The captain of the Costa Concordia, which is partially submerged off the Italian coast, is taking heat for abandoning ship. Traditionally, the captain is the ultimate servant to the passengers on his ship. Rather strangely the crew is still expected to serve passengers in the event the ship is sinking and put their guests before themselves. The Captain, being the most responsible officer on board, is expected to be the last to leave the ship after ensuring the safety of his passengers.
The Mariner’s Code Of Conduct was alluded to in Lord Jim, a novel by Joseph Conrad, and is apparent in a number of true accounts of the actions of captains on merchant vessels. Captain E.J. Smith on The Titanic was calm and courage all during her sinking. Coast Guard regulations Code 4-2 states that the commanding officer should be the last one to leave a ship in distress. Navy regulations are the same. Neither regulation nor custom demands that a captain go down with his ship.
Naturally, this would entail the captain is in the most dangerous position of all, often trying to escape as the ship sinks. This was not always possible so he would “go down with his ship.” Another explanation is that if the ship sank it would be because of his mistakes. To die with the ship would ensure his being enshrined as a hero; otherwise, he faced than the humiliation of a court martial for losing a ship and its passengers. Abandon ship before the passengers and find that there are things worse than death…being labeled a coward or unfit to serve!
tomvancel
I appreciated your allusion to Lord Jim–one of my favorite novels. You might also read Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat,” a short story (based on an actual event Crane experienced), which addresses the issue of the captain’s responsibility in event of ship-wreck.