Why naval patronage still required competent officers

Were ship commands and promotions mainly political patronage?

Politics mattered, but admirals still needed officers who could pass examinations and keep their ships, because an incompetent protégé reflected badly on the patron.

Patronage shaped appointments, but it did not make professional competence optional. An admiral who promoted an incapable captain risked losing a ship and damaging his own reputation. Compared with the army's purchase system, naval examinations imposed another check on advancement. The sea itself provided an unforgiving practical test, so a useful protégé had to be both connected and capable.