Re: What's in a Name....Captain, skipper, operator
That my gut feeling, but in places that the US or European governments have not made naval rules formal, their operators are called captains.
I will not use that designation in the US to respect people who are formal Captains.
But that said, "vessel operator" is a DMV/Coast Guard Term. A 12 year old delinquent kid taking a boat for a joy ride is also called a "vessel operator". With that said, a person who knows maritime rules, knows his vessel inside and out and takes responsibility for his passenger should be called something.
I still like skipper.
Well Your Eminence,
Whether you like it or not, both are indeed just that ....vessel operators.
It would seem to me that your time would be better spent ensuring that you are, by your own definition, "a person who knows maritime rules, knows his vessel inside and out and takes responsibility for his passenger ". Most people that I know do have a term for that....."competent". That should be its own reward!
If you achieve that, you shouldn't have to worry about the manner in which you are described, unless you need the ego-boost that might accrue from an important-sounding sobriquet.
If a title is that important, there are programs in which you can enrol that will result in an important-sounding title that you can wear.
BTW, "skipper" is just as often used to refer to a baseball manager, and spring training has started.
