The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word PATROON
P
A
T
R
O
O
N
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "captain" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case captain = patroon.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PATROON mean?
PATROON noun- One of the landowning Dutch grandees of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, especially after it became a British possession renamed as New York.