Summary
While theBelow Deckfranchise has several different captains,Captain Lee Rosbach ofBelow Deckand Captain Sandy Yawn ofBelow Deck Mediterraneanhave picked up their feudright where it left off last time. The originalBelow Deckcaptain, Captain Lee was a part of the series for the first ten seasons. Though he struggled at times to keep the peace aboard his vessel, he was known as a fair, laid-back leader. In contrast,Captain Sandy has a reputation for micromanagingher crew at times and can be more of a strict leader. Both are popular in the franchise.
Even thoughCaptain Lee and Captain Sandyhave both spent decades working in the yachting industry, the pair’s styles are quite different when it comes to their work onBelow Deck.While Captain Sandy is strict, she’s typically fair with her crew and gives them chances if they make mistakes early on in the charter. Captain Lee may have a more laid-back attitude, but he can lead with his emotions at times, which makes for some more surprising outbursts when the crew makes mistakes. After years of circling each other’s orbits,the Captains have clashed aboutBelow Deckand more.
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Captain Lee Disagrees With Captain Sandy’s Chef Rule
In a recent episode ofBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 9, Captain Sandy shared that she felt her crew member, Stew Elena Dubaich, was in the wrong for waking Chef Johnathan Shillingford in the middle of the night when the charter guests were looking for late-night snacks. Though the chef was aware the charter guests had requested late-night snacks on the preference sheet, he hadn’t prepared anything for the Stews to heat up. Though Elena felt she was doing the right thing waking Jono,Captain Sandy wasn’t happy when she heard about the incident, reprimanding Elenaduring the crew’s after-charter meeting.
While Captain Sandy has been firm that no one should wake up the chef under anything but emergency circumstances, manyBelow Deckviewers pointed out that she was being hypocritical. Captain Sandy herself woke up Chef Tom Checketts duringBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 5 to slice up a few cucumbers, but Elena was told it was against the rules. WhenCaptain Lee weighed in on the issueon his podcast,Salty With Captain Lee,he explained thathe didn’t agree with the idea that the Chef should never be woken up, though he didn’t know the context surrounding the question.
He Was Hurt By The Snub
Captain Lee may have left the series afterBelow Deckseason 10 due to health related reasons, but he keeps up with the franchise and often discusses it on his podcast. While his relationships with the rest of the cast have been consistent,Captain Lee and Captain Sandy have always struggledto see eye-to-eye. While there has been some dissonance between them, Captain Lee was surprised to find thathe wasn’t invited to Captain Sandy’s May 2024 wedding to her partner Leah Shafer. According to Captain Lee, he found out about the nuptials after the fact, despite friends having attended.
While Captain Lee and Captain Sandy have had a rocky relationship over the last few years, their working relationship earlier on in theBelow Deckfranchise’s life has been friendly and professional. Captain Sandy filled in for Captain Lee when he had to takeleave fromBelow Deckseason 10due to medical issues, and their feud seemed to ramp up after his return to the superyacht. ThoughCaptain Lee wished Sandy and Leah well on his podcast, his congratulations and affirmations didn’t appear genuine. Lee was called out by his cohost, Sam DeCavalcanti, but the pair moved on quickly.
The Captains Have Feuded In The Past
There Have Been Issues Between Them For Years
Throughout the years, Lee and Sandy have had moments of struggle between them. The pair have almost always had a hard time seeing each other’s points, though there have been moments in their relationship where they’ve put their differences aside to maintain their friendship and professionalism. Captain Lee has always been vocal about his opinions, both during his time onBelow Deckand during his absence. Throughout his run on the show, he’s been open about how he feels about other Captains in the media. While he has the right to his opinions,Lee’s criticism hasn’t sat well with Sandy.
Though she’s been able to handle some of his criticism through the years, things escalated after Captain Sandy took over for Captain Lee duringBelow Deckseason 10. While she was only aboard St. David for a stretch of charters, she was the Captain of the vessel for that time and wasn’t obligated to report anything to Captain Lee during his absence. Despite knowing this,Captain Lee was offended that Captain Sandy made decisions about crew members, like firing Deckhand/Stew Camille Lamb, without consulting him first. Captain Sandy, understandably, wasn’t interested inher leadership being questioned by Captain Lee.
Could Captain Sandy & Captain Lee Make Amends?
Can They Salvage Their Relationship?
AlthoughLee and Sandy’s relationship is openly strained,it’s clear that they’ve had better times in the past. While Captain Sandy is likely still offended by the way Lee has treated her in the public eye, it’s clear that theBelow Deck Mediterraneancaptain doesn’t hold strong grudges. Recently, Captain Sandy shared that despite having struggled with some of her most difficult crew members, she’d love to invite them back to work for another charter season working with her onBelow Deck Medif she could. With such a kind nature,Captain Sandy may not be holding onto her anger.
Captain Lee, on the other hand, seems to hold a bit more of a grudge than Captain Sandy. While both have had their issues through the years,the Captains simply have fundamentally different stylesas leaders, which doesn’t mean they can’t come together, but may mean they don’t want to. Despite their differences,it’s possible that Captain Lee and Captain Sandy could come together and make amendsin the future. TheBelow DeckCaptains do share one major commonality in their love and investment in the yachting industry, which could potentially bring them back together one day in the future.
Source:Captain Sandy Yawn/Instagram
Below Deck
Below Deck is a Reality television series and franchise that has seen many spinoffs since its creation in 2013. The original series follows the lives of a crew that lives on a Superyacht called Honor and chronicles their experiences during “charter season.”
Below Deck Mediterranean
Below Deck Mediterranean is a Bravo reality television series that follows a crew that works aboard a gigantic superyacht during the busy season. The show highlights the challenges of the crew as they serve their high-end clientele. Each season tackles new locations, such as Greece, Croatia, Italy, and France, with some repeating.
