‘Below Deck’: Captain Lee Reveals Who Pays for the Crew’s Food (and the Crew Reveals Even More)
Captain Lee Rosbach from Below Deck shared that the boat pays for all that crew food viewers see being devoured on the show.
A viewer wondered who foots the bill, which brings up the point about how much money yachties actually save while on charter. Previous Below Deck cast members dished with Showbiz Cheat Sheet about the deep cost savings, which only enhances the amount of cash they make while on charter.
The boat covers yachtie expenses
Several crew members discussed how much money yachties can save while working on a boat. Unlike other professions that require workers to pay their own rent, car payments, gas, food, and more, yachting means nearly all of your expenses are covered.
Deckhand Rhylee Gerber from Below Deck Seasons 6 and 7 told Showbiz Cheat Sheet in 2019 that boat owners will go the extra mile to cover the crew’s expenses. “If I wanted $60 face cream, it would be paid for,” she laughed.
Colin Macy-O’Toole from Below Deck Mediterranean Seasons 3 and 4 said going on the show afforded him a “free” way to travel abroad. “I’d never been to Europe so it was pretty exciting when I got the chance to travel through the show too,” he said.
Medical expenses, especially any injuries sustained on the boat are often covered too. “Yacht crew have little to no living expenses, paying no bills, rent or medical expenses,” according to Yachting Pages Media Group. “Add to this the fact that toiletries and meals are readily-supplied aboard, and this puts superyacht crew in a pretty strong position financially.”
Yachties also make a lot of money
Yachties can build a pretty serious nest egg. “I’d probably start right out of college at age 22 and then put in about five years of work on yachts,” Macy-O’Toole said. “Depending on where you live, you could even save enough money to buy a house.”
Yachting money is pretty lucrative. Viewers recently saw the Below Deck Sailing Yacht crew make $2,500 each in just tip money for a two-day charter. Former chief stew Hannah Ferrier shared that the chief stew salary alone is pretty substantial.
“I started [in yachting] because I fell in [love] with [the] south of France!! So just stumbled my way through it,” she tweeted. “That’s why I created @oceaninttraina – because it’s really hard to know where to start! And it’s good pay. Chief stew is around €5000 per month with no expenses! So no rent or bills!” €5000 per month shakes out to about $6,000 per month.
And while many expenses are covered, those wild nights at the club are on the yachties. João Franco from Below Deck Med Season 3 and 4 said yachting can develop some high-end (expensive) tastes. “Yachties are also known to grow accustomed to this type of money,” he told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “Which means they’ll blow it as quickly as it comes in.”
