Losing professional identity? Deck officers in the Spanish merchant marine,1868–1914

As transatlantic trade between Spain and her American colonies developed from the sixteenth century onwards, a new class of ocean-going vessel commander emerged. Gradually, pilotos, who were trained in nautical schools, replaced the former coastal trade patrones as masters and mates in long-distance navigation. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, accession to this professional class entailed the completion of a challenging programme of study, which was assessed through a range of examinations and tests to yield a mate’s qualification for those who successfully negotiated the course. Only then would ship-owners have sufficient confidence to consider mates for promotion to the rank of master and manager of a shipping venture. The transition from sail to steam greatly affected the work and life of seafarers in the world shipping industry, especially those who belonged to the class of professional masters and mates. This was particularly so in the Spanish merchant marine, which had some peculiarities that must be borne in mind if this particular process of change is to be fully understood. The aim of this article is to analyse from various perspectives the complex roles of the master, who functioned as both employer and employee, in Spanish shipping enterprises. By so doing, it is intended that a platform for further research, and broader, comparative analyses, will be constructed.