Where did "The Admiral" come from?

For a while now, reading boating forums, I have been puzzled by the term.

I gathered, or more likely assumed, The Admiral was a reference to ones most frequent shipboard companion.

Based on some comments, said companion could easily be a person, a dog, maybe a squirrel or a Yeti full of Corona. Although I can't imagine why anyone would want one of those hairy, stinking creatures aboard, much less a loaded one.

I have also wondered what rank, if any, the author of the term holds and being totally confused by the structure of the US military, I am still in a fog. Why call people running around in the desert, Marines and what is an Ensign, if not a flag?

Then I came across this;
http://www.militaryfactory.com/ranks/navy_ranks.asp
which clearly shows there is no "Admiral" so now, I think I understand.

Or do I?

Is your funny bone broken?


It's a tongue in cheek reference (think humor) referring to the "one who must remain happy".

Greetinhgs,
Mr. H. You're not married are you?

SCOTTEDAVIS said:

Is your funny bone broken?
It's a tongue in cheek reference (think humor) referring to the "one who must remain happy".

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RT Firefly said:

Greetinhgs,
Mr. H. You're not married are you?

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Now I've learned the midday sun strikes the east coast at 9am.

Greetings,
Mr. H. Well, I'm NOT an Englishman so by process of elimination....

My wife refers to herself as the admiral and me as the captain (and vice versa). Reason being, the admiral says where the boat needs to go, and the captain is responsible for getting it there.

I always consider it an insult to the designee like she's some nag, henpecker or something derogatory. Plus she has a name. We're a team; I'm George, she's Ann.

We've never seen it that way, and instead consider them terms of endearment. While we are both partners in every sense of the term, there are certain things each of us prefers to do or not do. While my wife can certainly handle the boat, she prefers not to. While I'm happy planning trips, I am also happy to defer to her choice of destination. Similarly, I love to cook, and she doesn't, while I hate doing dishes and she doesn't mind at all (particularly on the boat with a great view from the galley). 25 years together and we've found many ways to divide duties equally, staying very happy doing so.

My wife does not find the term insulting either.

She is in charge of the fleet, and she delegates the boats operation to me, the captain.

caltexflanc said:

I always consider it an insult to the designee like she's some nag, henpecker or something derogatory. Plus she has a name. We're a team; I'm George, she's Ann.

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Lena became the admiral when we started cruising out side the US. Her first language was French, her Spanish is good and I have a hard time with English. While checking in and out of foreign countries, Lena always did the translation for the "Captain of the vessel", me, as per the crew list. In Spanish speaking countries there is a bit of machismo. When I would introduce Lena as the admiral it was always an ice breaker and got lots of laughs.

I agree with George. While I understand how the term got started I think it's belittling, like "little lady." Most of the female boaters I know, including the wives of couples in our boating club, would kick me or their husbands into the harbor for using the tem "admiral" to refer to them.

As George said, they have names.

I'm sure some wives find being called "the Admiral" cute or a term of endearment and that's fine. But I would never refer to my wife that way even if she was okay with it. I'd feel like I was belittling her and in many ways she's a smarter and better boater than I am. That, in my book, deserves respect, not some cutesy moniker.

Also known on both sides of the Pond as..

She Who Must Be Obeyed!

Gayle and I are partners, with different specialties. While she might not take much offense at "Admiral", I might take offense at a similar term from her, so why "put myself in harm's way", eh?

My friend once referred to his wife as "the allied supreme commander". If I remember right, coffee came out my nose...

My wife puts it this way " You take care of the things in your wheelhouse and I'll take care of the things in mine, and I'll let you know when you are doing yours wrong"




Our motto is "We got this"

I thought the "Admiral" thing was silly years ago when I first saw it.
Never have called Chris an Admiral .. wife will do.

manyboats said:

I thought the "Admiral" thing was silly years ago when I first saw it.
Never have called Chris an Admiral .. wife will do.

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.......

We have all sorts of names for each other, all in fun and jest. Sometimes we get a real rise out of people who don't know us well. We are both told all the time by both male and female friends that they wish they had a relationship like ours. My wife's new, favorite nickname is the "Unicorn." Just search for the hot crazy matrix video on YouTube . . . Some might find it offensive, we find it fun.

Marin said:

I agree with George. While I understand how the term got started I think it's belittling, like "little lady." Most of the female boaters I know, including the wives of couples in our boating club, would kick me or their husbands into the harbor for using the tem "admiral" to refer to them.

As George said, they have names.

I'm sure some wives find being called "the Admiral" cute or a term of endearment and that's fine. But I would never refer to my wife that way even if she was okay with it. I'd feel like I was belittling her and in many ways she's a smarter and better boater than I am. That, in my book, deserves respect, not some cutesy moniker.

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Wifey B: YAY, Marin. I don't like it, don't want to be called it, and it doesn't reflect my role or my way of doing things at all. And as much as I dislike it, my hubby dislikes it more. We only use terms like wifey and hubby hear. For those women who like it, then fine. But to indiscriminately apply it to all women boating is just wrong.

I also find the phrase "A Happy Wife is a Happy Life" both cute and annoying as heck. I saw a dude on "Selling Yachts" television show use it with potential customers and another who turned to the man and said, "The most important thing I can tell you. You're the Captain and that's because she says you can be" or something like that. It makes it sound like we have our hubby's collared and are dragging them around like dogs or something. We probably would have walked out. We certainly did from a car dealership when buying my Porsche. Drove over 250 miles to another dealer and bought it.

Now, I know people are comfy using the Admiral term in their family and, if so, I respect that. Just don't use it for others unless you know that's what they like to be called. We all have our faves and our peeves.

One lots of women dislike is being called a "girl" and you can call me a girl anytime. Makes me feel young. Woman is too grown up... Lady sounds like I'm going to require you to curtsey.

How do you guys like being called honey or sweetheart by the waitress you never saw before in your life? My hubby comes back well on that one. Waitress: And what can I get you, honey?" Hubby, "What are you thinking, sugar dumpling?'

Carolena said:

We have all sorts of names for each other, all in fun and jest. Sometimes we get a real rise out of people who don't know us well. We are both told all the time by both male and female friends that they wish they had a relationship like ours. My wife's new, favorite nickname is the "Unicorn." Just search for the hot crazy matrix video on YouTube . . . Some might find it offensive, we find it fun.

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Wifey B: My girlfriends and I have all sorts of nicknames for each other and for my hubby, but we don't expect someone outside our group to start using them. Nicknames between couples or friends are fine, but not the way to refer to strangers. Most of our nicknames couldn't be posted here...

Oh man some of you guys have to get a sense of humor.....


My wife, Kay, let know early on that she was the Admiral and I was the boat boy! Promoted to Captain at her and only her command................


So Hawgwash you didn't answer the question. Are you married? This maybe the issue with your having with the term of couple cruising.

BandB said:

How do you guys like being called honey or sweetheart by the waitress you never saw before in your life? My hubby comes back well on that one. Waitress: And what can I get you, honey?" Hubby, "What are you thinking, sugar dumpling?'

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I am from the south so this is perfectly normal and acceptable. Gees folks live a little, have some fun and stop being so PC!

"Now, I know people are comfy using the Admiral term in their family and, if so, I respect that. Just don't use it for others unless you know that's what they like to be called. We all have our faves and our peeves."

"Wifey B: My girlfriends and I have all sorts of nicknames for each other and for my hubby, but we don't expect someone outside our group to start using them. Nicknames between couples or friends are fine, but not the way to refer to strangers. Most of our nicknames couldn't be posted here..."

Ditto and agree 100%!

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

I am from the south so this is perfectly normal and acceptable. Gees folks live a little, have some fun and stop being so PC!

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Wifey B: Obviously we are having fun with it by dishing it back. We're from the South, just citified.

BandB said:

How do you guys like being called honey or sweetheart by the waitress you never saw before in your life?

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What does she look like?

BandB said:

dude

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Hehe...shot yourself in the foot there dear.

I dislike "dude" almost as much a "bro."

Now, an even bigger name question for me is boat names.
Down at the marina there are 2 boats, stern to stern, across from each other called Harmony and 2 others, both Journey. Another one called It's A Wonderful Life. How would you like to do the phonetics on this one in an emergency; Spirit Of Two Thousand And Ten? Seriously.

Funny how most commercial boats seem to find original names.

How about calling "her" the warden. Ha ha, this is so ridiculous it might go on longer than the toilet paper thread.

The only thing I like better than the topic of this thread is reading the responses of some folks. Seriously, makes me wonder how they deal with the agony of the log up their arse bouncing back and forth in waves.

Sea Hag.

hmason said:

Ha ha, this is so ridiculous it might go on longer than the toilet paper thread.

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Ha ha is right and that is exactly what I was thinking when I posted it. How it became about "marriage," angry PMs about Quebec and Igloos, I'll never know.

My failure, not being a user of My Face, Space Book, Lumped In and Instantgramma is I don't use lol, rofl, jk, yellow faces ect to denote intended humour.

BTW I think Admiral I silly too but wfyb.
TTYL.