The reasons for becoming a captain

cute...

Gad, I luv dat.
I wanted to be a captain to. What happened to da chicks?

From a 10 year old anything is acceptable. It's amazing though how many adults actually think that way as well, and that's insulting. During my career I've saved many lives, broken many bones, suffered innumerable injuries, and expected to die more times than I can count. I've worked some incredibly long shifts for the same rate as a short day, and been on call 24/7 for years. Then there's dealing with spoiled, finicky boat owners and their families, being away from home for long periods, and often sleeping in rediculously small accomodations. Several times I've done shifts of up to 100 hours while grabbing cat naps on a 1' x 4' bench. I've been responsible for the safe passage of many millions of dollars worth of vessels, and had everything I own on the line if I made a mistake while battling the worst mother nature could throw at me. Although I earned a decent day rate there was rarely a day when I could count on making a living as weather, mechanical breakdowns or a sale at the mall could cause a cancellation. The day I retired recently came with a wonderful feeling of relief. It's a profession we get into due to a passion and connection to the sea, and a desire to be of service. Becoming a captain for any other reason would just be stupid. The kid who wrote that article should stay in school and become a rich lawyer or such so he can by a boat. He'd do fine as a boat owner, but never cut it as a captain.

This is why captains make the big bucks and get the bikinis...

(you may want to go full screen on this)

I wouldn't forget about the team that is responsible for making all those things connected to the buttons and levers in the wheelhouse run when required.

The Captain wouldn't be doing much without them.

It was only a matter of time before a chief engineer spoke up...

On a ship, It is not only the Chief that keeps it going he is part of a team just like the Captain is.

Well then, THAT is a pretty impressive team effort.

All that with no stinking Tugs...
Quite impressive.
(The Harbor Pilot probably had something to do with the maneuvering while the Captain was peeing in his pants. )

Came to think of it, I have been a Captain for a number of years and never got no bikinis.

Too bad. I get bikinis all the time. Plans were to be in a boat today with a bikini-ed beauty. But we got waylaid helping get a girl a rush passport.

You must be living wrong, especially being in Lauderdale. When I had my tour boat there rarely did a day pass that my boat wasn't flashed. Special thanks to Betty Boop, who once pulled into the slip next to me on a Sunday morning when my boat was loaded with senior citizens. She was womaning the bow while showing what you could get for 5K in the early 90's. I thought one old guy on my boat would have a stroke...or that his wife would break his ribs with the elbow shot she gave him. On some of the private boats I ran it was all I could do to look for buoys and such given the beauty and activities on our decks. A few things I will miss about this business.

Yeah, perhaps so.
This pesky little detail called marriages kind of slows me down however
Allah knows I met bikini girls when I was single and in between marriages.
After 3 years of that I realized I need to settle down and find a good woman again.
Otherwise my liver would go bad, so would my heart and I would crash my Harley riding home from biker bars in Dallas at 02:00 while under the influence and at full throttle in 5th gear
You could say I was living wrong but had plenty loose bikini girls.
Uh, thread creep, but been there, done that, lived hard for the last 43 years and glad to be here.

Riding a Harley at full throttle in 5th is liable to end in disaster even if sober and both hands are on the handle bars

Thx, but your advise is 25 years too late.
I woke up back then and got married, then sold the Harley.
Glad I did...