Captain at Sea, (German - Kapitän zur See; Dutch - Kapitein-ter-zee) is a naval rank corresponding to command of a ship-of-the-line or capital ship.
The equivalent in other navies is Ship-of-the-line Captain or the naval rank of captain in the Commonwealth of Nations and USA.
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Captain at Sea (Kapitän zur See, KptzS/KZS) was and is the highest staff officer rank in the Kaiserliche Marine and the German Navy, corresponding to command of a ship-of-the-line or capital ship. It is equivalent to Oberst in the Bundeswehr or to Flottenarzt/Oberstarzt, Flottenapotheker/Oberstapotheker and Oberstveterinär in the Zentraler Sanitätsdienst der Bundeswehr.
Its rank insignia, worn on the sleeves and shoulders, are one five-pointed star above four gold stripes (without the star when rank loops are worn). It is grade B3 in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence. Holders of the rank commanded or command capital ships and heavy cruisers, naval schools, and the staff-officer sections of all training-schools - even the Gorch Fock is commanded by a Captain at Sea.
In the Royal Netherlands Navy the rank of Kapitein-ter-zee is the third grade of superior officer, equivalent to colonel in the land-forces. Its insignia is made up of four bands. He or she commands a capital ship (cruiser, battleship or aircraft carrier) or a shore establishment (until recently, a Kapitein-ter-zee commanded the Onderzeedienst and Mijnendienst, the Netherlands Navy's submarine and mine-laying training establishments). Smaller vessels such as destroyers and frigates are commanded by a Kapitein-Luitenant ter zee.
Until recently flagships of the Netherlands Navy (such as Tromp class frigates) were also commanded by a Kapitein-ter-zee. Currently De Zeven Provinciën class frigates are commanded by a kapitein-luitenant-ter-zee.
The Russian navy was influenced by Dutch practice since the time of Peter the Great. The highest Captain rank equivalent to the captain Rank in the Royal Navy was Kapitan 1 rank (капита́н 1-го ра́нга)