Sea Captain - Uniform

Uniform

The traditional sleeve insignia for captains is four gold stripes (often called "rings") on the lower sleeve or shoulderboard. Many navies follow the precedent of the Royal Navy and have an "executive curl" also known as a "Half Nelson curl" on the top or inner ring. Often harbormasters have a fouled anchor or other local symbol on the gold rings.

Uniforms are still worn aboard many ships, or aboard any vessels of traditional and organized navigation companies, and are required by company regulation on passenger and cruise vessels. Commmonly for ship's officers to have to dress in uniform to go into the wardroom after a certain time of day and it may be expected for entry into the saloon for dinner. Uniform at sea may consist of navy blue trousers, black shoes, white navy regular shirt with epaulets denoting rank and merchant marine vizor cap. Full uniform involving a navy blue or reefer jacket and hat may be required during particular activities other than at remembrance services, marriages, and so forth.

In the passenger-carrying trade a unified corporate image is often desired and it is useful for those unfamiliar with the vessel to be able to identify members of the crew and their function. In this case, captains on duty usually wear the four and rings with the traditional emblem or design of their particular shipping company or vessel’s nationality. Some companies and countries use an executive curl (also called Nelson loop) similar to that of the Royal Navy. Captain and officers on British ships often wear the traditional diamond shape within the stripes. This represents a blade of a ship's propeller. It should be worn on the correct direction with the overlapping loop facing forward.

In the United States, and in others numerous maritime countries, captains and officers of shipping companies may wear a merchant navy or merchant marine regular uniform when aboard ship.

The captain's uniform also consists of a navy blue or white peaked cap, with a badge at the front. Traditionally this would be the shipping line's house flag or company logo within a golden wreath of oak leaves. However, in the UK, Italy and in certain other historical maritime countries, many captains and officers instead wear the standard Merchant Navy cap badge, which is an anchor on a red or blue oval, within a golden wreath of oak or laurel leaves and topped by a -Old Roman- naval crown in Latin corona navalis. On the visor of the captain's cap is one row for each side of golden oak leaves or golden laurel leaves (or "scrambled eggs") along the edge. In a few other merchant navies, the captain's cap visor is added with a 6/8 golden-lace forming sea waves shape along the edge.