Shipmaster View

A Master Mariner or MM is the professional qualification required for someone to serve as person in charge or person in command of a commercial vessel; from a very old seapeolpe tradition the person in charge or in command of a ship is addressed as Captain. In England the term Master Mariner has been in use at least since the 13th century—reflecting the fact that in guild or livery company terms, such a person was a master craftsman in this specific profession (e.g. Master Carpenter, Master Blacksmith, etc ). In the United States, it was introduced in the mid-19th century.
• Captain's seniority
In a few countries, some captains with particular and requested experiences in terms of navigation and in terms of command at sea, depending by application of different countries' laws, will be named senior captain.