Though using exclusively the masculine, Conrad had a way to make the point:
Only a seaman realizes to what extent an entire ship
reflects the personality and ability of one individual,
her Commanding Officer. To a landsman, this is not
understandable, and sometimes it is difficult for us
to comprehend — but it is so.
A ship at sea is a distant world in herself and in
consideration of the protracted and distant operations
of the fleet units, the Navy must place a great
power, responsibility, and trust in the hands of those
leaders chosen for command.
In each ship there is one man who, in the hour of
emergency of peril at sea, can turn to no other man.
There is one who, alone, is ultimately responsible for
the safe navigation, engineering performance, accurate
gunfire and morale of his ship. He is the
Commanding Officer. He is the ship.
This is the most difficult and demanding assignment
in the Navy. There is not an instant during his tour
as Commanding Officer that he can escape the grasp
of command responsibility. His privileges in view of
his obligations are almost ludicrously small; nevertheless,
command is the spur which has given the
Navy its great leaders.
It is a duty which most richly deserves the highest time
honored title of the seafaring world . . . “CAPTAIN”.
