In movies and TV anyway, Navy people call the CO "skipper."
What is the origin of that term in that role?

Do sailors really call the boss the skipper?

Gilligan's Island

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NRA Benefactor

Cops do it too. Jesse Stone's deputy called him "skipper" all of the time. Until he was car bombed.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Skipper is an analogous term for Captain of a ship (small ferry/fishing boat sometimes) as in Captain of a team. The word originated from Middle Dutch age (14th century) as schipper, from schip (ship).

About 1350 - 1400 AD.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Skipper is not a rank, but a term of respect..

The actual word is derived from the Dutch word schipper which is actually a term that means ship.

The Skipper will not always be the highest ranking person on the vessel. If the vessel is transporting troops there may well be those on board that are senior but as long as they are on the boat the skipper is the man in charge.

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

A skipper is a person who has command of a boat or ship. The word is derived from the Dutch word schipper; schip is Dutch for "ship".
It is more or less equivalent to "captain".
Remember when I told about my Buddy Rod who was the Commander of a gun type Destroyer in Nam.
He said that crewmembers always asked him Skipper, When do we Shoot again?
That would be a fire support mission supporting the Marnes down near DaNang.
He would always respond the same, When I know, you'll know.

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Google is your friend X3 .

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

Years ago we had a dog named "Skipper" and he loved Skippy dog food. My daughter loved Skipper and often fed him some of her Skippy peanut butter sandwiches.

As for the Navy, I always called my CO "Sir" or Captain...can't remember anybody using the term Skipper.

If you listen to a radio conversation between a civilian boat and the Coast Guard, the Coastie often addresses the other party as "Skipper".
Aboard merchant ships I sailed on the term skipper was not widely used.
In an informal setting with captains I was familiar with and respected I often used the term "Cap". In a more formal setting, or a man I wasn't familiar with I addressed them as "Captain".
With a man I had a little respect for I avoided any term or use of the word "Sir".
Kevin

Well, I knew it wasn't a Naval rank, but a slang term.

I suspect that whether it's used to the man's face depends largely on his personality and who's speaking to him.

I had a dog named Skippy, too. Border collie. He was injured badly by a car and never healed right. My parents had the vet put him down while I was at school one day. I grieved for a long time.

It never occurred to me to feed a dog or cat peanut butter. I didn't know it was safe for them.

To keep this gun-related, didn't Charlton Heston, later NRA President, do ads for Skippy peanut butter back in the 1960's?

So I walk into a restaurant in Chinle, AZ.
I see a big table of folks wearing Navy Uniforms.
I run back out into the parking lot to see if I missed a Ship docked there!
Actually I didn't. I knew who they were.
The US Public Health Services Officers wear USN uniforms.
These were folks from a local hospital.

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I've always thought it was mighty modest of a colonel calling
himself a captain in Navy rankings.

But seriously, I've a relative who said when he was a lieutenant
and make a call to an Army or Marine counterpart, the
captain on the other end would snicker.

And naturally a chief is a heap big more important man
than those ossifers.

To add a bit of trivia here; the international airport that serves Amsterdam is named Schiphol Airport. I specifically asked a cab driver what the name meant. He claimed the area where the airport is now was used to abandon old ships and became known as Schiphol.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

I don't know, some of them have looked pretty rank to me.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

To put a bit finer point on it:

In the Coast Guard, and I believe in the Navy as well, "skipper" is most commonly used for the commanding officer of smaller ships or cutters, or boats (less than 65' long) which translates to a rank of Lieutenant (O-3) for officers, Chief Warrant and Warrant Officers (CWO2, 3, and 4 and W-1), and Chiefs (E-9 to E-7). On those vessels, the crew members are likely to have more day-to-day contact with the C.O., and using the term "skipper" becomes a term of appropriate respect combined with familiarity. In my experience, a Commander (0-5) or above would never be called "skipper" by the crew, the chiefs, the officers, or even the XO.

New captains of small ships and boats consider it a milestone in their relationships when their crews begin to refer to them as "skipper" instead of the more formal "captain."

As Kevin pointed out, radio comms between Coast Guard units and civilian boats and ships can include references to their captains as "skippers," but again, in my experience, the larger the vessel, the more likely the captain will be referred to by that title. The top guy on any vessel large enough to require that a captain have a license, for sure, will be referred to as captain.

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

Hey, T-S.....

My first dog was also called Skippy!! It's been several years ago, though!!!:



Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

There is a difference between a captain of a ship and an officer with the Naval rank of Captain. The captain of a ship can be a Captain or someone with a lower rank than Captain. Big C, little c. My father could have explained it better.

IIRC most of us shipboard referred to him as "the old man."

In the USMC, a company commander( usually a captain ) is sometimes referred to as " skipper" by the troops, sometimes to his face by senior enlisted and junior officers. It is a term of respect. I can think of no greater sign of respect for the company commander of a Marine rifle company in combat.

Below the rank of LTCDR, skipper was used as they are OIC.
Most of the time as the CMC I would address the CO/OIC by there rank.
Made the mistake of using the CO's first name once in front of the crew...

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

My dad was a signalman aboard a yard mine sweeper (YMS) during WW II. I remember him referring to his captain (USN LT) as "Skipper".

Enlisted Marines have been know to refer to their captain as Skipper.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

You got that right, Ace. The senior non-coms have always been the people who ran every military force.

Just ask them.

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Oh well, what the hell.

In my limited experience(25 years, O & E), "Skipper" is perfectly appropriate regardless of who is speaking, unless it's a disciplinary situation or some such, where "Captain" would be more appropriate. "Skipper" is quite proper, just a little less formal.

Beat me to it. The Skipper is The Man.

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Who watches the watchers?

Walked into the USN Port of Long Beach office to pick up a couple of cars.
The civilian clerk lady says 'The Port Commander wants to talk to you.'
Ok. What rank is the Port Commander?
Why he's a Commander!
Works for me.
The Port Commander is a Commander.

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In the Marine Corps, which follows Navy traditions, we used the word skipper for the commander that most influence over out day to day lives. That was the company commander not the platoon leader. So we referred to the company commander as skipper.

We also used the Navy formality of calling O1 grade (ensigns and second lieutenants) officers mister Don't know about the ensigns, but second lieutenants generally wanted to be called lieutenant. While lower grade enlisted often addressed them as they preferred, we noncoms just could not resist calling them mister to make sure they understood that title has to be earned. Once they got over their new officer gloating we called them lieutenant.

Never been around that many Coast Guard folks.
But have met a retired CWO here in town.
He was assigned to the Eagle sail ship.
I don't think he was the actual Ship Captain, I think his job title was Sailing Master.
He most certainly was one of the remaining experts in sailing the large sail ships.
After retirement, he has Unlimited Master's Papers for Sail ships.
His powered Masters Papers has a upper tonnage limit which includes SeaGoing Tugs.
So exactly how did a East Coast Salt Water Salt get to the Desert?
Long convoluted story!

USCGC Eagle (WIX-327 - Wikipedia)

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In the SEABEES, battalion CO's are typically addressed as Skipper. Company Commanders are typically LT's, Department Heads such as Operations or Intel are typically LCDR's and addressed as Commander.
Regimental CO is typically addressed as Commodore even though his rank is Captain. Chiefs are addressed as Chief, Senior Chief as Senior and Master Chief as Master Chief. In the field, on construction projects, Chiefs and Officers wear white hardhats, Enlisted wear OD colored hardhats. Frequently, jr enlisted will salute everyone in a white hardhat just to be on the safe side since the rank insignia is small and difficult to distinguish. On AF Bases, I've had even senior officers salute me thinking I outranked them. AF guys seem to be confused by the anchor insignia of Navy Chiefs. Had an AF non-com ask me why Navy personnel don't wear their rank, thinking my anchors were a generic Navy emblem.

Slightly off topic, but I have a question for all you sailors...Why is your insignia only on one sleeve?

Randy

Because during and before WWII, there were right sleeve and left sleeve ratings. The difference being combat ratings and non-combat ratings, meaning during a combat situation, a combat rating had authority or seniority over a non-combat rating. Boatswainmate was a combat rating, Personnelman was a non-combat rating. It just happened to evolve into rating badges being worn on just one side.

Growing up, we had a Schipperke we called Skipper (of course!)

Sounds good to me.

In the Navy, as I recall, a junior officer was addressed as Mister up through lieutenant (O-3). LCDR and above were addressed by rank. This ended in the seventies, I think, at which time all officers were addressed by rank, even, IIRC, gunners, whom the Navy and Army call warrant officers or chief warrant officers, as the case may be. Around the same time, or exactly the same time, E-4 to E-6 started getting called Petty Officer Whatshisname, instead of just Whatshisname, as had been the practice for the last few centuries.

Reminds me of the Chief grabbing some non-rate for a **** detail and asking him what his name was. The sailor answered, "John."

"John, is it, you ****-for-brains? You're in the ****ing Navy now. I call you by your last name, and you call me by my first name - Chief. Do you understand that, you dingleberry? Now what is your name, sailor?"

"Darling, Chief. John Darling."

"Thank you. Now here's what I need you to do, John . . ."

Where is all this lint coming from?
Naval question: When do I get to drive?

Right after you put the ball on the tee.

And then there's . . .

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Now go make God proud...

"So exactly how did a East Coast Salt Water Salt get to the Desert?"

I was a police advisor in Afghanistan, paid by a defense contractor but working for the State Department. Our regional training center (RTC), which was basically a police academy for the Afghan police, was the nicest facility in Kunduz for a year or so. We had all sorts of folks come through. I saw many a sailor and airman, under the direction of an Army or Marine Corps officer. Most of them were walking around in a bit of a daze, toting an rifle. Since the Army and Marine Corps couldn't provide enough personnel, the Navy and the Air Force would grab folks with communications ratings, send them through an abbreviated infantry course, hand them a M4 carbine and send them into the sand box.

I loved to ask a chief petty officer, "Hey Chief, where's your ship?"

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Skipper is a respectful term for your C.O. If there as no respect there are many other terms.

In a previous house I had 3 Navy guys across the street.
Capt. Rod- the Destroyer Captain, Capt. Jim - flyer, shot down in NVN, and Bob in the middle.
Bob a retired LDO.

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You're confusing Naval with Navel. Naval is the Navy.

Navel is your lint collector and oranges.

The "right arm" rates included boatswain's mates, gunner's mates, torpedoman's mates, etc. I read, somewhere in the past, that the right arm rates (mates) reported up through warrant officers. Warrant officers had professional ratings which included torpedoman, boatswain, gunner, and others. The enlisted ratings were the "right arm" to the professional. And they were, as OLDNAVYMCPO stated, the "combat" ratings.

There are other "mates" ratings, such certain airman rates, and the old Pharmacist's Mates, which eventually became Hospitalman. The engineering and hull ratings also had professionals, such as electricians, and machinists, and their "assistants" were referred to as Electrician's and Machinist's Mates. The Airdales had Photographers and Aerographers, among others.

Right after WWII, all rating badges were transferred to the left arm.

PS - My commanding officer was COMCBLANT, and simultaneously Commander 3rd Naval Construction Brigade during the Viet Nam War. He was a Commodore, wore Captain's insignia, but rated a one star flag. He also reported to Commander Fleet Marine Force, and the Facilities Command at Norfolk. He also tooled around Davisville in an Austin Healy 1000, wearing a peacoat in the winter, and the saltiest looking white cover I had ever seen.

During Viet Nam, the Seabees were attached to Fleet Marine Force Viet Nam, and they rated the Marine EGA on their Viet Nam Campaign medals and ribbons. They also had odd deployments; Nam for 9 months, home for 6 months, and then 9 more deployed.

During the Duece the Navy and everybody else was running out of skilled 'Ratings' folks.
So when my Dad went to Boot Camp in Idaho. - Idaho?
Can you really learn to be a Sailor in Idaho?
Anyway, they had some kind of interview testing routine to determine if you had any applicable civilian skills which would transfer over to Navy Skills.
When my Dad came home, he was a Carpenters Mate, 3rd Class.
Crossed Hatchets back then.

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[QUOTE=shouldazagged;139716653]"You got that right, Ace. The senior non-coms have always been the people who ran every military force."


I believe the road to hell is paved with the bones of young Lts that didn't listen to their senior nco's.

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Well done > well said

Why don't Commodores rate a single star, especially if they can fly that flag on vehicles?

Commodore seems a somewhat dormant rank. ?? We had Commodores like Perry in the past.

The Navy should have a rank equivalent to Brig. Gen. in the other forces. I think they usually jump from Captain to Vice-Admiral? (Two stars)

I read somewhere that Commodore is now mainly a wartime rank.

I was in the Air Force and figured out the Navy officer ranks. The enlisted ones are still often a mystery to me.

"The Navy should have a rank equivalent to Brig. Gen. in the other forces. I think they usually jump from Captain to Vice-Admiral? (Two stars)"

That's Rear Admiral (two stars) lower half, not Vice Admiral.(3 Star)

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

That's how I always thought about the Air Force EM ratings... I could never count high enough to comprehend all of those stripes!!

Here's a coffee mug that belonged to a friend of the family, sadly now departed. I guess he was some sort of Sergeant?




He was a shooter too. He loved the .45 1911, and had a bunch of them. Mesothelioma took him way too soon.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Chief Master Sgt. The diamond probably indicates that he was also a First Sgt. A Senior Master Sgt. has just one upward pointing chevron. I don't recall seeing a diamond above the chevrons when I was in, but that was awhile ago.

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.

I don't know the Marine sergeant ranks. Where does some kind of Gunnery Sgt. replace being a Staff Sgt. or Tech Sgt. or Sgt. First Class, etc.

I know Army ranks unless one gets into the Specialist grades.

BTW, I knew a Vice Admiral outranks a Rear Admiral. I just goofed when I wrote that above. I'm tired today.

Gunnery Sergeant is E-7, which is the same as a Sergeant First Class in the Army, Chief Petty Officer in the Navy and Master Sergeant in the Air Force.

In the AF, the first shirt diamond is located in the blue field between the upper and lower chevrons.