Fixing immigration would allow me to hire qualified captains from abroad. It would similarly benefit other kinds of companies.
This means that our ideal candidate is likely to be very young or beyond the years where he or she might want to stay home more.
I inherited responsibility for running this company two years ago due to a death in the family right in time to face this demographic crisis. I find that most maritime companies that are not big enough to have a large labor pool are having the same problem. We are all competing for a shrinking pool of labor and doing anything we can to attract them.
[editing to add]
A lot of the retiring captains simply cannot unretire due to health concerns. A captain is required to have an annual medical certificate. Many captains in their late 50s have heart trouble and get removed from service. It turns out that spending 24 hours a day for 2-4 weeks at a time in an environment where one cannot get any cardio, sitting in a chair, and having plenty of food leads to heart problems.
A lot of the younger candidates sharp enough to pass the tests can get a much more comfortable job anywhere else. (I certainly chose programming because I did not enjoy being hip-deep in fish growing up on commercial fishing boats.)
Edit: no rush! I understand time is at a premium and in short supply.