"Fans, Fans...Captain"

Below Deck S7 Ep. 1

Wow, can anyone believe we have been on the air this long and

yet here we are starting our 7 th season. Thanks to all the fans out there

that tune in week after week, without you guys there would be no Below

Deck. You have my undying gratitude, love everything about this

experience, well, almost everything. So, good looking new crew,

fabulous location, great yacht And we have super 1 st Charter guests,

Michael and Samantha and their group. They were just the best group to

start the season with. It seems like we have all the ingredients for a truly

spectacular season. So lets get started.

I can see right off that we probably didn’t order enough uniforms

because Thailand is really hot and we are going thru uniforms at a rapid

rate, the laundry will be working OT to keep up.

Lets get started with Kate. Two new girls that seem eager to

please, if not the most experienced. I like the way you sat them down

and gave them precise directions and instructions on exactly what you

expect out of them. I do sense a bit of tension between you and Kevin.

But it’s way too early to say that it will amount to anything at all at this

point. 1 st day, new crew, I didn’t see anything at all to be overly

concerned with. But it seems from the previews that we do have some

choppy waters ahead and I can’t wait to see what the catalyst is that

prompts some of this action coming up. And not all of it appears to be

good.

Kevin, looks like your culinary skills are up to par. I do hope to see

some creativity though when you start plating. I’ve got a hunch that you

won’t disappoint at all. You keep a very clean and organized galley, I like

that a lot. I’m sorry that you were a bit under the weather but I think

you are handling it properly, and glad to see you using proper sanitation

procedures. Well done. I also noticed that you have a healthy

appreciation for sarcasm. While I do as well, with a new crew, 1 st day on

a new boat, maybe that should be saved for after you have gotten to

know everyone a wee bit better so as not to alienate the people you are

going to be working with for the next 9 charters. Just a thought. All in all

I thought you acquitted your self well for the first half. Can’t wait to see

the proposal dinner next week. We will see what happens.

Ashton, great to have you back on board. Looking forward to see

how you handle the new position you have. I know you stated that you

still want to have as much fun as you did before your promotion; I just

hope you temper that with good judgment. It comes with the territory of

management. Oh, and yeah, feeding your crew is probably a good idea.

Glad you caught that. Seems that you have the making of a proper crew

this season so lets see how this plays out. I did see some things in the

previews that did give me cause for concern. Oh and another red head in

your crew, I caught that double take when you first met Abby. Definitely

a deer in the headlight look on your face.

So I think its way too early in the season to get into the rest of the

deck crew one by one, but I do think that we really have a great core

group on which to build. I can’t wait to see how this develops after

watching the previews of what’s to come.

Courtney, I think you have way more potential than you let on, but

I do find your honesty about certain things funny in a good way. Lets see

how it goes. Simone, I think that you will do well. You seem to be

attentive and adaptive and show a willingness to get the job done,

regardless of what it is and both of you are very respectful and I

appreciate that.

So that about does it for the 1st blog of the season. Sorry it was so

brief but as you well know we are just getting started and there will be

plenty to go around. Especially if the previews are any indication of

what I didn’t see in real time which appears to be quite a bit. So until

next week, keep the wind at your back and calm seas underneath your

keel. Be safe out there.

Capt Lee

Stay tuned to hear Captain Lee's thoughts on this Episode!

Below Deck S7 Ep. 3 

Wow, sorry I missed Episode 2 but we were in NY doing WWHL with Andy and just wasn’t enough time. My apologies. So on to #3. Wow, I think this was one of our best ever. It had it all. Return guests that I just love and as usual we had some shit shows to make it interesting so let's get right into it. 

Ok lets get Brandy out of the way, because she is the 600 lb elephant in the room. Had no idea what she was doing, or why, but def wasn’t a good look for her. I felt bad and hope that things improve for her. As far as the other scene in the wheel house, the girls got a little carried away, but meant no harm I’m sure. I have experienced worse things that have made me uncomfortable and this was no big deal. Mary Anne laughed her butt off but usually does when something or someone makes me uncomfortable. She is the most secure person I know and why I love her to the moon and back.

Now on to the crew, Kevin. What is up with you. Kate can be your best ally or your worst enemy and you are choosing the latter. Why? You really should reign in your condescending attitude. You are not God’s gift to the culinary world, in spite of what you may think. Simone didn’t deserve the grief you gave her, she could have used some help, which you seem to be in short supply of. The “Vaganza" was def missing in the seafood extravaganza, but you got away with it and you thought you pulled off a miracle, when all you did was skate by barely. And why were you trying to call Kate in the middle of the boat tour to serve what should have waited. We serve at the pleasure of the guests, not the other way around. Take a good look in the mirror and take measure of where and who you really are. You have talent, but it doesn’t go well with a bad attitude. Kate is in charge of service, and you should follow her lead and she has her finger on the pulse of the guests and knows what they want and when they want it. The guest specifically wanted a 10:30 breakfast, just because they were up doesn’t mean they wanted to eat. Had you checked with your and I emphasize your chief stew, you would have known that. Do your job, and that doesn’t include trying to supervise the whole interior. I have high hopes for you. Just waiting to see it happen.

Kate, you seem to have things under control. I think you had a good week, and I appreciate the way you are coping with Kevin. Your crew is in order and know their duties which you have laid out for them and there is no doubt as to what you expect and I think they are performing well, which means you are doing your job well. I did appreciate the heads up about Brandy and we will see how that all works out, but am not optimistic. Really great creative table decor trying to bail out Kevin not having ordered seafood for the extravaganza. Unfortunate that he didn’t recognize that. I still have hope though. Great week for you and I loved the photo for Kev, well done.

Ashton, you are stepping into your new role nicely. A couple of missteps, but nothing that doesn’t fall under the category of “its yachting “. Your crew seems capable but the radio thing keeps biting you in the ass. Something that I’m trying to help you address, but I fear Abbi may end up being your Achilles heel. You are really paying attention and it shows. But we’re early on and I hope it keeps up. 

Tanner, you are just solid. What can I say, you do your job, do it well, and so far it's been ideal. Well mannered, doing what you're asked to do when you're asked to do it and helping whenever you can. Like trying to help in the galley when you saw that some help may have been needed. God forbid the chef would step in and do that, but you saw a need and tried to fill it. Good job, keep it up. It doesn’t go unnoticed. 

Brian, like Tanner, solid week. Not sure how things are going to work out with Court, but I do admire your tenacity. Hang in there and keep the good attitude going. Looks good on you. Solid team player and contributor.

Abbi, I really like you, but you really need to start paying attention to what’s happening around you. You seem really upset that your hair is an issue. All I see is that you are dropping the anchor and your beautiful locks get caught in the chain as it is paying out at hundreds of feet per minute and rips half of your hair out before you even know what has happened. You would never forget that pain, nor would you look as lovely as you do right now half bald. Just looking out for your health and to have you resent it I find offensive. There are a lot of moving parts on a mega yacht and long flowing beautiful hair will get you hurt which all I’m trying to prevent. Now moving on to the radio. Not that tough. Apologizing isn’t going to cut it. Your lack of having proper radio skills could get some one severely hurt or killed. We don’t get any redos out here so get it right. It's the most important thing that should be on your mind. What if you went overboard and someone was keying their mike and no one could tell me what was going on. How important would it be to you then. Just saying. You’re a good girl, and have skills, but on Megayachts we have to pay attention to details, because they matter. This isn’t Greece and it’s not a small sailboat, people’s lives are on the line here. You will get it I hope. 

Courtney, I think you have a much better work ethic and attitude than you let on and I like it. You had a stellar week, I thought your input with Kevin about the seafood extravaganza was spot on as was Kates. Great job, love your wit and humor and your interaction with the rest of the crew. They know exactly where you stand without being rude or uncaring, you get your point across. Keep it up and you will excel. Nicely done.

Simone, I thought you held up under unnecessary pressure that was applied by Kevin. He was out of line and you handled it well. You are performing your duties as I would expect from someone of your caliber. Laundry isn’t easy nor is it glamorous, but you are not complaining about it, you are just getting it done. Love what I’m seeing so far. Keep it up.

So sports fans that’s my take on this week. Had some glitches, but none of the end of the world type. We are half way thru this charter, and I think we have some real surprises in store for you next week. As always thank all of you so very much for tuning in and I will be live tweeting next week for sure so tune in for that and be safe out there. May the wind be at your back and calm seas beneath your keel. 

Capt Lee

 Below Deck S7 Ep 4
Wow, what a charter this was. Seriously, it had it all and then some. We continue to have issues with Brandy, Kevin seems to have issues with all of the interior and thinks his budget is too tight when he has no budget. Couple that with an attitude towards the interior, Kate specifically and we have a recipe for some explosive behavior. But through it all we ended up with a really nice tip in spite of some basic mishaps that were all preventable. So, lets get right into it.
Kate, I’m starting with you. I thought you dealt with your staff in a very good fashion despite the chef trying his best to make it into a 3 ring circus instead of a galley. Nice of you to inform me of some of the goings on in the galley. I can’t fix things if I don’t know about them. You followed proper protocol. The interior are your responsibility and if chef has an issue with one of them, it is not his place to discipline or belittle them he should come to you, explain his problem his position, and perhaps a possible solution and let you deal with your staff. Doesn’t seem to have worked that way and you followed proper procedure. Thanks for that. You also dealt with the Brandy situation well, despite me taking one of your staff off line for a few hrs. to help me out. Good week overall.
Simone, you had a tough week that wasn’t of your making, but I thought you dealt with it well. I was glad to see Kate remove you from Kevin's sights despite the fact it meant going back to the laundry room. But, you took it well, didn’t bitch, just acted professionally and did your job. I like the fact that you keep plugging away at any task given, no whining, just doing your job and doing it well all while trying very hard to learn, and please. You had a good week as well. Keep up the good work.
Courtney, you rounded out a very good week for the interior I feel. I appreciate the subtle way you go about your tasks, without a lot of fuss, but at the end of the day your job is done, and done well. Good call to go to Kate when Brandy came up again and wanted to start drinking again. When in doubt, go to supervision and let them

 make the call, which you did. Solid move. Now best move of the night was you making the Mimosa with OJ and sparkling water. Very innovative and quick thinking. Being mindful with out being confrontational. Well done. I like what I see from the interior team so far. Nicely done. Oh and thanks for your patience and understanding when I was trying to do what I could for Brandy while waiting for the Medic to arrive. I know it was uncomfortable but you handled it well. Thanks.
Ashton, you didn’t have a stellar week, but you are still getting used to the fact that, intentional or not, your crew will toss you under the bus in a heartbeat. The incident with the davit, Abbi not keeping her hair up, despite you telling her numerous times. I do feel that you may be trying to much to be a friend instead of a mgr to your staff. The davit mistake was totally preventable, and I don’t even want to think of what Abby would look like if she were bent over the anchor chain as its peeling out and gets a hold of her hair. Severe injuries at the very best. I also think that when Abbi didn’t answer the bell, you should have been down there, knocking on her door and pull her weight like everyone else. I know neither you or the rest of the deck crew felt much like working in that heat, but you did, and she gets no preferential treatment, or at least she shouldn’t. If she had been your go to deck hand for a few years, and a stellar worker, then, yeah, she’s earned it. But not on second charter, and mistake after mistake and deliberately not following your instructions as given. You guys did a great job recovering from the tender being beached, but it certainly didn’t look easy. Had you had Abbi there, you would have been screwed. But to your credit you did not shy away from confronting the crew when mistakes were made, but now I feel you need to follow thru a bit more and go behind them and verify that they are indeed doing things the way you want them done. You recovered well, just need to focus a bit more on keeping everyone in line and working the way you want them to. Not a bad week, but you have much more in you than I’m seeing right now.
Tanner. I’m not sure what type of week you had. I think that maybe you may want to have getting “hammered “ as a goal at the charters end. Those nights don’t usually end well. Sorry you had to
bear the brunt of Brian’s fubar with the davit. That slide doesn’t come up so easily with out the davit. The only good thing of this was it was the last time for this charter and hopefully we can get it fixed before we go out again. Was happy to see you offer to give Simone a hand in the galley, was the right thing to do. In spite of the fact that Kevin would rather bitch than do the right thing, good move on your part. I do admire your tenacity in your pursuit of a date with Kate. Just a tip that may help, when wanting to date an older woman, you may not want to refer to her as an older woman before you make your move. Just saying. All in all, not a bad week, but not outstanding either, but I feel you are moving in the right direction. Also kudos for trying to help Abby with what seems to be an attitude problem. Good job on that.
Abbi I am going to stay on you about your hair until one of us gives in and I can promise you it will not be me. It is beautiful, would love to see you keep in and the rest of your good looks. No, the boat isn’t sinking because of your hair, but if it gets caught in the davit cable, anchor windlass, tender line you will not have your hair or good looks any longer and be lucky to just survive. You are also fortunate for me not to have witnessed your behavior coming back from your night out, or you not answering the bell in the am. Broke two of my basic rules on one night out. You were embarrassing yourself and the boat. Shooting yourself in the foot. Perhaps you may want to rethink a few decisions before you pull the trigger. Just some friendly advice before it gets out of hand and its close. So I hope you take this in the fashion that it is intended. Just trying to help. I hope next week will be better for you.
Brian, you didn’t have the best week, but you learned a lot I feel. I admired the way you didn’t shy away from shouldering the responsibility for the davit, but your first call should have been to Ashton. That being said way to step up and take it on the chin and not try to deflect or hide from it. You just owned it. Good quality to have. I also admire your work ethic. You guys partied hard but you, Tanner, and Ashton all answered the bell. Well done. I hope the next week is a better one for you, over all I believe that it will.
Well here we are Kevin. Kevin, Kevin, Kevin. Tanner offered to help in the galley and you summarily dismiss him. You could have helped Simone, but choose not to and was actually making the situation worse by your actions. But a seafood extravaganza without any seafood. Were they pleased with your food, yes, but it was not what they wanted. Moving on, I asked you to just enlighten me on what happened in the galley with Simone and you make light of it, but that is not what I saw. Then you turn your back on me as if to say, this conversation is over. Did you make that decision on your own? Must have, because your Captain had no input in it. You keep purporting yourself as a culinary genius, but I’ve yet to see it. You didn’t even have enough food to feed all the guests on the night I attended dinner. Had they all attended much less me, what were you going to do? And why, because you ate it. Perhaps you need help with your provisions skills. And then you serve me the garnish. Less than impressive wouldn’t you think. You don’t have a budget, you can spend whatever you need to spend to make sure you have what you have to have, but just for whatever reason you don’t. You really need to step up to the plate and deliver. Right now I’m not impressed with the job you’re doing, as I have told you to your face. Which you didn’t bother to do when you referred to me as a C*^%. Oh and by the way, while you were standing behind me on the bridge, I was driving the boat, concentrating on what was in front of me not your lame apology that was coming from someplace behind me. If you want my respect, you have to get it the old fashioned way, you have to earn it. I do believe you have talent, I just haven’t seen it yet, and your attitude could use a little help as well. Arrogance and condescension doesn’t become you at all. I do hope things get better next week.
So there you have it peeps. It is going to be an interesting week next week I fear. It seems that I have a lot of work cut out for me in getting the crew to the point where they need to be. After all it does fall on me to get the ones who aren’t, to perform properly. So we will see what happens. Till next week, stay safe out there. Fair winds and calm seas.

Below Deck S7 Episode 5

Well here we are at Episode 5 already and things are starting to heat up and I’m not talking about the weather in Thailand. Things are not running as smoothly in a couple of Departments as I would have hoped. These girls are a hoot though and seem to be having a great time which is the bottom line. No pun intended Ashton. So lets get it on.

I’m going to start with Tanner this week. Boy buddy are you having a rough go of it. Stomach issues, but to your credit you are not slacking off at all. Proud of your attitude and your tenacity in sticking with it even though we all can see that you’re hurting. Way to suck it up.

Moving on to Brian, I do believe that Ashton was justified in calling you out for spending way too much time in the galley sucking up to Courtney. Your job is the exterior of the boat, not mopping Kevin’s floor, or drying the dishes for Courtney. Now had you had everything on deck already done, I wouldn’t have an issue with it, but you didn’t and Ashton had to pick up your slack. When was the last time interior was out doing the wash downs or decks. They weren’t, because they concentrate on their duties first. I also think that your assessment of Abbi and Ashton was off the mark. Remember, she’s the one who didn’t answer the bell after your night out while you and the rest of the guys picked up her slack. If she can’t hang with the big dogs, she should keep her puppy ass on the porch. Whatever she doesn’t do, you guys have to. You are a good guy, and a hard worker, just focus a bit more and you will be fine. I also like your attitude, so work on those areas and you will be just great pal.

Abbi, I’m totally baffled. What did you possibly think was going to happen on this yacht. You don’t seem to have any concept of what work is. How do you get proposed to via text, say yes the same way, and then get on the phone and talk about divorce. I’m stunned. And from what I see, your complete tenure on this boat has been one long break, which is great work if you can find someone who is willing to pay you to do nothing but complain and not pay any attention to rules. If you don’t like rules, you should have left right after our 1st staff meeting. You won’t put your hair back, you won’t keep your radio on, you were a complete embarrassment to the boat and yourself on your night out and then, you dump on your crew mates by not answering the call after your night out. This I assure

you isn’t going to continue, and I had no clue that everyone was carrying you all this time. I really expected more from you. I’m disappointed to say the least. I would love to see you suck it up and be all that I feel you could be, but I’m not so sure that is going to happen.

We might as well finish out the deck crew while we’re on it. Ashton, being in management is a bit overrated isn’t it? You are learning that it’s really difficult to be a friend to your crew and a boss at the same time. I don’t think they mean to take advantage of you, but it always seems to happen. Brian, is a good example of that. He was upset because he got caught doing it and called out for it. You can be a friendly boss, but rarely does the situation occur that you can be friends and a good boss as well. Friends would put their job first, in order to make sure that you as their boss don’t look bad and to make sure you didn’t get called out. But you seem to be doing that for them. After a night out, and you didn’t roust Abbi’s butt out of the rack, because she drank too much and I think that was a mistake on your part. Everyone else answered the bell but her. I wouldn’t have waited for her to get up, I’d have woke her up and told her, time to pay your dues. Remember this is a self inflicted illness brought on herself so she could have what she thought was a good time. Those decisions come with a price, that you didn’t make her pay. Would you have let Brian slide the same way? And I can see that you are trying very hard and you are picking up the slack for a couple of people, one deserving, and the other not so much. Remember they look for you to lead them, and when you do that correctly, they will in turn respect you as well. That doesn’t mean they will always like what you are doing or the method by which you get results, but as a boss, results are what you will be judged by, not by how much your team wants to go the bar and drink with you. Now, way to take one for the team on the lap dance, but honestly, it looked like you may have enjoyed that more that you let on. Well done at any rate. I thought you telling the rest of the crew about your conversation with Brian was proper and I just hope they listen up and do the right thing by you. Looking forward to watching you grow and learn. Time will tell.

Well lets get Kevin out of the way. Kevin, you have to be the most parched person on the planet. Why would you say that there are people on the crew that want you to fail. If you fail we all fail. Trust me you are not all that and a bag of chips, you need to get over yourself. And while chatting with your sister, when you mentioned that I didn’t think much of your meal, why did you neglect to tell her that you didn’t even give me the whole

meal, left out the entree. So why in the world would I praise mediocrity. You have talent in you, the 10 course meal you put out proves that, so where is that performance on a regular basis? Am I’m just retaliating because you neglected to feed me and thats how I get back at you. Time to suck it up and put on your big boy pants and do what we both know you are capable of and do it consistently. I’d be more tolerant of your attitude if you backed it up with performance. Trust me I have no interest in seeing you fail at all. It makes us all look bad if you do. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and do what we both know you can. Life will get a bunch easier on you if you do.

Moving on to the interior. Kate, I thought you had another good week this week. I was happy to see you relieve Simone out of the laundry after knowing well that too much time in there will make you bananas. Well done. Good job on the 10 course meal and you had the 2nd best line of the night when you said “You can take the boy out of the stripper, but not the stripper out of the boy”. Funny stuff. Your crew seems to be operating well, with little or no hiccups and thats a good thing. I was a little shocked at what I thought I saw during the previews but I’ll wait till next week to delve into that. Good week this week.

Courtney, best line of the week goes to you. Your eyes were rolling off the boat when you heard about the proposal. That was funny. You had a good week as well. Love the attitude, no flack, just do what you’re asked with out grief or complaints. Like when Kate said, Courtney, will you go down to laundry, and your reply was sure, no problem. Love that. I also like the high standard to which you hold yourself. I find that quality admirable. Good week as well.

Simone, to round out the week, well done. You acquitted yourself well this week. Stuck to the laundry and doing a fine job. Love the fact that you were excited to get a crack at service and the fact that you are eager to learn. Good qualities to have. You did have some deer in the headlights look when you had to go out the starboard door with that tray of drinks, but you nailed it. Good job, and great week. Keep it up.

Well thats how I saw this week play out. Deck crew needs some improvement, and interior is doing well, and Kevin I think is making progress. Not always easy to fit into a new program, especially one as demanding as ours. That being said we have people that are doing it so

we know it’s not impossible. Mistakes will be made, but how we handle the mistake, and the recovery from it will tell the tale. So until next time, thanks so much for tuning in and taking the time to read my blog. I do appreciate it all. So, fair winds and following seas to you all. Catch you guys next week.

Capt Lee.

Below Deck S7 Ep 6 

Well here we are at episode 6 already. These girls on board are really a lot of fun and seem to be enjoying Thailand and all she has to offer. Things really get heated this week and we will be seeing the fallout from it for some time I fear. 

So lets get to it. Of course I’m going to start with Abbi. Lets get this straight. I like Abbi, and have nothing against her and wish her the very best life she can have. I do have a problem with her work ethic or lack there of. Of course no one wants to be stuck in a job they don’t like. But if you go thru life quitting everything you don’t like, you probably are not going to get too far. Everyone has to do some things that they would rather not do, but thats called life. Lets see, there wasn’t anything about this job that she liked except maybe tip day. She didn’t want to change uniforms, she didn’t want to put her hair up to prevent her from getting hurt. She didn’t want to use her radio, to possibly save someones life, she didn’t want to put out the toys for the guests, who by the way supply her tips. So yeah, I’m guilty of wanting someone who will do the job they signed on for. And does it upset me when they bail in the middle of the season, sure it does. I really don’t see where any of those requests were unreasonable or out of line. So Abbi, I’m glad to know that you got married, and that you are doing what you love to do and sincerely wish you the very best. Good luck to you in the future. Wishing you nothing but the best. Oh and incidentally we didn’t drop Abbi off in the middle of nowhere with her luggage. We dropped her off at our home port and made sure she got to the airport with a prepaid ticket home. We don’t just abandon people who leave, for whatever reason. Its our responsibility to see they get back home safely with their pay and their tips. Thats the right thing to do so thats the way we do it. 

Ashton, you had a good week, right up till the end. What in the world were you thinking? You busted your ass on this charter, catered to the guests wants and needs, picked up the slack when Tanner went down. Handled the Abbi thing the best possible way. What would then prompt you to have a couple of major lapses in judgement that way. I think you let your raging hormones get in the way of good thinking. I was watching you at the crew table with Courtney and you were having trouble just talking. Not a good look for someone in Mgmt. Some times some thoughts are best left inside your head instead of verbalizing them. This was one of those times I fear. You definitely embarrassed yourself and I really hope that you have learned from this experience, and we don’t have a repeat performance. 

Tanner, sorry you still were having stomach issues. But thanks for toughing it out. In spite of your illness you managed to have a pretty good week. Oh and good call on passing on the crew night out. From what I saw you didn’t miss much. Thanks for hanging in there in spite of the rough going. Well done. 

Brian, I thought that was a pretty smooth move deflecting Ashton’s attention to Kate and away from Courtney, but I’m not so sure that Kate appreciated it. You had a good week picking up the slack from a couple of different places. I know it wasn’t easy but you and Ashton pulled it off and I want you to know it didn’t go unnoticed, so thank you. Oh, and I’m not sure discussing age with Courtney is the path to take, especially when you guess high, just an observation. 

Kevin, thanks for the good meal. You stepped in a delivered. You did take a risk serving tongue, but it was very good. Presentation was there, flavor was there. It was the complete package that I’ve been waiting for. Well done. I mean it when I say that. I really hope it continues, because it would be a shame to waste that talent. Good week Mr Dobson. Also thanks for helping with the lines, way to be a team player.

Kate, your interior continues to do a great job. Socially there seems to be some speed bumps. You do get line of the night in reference to Ashton’s actions towards you. Receptacle for your insecurities and jealousy. Great line. I certainly didn’t see that one coming. Bet you didn’t either. At any rate I think you handled that well, and all in all had a great week. Very good job with the full moon party. The guests really enjoyed it. 

Courtney, I think you had another good week. You are handling the crude behavior with wit, class and dignity. I for one appreciate it. I have to ask you though, how do you manage to iron sitting down? Have never seen that, but if it works I’m all for it. I love the way you just quietly go about your given tasks without all the bitching and you just get it done. Good week as well. 

Simone, glad to see you got out of the laundry room and got to go to the beach as well. Good job this week and you are learning as you go, with a good attitude. So what I want to know is are you going to bust a move on Tanner or are you going to wait on him. Just curious. Anyhow, you also had a good week, your service skills seem to be on the upswing and thats good. Keep it up. 

Okay sports fans, thats about it for this week. But I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the bartender at The Library, that kid had mad skills. He was impressive to me. So we have another in the books, but aren’t you just a wee bit curious as to who we get to replace Abbi? See y’all next week, until then, Fair winds and following seas. Be safe out there. Capt Lee

Below Deck S7 Episode 7

 Hey guys, sorry about the blog being late, but we had a crazy but really fun time at Bravo Con this past weekend and so with the travel and extended hrs I didn’t get to watch real time last night and didn’t get to tweet either. But will do my best to catch up today. Right now I’m currently at 37000 ft on my way to LA to do some post work and so I’m going to put the time one the plane to good use by getting my blog out and catching up on some twitter action. 

Wow, what an episode this was, Ashton, or should I say Smashton, busting a move on Kate. Does every bosun have an alter ego that only manifests itself while consuming mass quantities of alcohol. Didn’t see that one coming. Simone asking for more service and then, not doing what she should. Kevin still can’t keep his attitude in check. Brian, getting hurt, so we are a man down again. And Tanner just being Tanner, I like that. Kate, getting all kinds of surprises, and Courtney strong and steady, but do I see a soft spot manifesting itself for Brian. And this semi adult version of a frat party all happening in Thailand. So lets get to it. 

Ashton, all things considered I thought you had a good week, save for the what I thought wasn’t your finest moment with Kate. I think your focus is wavering. You have enough issues with just keeping a complete deck crew without causing yourself more problems with the interior. The fact that you don’t have complete recall of your nights out should tell you something about your social graces or lack thereof. Is it really a good time if you can’t remember it? With Brian not being 100% you certainly earned your money with this charter, but I really think you need to be more focused on your job, and less on your sex life. I need to see more Ashton and less Smashton. All in all not a bad week, but I think you are trending towards making it unnecessarily hard on yourself. Keep your focus and this will pass and you will come thru it just fine. Good catch on the Kayak and the water slide, that could have been disastrous at best. Well done. One more thing, you should have seen your face when I told you Rhylee was coming back. Priceless, so lets see where all this leads. I think you have what it takes to handle it. 

Kate, I was glad to see you give Simone more service tasks, but was disappointed in her response to it. Seemed like she was more focused on Tanner than anything else. I’m not sure where this ongoing rift with Kevin is going, but I don’t see this ending well for him if he continues down this path of doubting your abilities. I thought you had a good charter so far. Tables were well set, beach party went well inspire of Kevin getting in the way, and I hope that you are able to bring Simone around to where she needs to be and wants to be. Question is, does she want it bad enough. Keep at it and great week. 

Kevin, just when I think you can’t be more conceited you amaze me with your condescending attitude. You don’t think that Kate has what it takes to be a chief stew, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t order seafood for a seafood  extravaganza, shorts the dinner with the Captain by one entree and now wants to take over the chief stews duties, along with directing the deck crew. Kevin, you would have known that the salt and pepper were on the table had you been paying attention. Your job is to prepare the food and have outstanding taste and presentation, the interiors job is to serve it. You are not in charge of the interior. You have enough to do one would think. And that little clip of you totally passed out in the van, isn’t a good look on you. Your food is good, but that is where you should be concentrating, on your job, its my job to make sure everyone else does theirs. Please don’t waste the talent I know you have. 

Simone, you ask for more service duties, but when given, you fall short. You just can’t go out and look and say, Oh, no one needs or wants anything. You check with each individual to make sure that they have what they want. You don’t have a conversation with the guy you’re crushing on within earshot of the guests, while your boss is doing your job. You are there to learn and work, your social life is a far distant second place to that, if it plays a part at all. Be careful what you ask for, you wanted service, now act like you can handle it. Not being able to open a bottle of wine isn’t a good start. But I do still have hope for you. Just apply your talents and you will be fine. 

Brian, I admire you trying to work thru the pain. Admirable trait. I hope that this leg thing isn’t too serious. We really need you on board. It appears like you may be making positive progress with Courtney, but here is  where I you I would proceed with caution. She isn’t one to be toyed with, and she has very high standards that I don’t think she will compromise. So go about it the right way and you should be fine. Get back to 100% because your team needs you. 

Courtney, still a bastion of strength. You had another good week. Love the attitude and I do think I see a wee bit of a soft spot as far as Brian goes developing, I could be reading it wrong so I will wait and see how it plays out. I do admire your standards and your character. You had a good week, but I would have liked to see more of your pirate side come out on pirate day. Over all good job. 

Tanner, you had a solid week. Did your job well, worked thru being sick, picked up slack where necessary and just had a good performance. Could have been a little more cognizance of where the guests were when you and Simone were having a convo on the bridge deck aft, but that is easily fixed. Just be aware more of your surroundings and you’ll be fine. 

So, there we have it sports fans. I don’t think it was our best overall effort, so I have some work cut out for me to get us where we need to be. I’m hoping that Rhylee will be an asset and has learned from the past, but if the previews are any indication, there may be some fireworks that I didn’t pay for nor want. Time will tell. Thanks for tuning in and thanks for everyone who participated in Bravo Con. You guys are the best. Fair winds and following seas to all. Be safe out there, till next time. Capt Lee.

 Below Deck S7 Episode 8

Wow, where do I even start with this one. There is so much to cover here I’m not sure I’m up for the task, but I will give it my best. I think that I will switch up the format here and instead of doing individual commentaries here I will deal with some individuals and just some overall observations of individual situations. So lets get the guests out of the way first.

Overall, the guests were pretty good, but the primary did pose some issues, especially with Simone to which he seemed to take a liking to. That is the polite version. He was rude and not very nice at all, but being in the service industry we all have to deal with poor behavior at some point. My comment about removing the garter was because he seemed to have not only focused on her but on it, and I thought it was in her best interest to remove it so as to switch his focus. But as is usual with drunken guests, that wasn’t the case and Kate in her infinite wisdom removed Simone all together which was a good call. I would never condone his actions towards Simone and was not saying that she in any way caused his abhorrent behavior, just was trying to give her some advice on how to maybe alleviate it without a huge scene. She in no way encouraged his behavior nor wanted it as was obvious.

Now lets get down to the real meat of this episode. And I think that I am just going to type what notes and thoughts that I have written down as I have viewed the episode for the third time so I wouldn’t miss anything. I have hit pause, rewind and play more times in this episode than I have in the past 6 years, because I don’t want to miss anything. Please keep in mind these are my thoughts and opinions not to be confused with anything else. You do not have to like nor agree with them, but they are my thoughts and mine alone.

So my first thought was, Kevin, why do we need 7 people serving breakfast. Where do you get off thinking that you know more about service than your Chief Stew who has forgotten more about service than you will ever know. Were you really the Executive Chef on that large yacht or a sous chef or crew chef. I wonder.

Rhylee, we all know that you are capable, but we don’t need to see rotten Rhylee, I see no need to bring that up. I have told you what I expect out of you, respect the rank, and do your job, its that simple.

Simone, you need to lose the acronyms, we are not a yacht of OMG, IMO, SFU or whatever. We should strive to be be better than just a group of initials. And by the way Iced Coffee doesn’t need a lot of explanation or thought, its coffee over ice. We all deal with rich drunk jerks at one time or another, and it can be unnerving, but it's what we do and how we deal with them is what defines us as pros. No one is saying you have to be abused, just the opposite, there are ways to deal with these situations. And it takes time and experience to learn that, I realize that. Not faulting you at all. Take a lesson from Kate. You want more responsibility, and service experience but can’t seem to handle it when it’s given to you. Service is not just looking at clients and going, “No one said they wanted anything” its all about anticipation. That will help you move along. You still have a lot of promise in my opinion.

Kevin, where do I begin with you. There is no reason to have the whole crew up serving breakfast in such close quarters. Kate has let you have your way so far. She has been way more lenient with you than I would have been had I been privy to your condescending attitude. You do not dictate service, you prepare and present food, and she and her staff are responsible for service in a prompt fashion. You have definitely overstepped your authority. You should worry about your job, not the running of the interior.

Kate, you had a stellar week, dealing with Kevin, the abusive guest, and I use the singular there, because I didn’t see anyone else really misbehaving, and the lack of knowledge of some crew. You didn’t lose your composure though it may have been justified, I expected more from you and you delivered right on thru the restaurant fiasco. Great week.

Courtney, what I said in the above paragraph goes for you as well. Thanks for a good week and doing what you get paid to do and behaving well. Although that should be a given all too often it isn’t, as is obvious as the episode progresses.

Ok, lets get down to the nitty gritty of this weeks episode and that is the restaurant fiasco and I’m being polite when I say this. So Kate asks Kevin to order some starters. Harmless enough. He does, and Rhylee sticks out her tongue and says “eww”. Or however you spell that. She then says can I get Paleo and Kevin says of course ,what do you want, salad. We're still good here. She defines it further and then he informs her there doesn’t happen to be a keto or paleo menu. This is where the shit starts to hit the fan. As far as I’m concerned if you go to a restaurant, you should be able to get what you want if available. Whats the problem. Kevin and Tanner, I don’t get it, why poke fun because she wants something different. Uncalled for. Then Kevin says you annoy me like the rest of the crew. Really. Kevin obviously if you wanted Paleo would you have ordered it? After all you are in a restaurant that caters to the guest needs and wants. You know, the ones that pay the bill. I think you guys took it too far at this point. It was a simple request that you blew out of proportion.

Ashton, I think you were out of place here. If she had said she wanted stuffed artichokes, would Kevin had made such a big deal about it. I think not. But you automatically do not defend who is right at this point in time, critical wording here, and go with the good old boy network. She didn’t have a full on go at one of your crew members here, Kevin is not even one of your crew, and yet you totally disregarded her point of view for just wanting something different. Kevin pushed the buttons and Rhylee was not out of place.

Lets get to one of Kevins quotes here. Its a shit charter, followed by a shit tip, Kate is pissed off at me and I have Rhylee on my back as well. Poor poor Kevin. You have no problems sir that you have not created for yourself. It seems that your solution to everything so far, including me, has been, go fuck yourself.

Ok Rhylee, now you have crossed over the line. Just because chef was being a dik, doesn’t give you the license to behave crudely. Kevin, everyone calls you chef, including me. Why at this point keep stoking the fire. No need for sarcasm. Doesn’t help anything. All you had to do was politely ask what she preferred, but you copped an attitude. And Rhylee, you did not respond appropriately . You became obnoxious and more confrontational as it wore on. Now the two of you have embarrassed the rest of the crew, and the entire restaurant. Aren’t you both so proud of your behavior. And Ashton, you came down on the wrong side of this one. Kevin was being a dik, you bought into it. And Rhylee you pushed it past where you should have. Not a good look for a new crew member at all. So you own your share of this because you let your emotions get the best of your good judgement. Your reaction to Tanner was uncalled for and was totally out of line. No excuse for that. To say that this was an embarrassment is an understatement. You have embarrassed your crew, your boat and your industry. And the people I’m talking about know exactly who I’m talking about. I hope that you do better in the future and you all learn from this. My feelings are heartfelt and I hope you realize that.

So I know I have gone off my usual path, but felt it was necessary. Hope you enjoyed it, until next week, fair wind and following seas and stay safe out there.

Capt Lee

Below Deck S7 Episode 9 

Well, the dust up from last week seems to have settled down a bit, but I would call this a shaky truce at best. I find it ironic that no one really remembers how the whole thing went down and they are all issuing mea culpas like there is no tomorrow. Although it is true, they all contributed in part to the huge clusterf*ck over what, appetizers? Amazing isn’t it. Well, after the total embarrassment at the restaurant you guys still want to party, which to me was a bad decision on your part. Some of you were past the point of no return, and going from bad to worse. 

Well, lets get started, Tanner, I’m not sure how someone gets so drunk, puke their guts out and then keep going like nothing has happened. Must be the youth gene. I found your PDA rather tasteless with Simone, especially after you have been throwing up for quite sometime. I also found your comments on the back deck about your sexual exploits to fall in the same tasteless category. I’m sure when Simone finds out about it she will be rather embarrassed about it as she should. You didn’t display much class there at all, and neither did the crew by sitting around and laughing about it, like it was a spectator sport, but perhaps thats just me being old school. Could be, but thats the way I roll. I have no issues with your work that you do, but your social skills could use some work and you are def not alone here at all. 

Simone, I feel bad for you when you do find out that your sexual exploits are the topic of conversation for the rest of the deck crew including their supervisor Ashton. I don’t feel that he set the proper example for his crew by taking that conversation and letting it continue and in fact encouraging it at your expense. Was hard to watch. I do think that Kate has valid points where you are concerned. You didn’t know how to open wine, you didn’t know how to make Ice Coffee when it is self explanatory, and when you went out to check on the guests, you looked at them and because no one asked you for something you determined that no one wanted anything. Well, your job is to ask them, not the other way around. 2nd stew on a mega yacht should not be having these issues. This is show time, not training school. Not in the 2nd stew position. These are basics that you should have picked up in your first two years, or made it  very clear that you didn’t have any service skills at all so your lack of ability could have been compensated for. Sorry, but you are in way over your head. Third stew should is where you need to be, till you can hone your service skills. The guests shouldn’t suffer because your feelings are hurt. Thats not what they paid for. Perhaps you should spend more time observing how things are done and try to retain some of what you observe for future reference. Bubbly personality, had a great attitude, intelligent, very attractive, I really hate to see all those great attributes go to waste. You still have plenty of time to correct some obvious errors and I hope you do and take this the way it is meant, as a way for you to improve. 

Courtney, I thought you had a good week. Still with the dry humor, getting the job done, and done properly, and still no bitching or complaining that I have seen. You and Brian seem to be getting on quite well. I hope things continue this way. 

Kate, best beach/cave disco lunch ever. Great location, great set up and was a huge hit with the guests. I thought your conversation with Simone was spot on and your assessment of the night out at the restaurant was spot on as well. Great week I felt, I hope Simone steps up and doesn’t throw in the towel and just start phoning it in. Best scene of the night was Rhylee, towing you back with the water bike. Funny stuff. 

Ashton, I don’t think you had a great week. I thought instead of encouraging that conversation on the aft deck, it could have been a teaching moment for Tanner. But for you to not do that and actually encourage him to repeat it to Rhylee was not a good look for anyone. You are getting the work done, but I feel that your leadership is a bit lacking this week and I think it will come back on you at some point. Bad behavior shouldn’t be encouraged when you personally encounter it. And in my opinion Tanner discussing his sexual exploits with a group of people without the knowledge or consent of the other person is in extremely poor taste and he should have been called on it by his superior, that would be you. Simone doesn’t deserve that type of treatment. Like I said I expected better from everyone. 

Rhylee, I thought you dealt with the aftermath of the restaurant fiasco well. You picking up the crew from the beach on the bike was priceless. I do think that you really felt awkward when Tanner made that  statement and I was surprised that you didn’t say something to him about it. But like I said, maybe thats just me being old school. 

Kevin, I’m wondering if you can actually make a sentence without being sarcastic and condescending? It certainly doesn’t seem that way. Your food this week was ok, and I say that because you start off with a lunch that was great. The sushi was a huge hit, and then at dinner you follow it up with chicken parm. It was tasty, well presented, but didn’t knock anybody’s socks off. Chicken Parm on a yacht in Thailand, and I know they wanted Italian, but I was expecting something very Italian and special. Not that the Chicken Parm wasn’t good, but thats all it was. We are just getting by, and other times you blow it away, I just don’t get it. BTW, were you calling for Rhylee when you were passed out in your bunk. You guys have taken getting wasted to a level I haven’t seen in a long time. Personally, I don’t think any of you are doing yourselves any favors, but you are getting your work done, but your pay a steep price to do it I’ll bet. 

Brian, good to have you back and I am sure you’re glad to be back. Glad to see you doing what you can, but also glad you are not overdoing it. We just got you back and we don’t need any setbacks. Keep doing what you’re doing and you will be fine. I hope. 

So that is my take on this weeks episode. To say that I was less than impressed and not proud with some of the activities that happened would be a gross understatement. But things like this happen and I hope everyone learns something from it and we see some improvement. So until next week keep the wind at your back and calm seas beneath your keel. Stay safe out there. Capt Lee