Captain J.H. Trask
Oakland Tribune, February 6, 1932
"The arrival of the Mariposa in California waters was a notable occasion for its skipper, the veteran Captain J.H. Trask. It marked the 50th anniversary of a career as a mariner. "When I came here for the first time in 1894," said Captain Trask, "we had to anchor miles from here."
As chief officer of the Sierra, a liner making her maiden voyage in the Australia service, Captain Trask first came to this coast in 1899. He had shipped out of Boston on a 400-ton West Indian barkentine in 1882 and recalls rough weather off Cape Hatteras.
He first gained fame in January 1894 when, as skipper of the Glasgow square rigger Port Douglas, he rescued in a gale the captain and 29 men of the British ship Oronay, sinking in mid-Atlantic.
His first command was the American ship Salaria. Only recently he went over the side of the Sierra in mid-Pacific and dived under the stern of his ship to remove a line fouling her propeller."
~ ~ ~ ~
"Master Under God"
Captains exercised absolute authority at sea and so were dubbed "Master Under God" by early insurance writs, agreements with ship owners and passengers and the Board of Trade.
The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag state policies.
All persons on board, including officers and crew, other shipboard staff members, passengers, guests and pilots, are under the captain's authority and are his ultimate responsibility.
On international voyages, the captain is responsible for satisfying requirements of the local immigration and customs officials. Immigration issues can include situations such as embarking and disembarking passengers, handling crewmembers who desert the ship, making crew-changes in port, and making accommodations for foreign crewmembers.
