[NonValueAdded]

Isn’t the officer in charge of a ship ALWAYS called the Captain, regardless of his rank? Was LtJG Kennedy the Captain of PT109? Was the Skipper the captain of the Minnow even though he had no rank (or was rank, depending on your POV)? So it is with Captain Crunch, commanding cereal bowls across America.

[Cincinatus]

Exactly. The term "Captain" is a title in addition to being a rank. Many smaller vessels are captained by officers of lower grade.

Captain Bligh of the Bounty held the permanent rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Navy at the time of his voyage.

[reed13k]

True!

In addition Captains (select) are Commanders who have been promoted with the promotion scheduled for a future date. During the period between when the promotion is announced and when it actually occurs the Commander is called Captain (select) or just Captain for ease of use.

The good Capt crunch likely had a clerical error in his file which inadvertantly made his (select) period in the 2050s instead of the 1950s or thereabouts making him the longest serving (select) in Naval History - and thereby quite salty.

Being salty is also often referred to as being crusty, and as everyone knows crusty is just downright crunchy obtaining him his follow on sobriquet.

[Oztrich Boy]

Isn’t the officer in charge of a ship ALWAYS called the Captain, regardless of his rank?

But he's The Captain, or captain of the ..... . If his actual name is used it must be with his official rank.