From the New York Times: Hollywood gave a big boost to the myth that captains could legally join couples on the open seas. In New York, Captain Arnold Wonsever, an ordained minister, is making this myth a reality.
Old Salt Blog
a virtual port of call for all those who love the sea , hosted by nautical novelist Rick Spilman
For a fee, almost anyone can become a California deputy marriage commissioner for a day, in most California counties: http://marriage.about.com/od/california/qt/deputyforaday.htm
Patrick O’Brian also perpetuates this in “The Surgeon’s Mate”.
No thanks, been there enough times already!
Back in the early sixties, we had a Captain that required to see proof of a marriage certificate, if a young couple wanted to share the same cabin. He left this task of validation up to me, the purser. I circumvented this intrusion of privacy by printing up “Marriage” certificates (good for one voyage). That seemed to work.