Captain Lee: Emile Was Thinking With the Wrong Head

Hi guys,

Here we are halfway through the first charter, and I am already seeing chinks in the armor. It appears that we are not going to have a feeling out, get comfortable with, let’s see how it goes routine. That went totally out of the porthole quicker then the water came in Andrew’s. 

What is it with the new kids -- this is work, not your freaking vacation, you are here to serve, work, and do what I tell you to do or what your superiors tell you to do. It’s not a democracy, you do not get a vote, and quit whining or I’ll be forced to buy some more pacifiers.

Rocky Breaks Down

It seems that I have more than one prima donna on board that thinks this is their moment in the sun and they don’t have to play by the rules. Stand by for a rude awakening.

Rocky and Emile, what were you thinking? Oh that’s right, Emile was thinking with the wrong head, and Rocky, you weren’t thinking at all. Rocky, the only thing between you and the water when you were platform diving was air, not outcroppings of metal and fiberglass and stainless railings. And you don’t get what the big deal is. Did you seriously just say that? You could have killed someone -- one boat goes by throwing a huge wake, and you and Emile are toast. Then I get to call your parents to tell them you have had a catastrophic accident. I am responsible for you, and I refuse to let your stupidity get you hurt or maimed. End of story. You have a lot to learn, and that display of continuous attitude isn’t going to fly at all. You don’t have to like someone to learn from them. It’s only the first charter and you are behaving like it’s all about you, when in fact it’s not about you at all. You have talent that I hate to see wasted.

Is Emile the Ladies' Man of the Yacht?

Amy, holding down the fort as usual, you’re my rock that I don’t have to worry about. The way you handle the guests late night is something to watch, truly masterful. So glad you decided to come back. You get on well with everyone and some people could take a page out off your book, seriously.

Emile, it seems that your good advice for Don is falling on deaf ears. Don asking you how much you really know about boats, when he is the one that can’t ease the bowline when called upon to do so, seems pretty abrasive to me. I think that there is some hope for you sir, just hang in there and continue to learn. Good on you for not letting Rocky lead you around by your, well, you know.

Don, what part about ease the bowline did you not understand? You probably don’t realize how close you came to making a very expensive and dangerous mistake. Being an engineer doesn’t mean you are excused from knowing how to handle lines on board. That’s Yachting 101. Pay attention, keep that earpiece in your ear, and do what you are told. If you can’t handle something as simple as easing a bowline when told to do so, why in the world would I give you something important when you have demonstrated you can’t handle simple tasks such as tying up the boat? Do your job and everything else will take care of itself. If your ego wasn’t so present, you might actually make some friends, and with that your life would get much easier. Just some friendly advice, pal. Normal yachting does not include rude behavior towards your crewmates. Thanks for letting Kate make you up and stepping up to try and make the guests happy. Good to see some teamwork there.

Aerosmith Comes to 'Below Deck'

Eddie, it appears that you may need to lead them around by the hand, and if that is what it takes, that’s what we may need to do. It’s the hand we are dealt, and you and I need to make these guys on deck work. It’s all we have right now. Not envious of your situation, but that being said, I have faith in you. You do have a bright spot though in Connie. As far as I can tell, she keeps her head down and does her job, without the grief. Huge plus. Not many people would stay the course, stay on board, and do their job with the situation she finds herself in. I’m impressed. I have a hunch though that she is going to be a good hand. Glad to see that you are taking the time to teach her properly, she may turn out to be one of your best assets.

Kate, I am happy to see you taking Rocky by the hand and trying to teach her exactly how you want things done. You can’t hold someone responsible if you don’t first educate them, and you are putting in the effort to do so. It’s a sign of good leadership. Good move, switching rooms with Eddie, you and Leon are like fire and gasoline, and I needed you to put some space between you and he before it gets out of hand.

Does Leon Have an "Annoying Resting Personality?"

Working well with Amy, glad to see that as well, I still have high hopes for this season. I was as worried as you about the angel hair pasta on Mexican night, but we dodged a bullet, this time. Stay with me, it will work out.

Leon, I had my doubts about Mexican pasta, but was relieved to see that it went over well. Just something to think about -- sometimes experimenting with guests is not always the best way to start out. Glad it worked, but it seems that it could have just as well gone the other way. You said it yourself, maybe yes, maybe no, you didn’t know. Those were your words. I personally don’t deal in maybes. Not where our guests are concerned. Now, had you informed them what you were up to and they approved, different story, but to just roll the dice could have gone either way. Have seen it happen, and when it goes south, it’s not pretty. Glad to see you and Eddie rooming together, I didn’t quite see you and Kate having an extended, long-term, pleasant relationship. I seem to sense something there, but can’t quite put my finger on it between you and Kate, hope I’m wrong. Good first charter for you.

Loved the first charter guests. Steve was not about to let anything stand in the way of him and his guests having a good time. Weather? No problem. Not enough foam? No problem. No Aerosmith? No problem. Just a great attitude and it’s just what we needed out of the gate. Would have loved to see more cooperation between the crew, but we will see what happens. I still have some unused plane tickets and… Well, we will see. Till next time,

Captain Lee