what if instead of having specializations tied to the deckhands themselves, your currently equipped quartermasters synergized with 1-2 of your deckhands to adjust them in some way? Edward could synergize with the navigator or shipbuilder, and Enizor could synergize with the enchanter (or maybe cannoneer if you want to stretch with arcanium cannons)
that would be less work overall from a development standpoint in the short term (you add the specializations to the quartermasters as they are added and upgraded instead of having to add them all at once) and also add more thought behind which quartermasters you bring with you when you get to the point where you have 5 or 6 to choose from with only 2-3 slots tops