir". I found it this very patronising.
 
Much depends on where you are, around Spain & Portugal anyone in charge is generally addressed as Captain. Amateur American sailors take their Captains exam and like to be addressed as such.

If I am asking who is in charge of a pleasure or small commercial boat, I normally ask who the Skipper is but, on a large ship I would address him/her as Captain. Technically I think the person in charge of any boat can also be addressed as the Master, which IIRC the RYA YM ticket says or used to say - "the holder is entitled to act as master of...." or, some such wording.
 
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