The Rank of Sailing Master / Master-- Part 1

I have been writing about Stephen Champlin in my Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 blog.  He was appointed sailing master at the beginning of the War of 1812.  In that blog and in this one, I have come across this term often.  So, exactly what was a sailing master, or master as I have also seen it named?

The master, or sailing master, was a Naval rank of a person trained in the navigation of a sailing vessel

When the U.S Navy was formed in 1794,  the master was listed as a warrant officer who ranked between midshipmen and lieutenants.  The rank became a commissioned officer from 1837 until it was replaced with the current rank of lieutenant junior grade.

--Old B-Runner