Sea captain (7)
I believe the answer is:
skipper
'sea captain' is the definition.
(I know that skipper is a type of sea captain)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for skipper that I've seen before include "one that's put over the side" , "Captain - one using a rope" , "Chap aboard trawler" , "Senior pilot" , "who makes short hops" .)