What term is reserved for the Captain of the ship when at sea?

• A. Skipper
• B. Captain
• C. Commander
• D. Pilot

Answer: (A)

In nautical usage, the person in command of a vessel at sea is called the skipper. This term is the common, informal way crew members refer to the captain while on deck or out on the waters, especially aboard smaller boats or racing vessels. The formal title remains Captain (or Master in formal shipping contexts), but when talking about who’s in charge on the sea, skipper is the term that conveys that leadership on board. A pilot guides ships through tricky waters near shore, not the ship’s captain, and a commander is a military rank not used to refer to a civilian ship’s captain. So skipper best fits the idea of the captain in command at sea.