Captain

The captain or master is the ship's highest responsible officer, acting on behalf of the ship's owner. Whether the captain is a member of the deck department or not is a matter of some controversy, and generally depends on the opinion of an individual captain. When a ship has a third mate, the captain does not stand watch.

The captain is responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the ship under his command. It is his responsibility to ensure that all the departments perform to the requirements. Therefore, the heads of the various departments answer to him. The captain represents the owner and hence is called "master." The captain is officially not considered to be a crew member, which seems to resolve the controversy mentioned above.

Related Military Formations

• HMS Mary Rose's Crew