‘Below Deck’: Captain Lee Explains the Captain Doesn’t Always Know Everything Going on With the Crew

Captain Lee Rosbach from Below Deck emphasized that what viewers see “below deck” is typically not privy to the captain during the season. 

Both Rosbach and Captain Sandy Yawn from Below Deck Mediterranean have shared that they usually don’t know about many of the misdeeds and bad behavior swirling amongst the crew. Some of Rosbach’s crew had a particularly tough season last year.

Chief stew Kate Chastain, deckhand Rhylee Gerber, and stew Courtney Skippon were all subjected to inappropriate misogynistic attacks coming from the male deckhands. Rosbach seemed just as shocked as viewers to see some of the actions coming from the male deckhands.

But viewers still didn’t understand how Rosbach had no idea what was occurring after Bravo recently re-ran the last season of Below Deck. Several fans questioned how the captain was in the dark about the behavior.

Rosbach would have acted if he knew about the behavior

Rosbach and Chastain have specifically discussed bosun Ashton Pienaar’s behavior. Since seeing the footage, Rosbach said he’d never work with Pienaar again. Rosbach also blogged about the season, admitting he was seeing the footage for the first time too.

But some fans still wonder why Rosbach didn’t fire Pienaar after he aggressively came for Chastain mid-season. “Does anyone think I would not have done something had I had any idea what was going on? Anyone who really knows me knows I don’t tolerate fools nor their behavior,” Rosbach tweeted.

Rosbach added, “So you think I should be in every conversation that the crew have, make sure they keep their doors open so I can listen in on the convos, go out with them to their dinners with them, go to the club afterwards with them so I can know everything they do? When would I do my job?”

The boss doesn’t always know everything that occurs

Without the video and audio footage, Rosbach would have never known about the deck crew’s behavior. He later told Chastain he wished she would have come to him about Pienaar. But he continues to remind fans that just because he’s the captain, doesn’t mean he always knows how his crew acts, especially while they are out on the town partying.

“Perhaps I should wire everything for sound and audio, have the feed into my quarters so I can sit in there and play big brother all day. I’m sure you could do it better Laura, and [anytime] you would like to wear the uniform of Capt. I’ll be glad to let you,” he wrote in response to a question on Twitter.

He adds that he checks in with his department heads too. “Do you think I don’t do that on a regular basis. Sam, you and I must live in two different worlds. I check w/crew, dept heads, guests to get the pulse of what’s going on. It isn’t always obvious to me, because I don’t have cameras and mic’s everywhere like you do when you watch,” he replied to another Twitter question.