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The Below Deck Captains: A Complete List
These talented men and women helm ships around the world, from the Australian coast to the fjords of Norway.
Since it premiered on Bravo in 2013, the Below Deck franchise has showcased a number of talented captains doing what they do best: Helming super yachts while making sure their crews stay shipshape.
While these bosses have an obvious love for the sea, their work has offered more than a great personal career move. According to the OG Below Deck captain, Lee Rosbach, the franchise has "changed the face" of the yachting industry.
"We were struggling to find people to get into the industry, because people in Iowa had no clue that [there are] jobs on yachts," the captain said during a March 2023 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. "They had no clue that these jobs existed and that they could get great paying jobs if they came out of college or whatever, they could get a good job, they could go see the world, they could have a hell of a lot of fun."
Meet all the bosses who have graced the Below Deck, Below Deck Mediterranean, Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Below Deck Down Under, and Below Deck Adventure decks — inspiring a host of future yachties along the way.
Below Deck Captains
Seasons 1-10: Lee Rosbach
He's the blueprint. Captain Lee Rosbach, a.k.a. the "Stud of the Sea," joined the Below Deck family during Season 1 of the franchise's original series in 2013. Since then, he's been a mainstay on the show, having only missed a few charters.
Captain Lee has been in the yachting world for more than three decades and has even written a book — 2018's Running Against the Tide — on the subject. Born and raised in (landlocked) Michigan, Lee fell in love with the sea while managing restaurants in Turks & Caicos. After a stint as a mate on a sailboat, he was fully sold and obtained his captain's license at age 35.
“Deciding to become a yacht captain has been the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” Lee said during the March 2023 Season 10 finale.
Lee's latest adventure is hosting the new show, Couch Talk with Captain Lee and Kate, with former Below Deck Chief Stew Kate Chastain on Bravo starting Monday, August 14 at 10/9c. On it, the two will break down the biggest moments of the week on Below Deck Down Under Season 2, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Season 3, The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 17, The Real Housewives of Miami Season 5, Project Runway Season 20, The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 15, Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake, and The Real Housewives of New York City Season 16.
Outside of work, Captain Lee has been happily married for almost five decades. When asked for his favorite Below Deck memory during his March 2023 WWHL appearance, he mentioned a moment that had to do with both of his loves: His wife Mary Anne and the water. During Season 5, Mary Anne (with whom he shares five children) made a guest appearance on the show.
"It was when I got to see my bride walking down the dock," Lee said. "To have Mary Anne come out and give me just a little bit of a respite from the grind, is really a pleasure."
Season 9: Sean Meagher
Captain Sean Meagher and his "hands-on" management style stepped in for Captain Lee for the first two episodes of Season 9 when the "Stud of the Sea" was unexpectedly delayed on land.
Season 10: Sandy Yawn
When Lee had to exit a charter early in Season 10, Below Deck Mediterranean's Captain Sandy Yawn took his place. You'll read more about Captain Sandy below.
Season 11: Kerry Titheradge
After making his Bravo debut on Below Deck Adventure, Captain Kerry Titheradge was announced as the incoming captain for Below Deck Season 11 at BravoCon 2023. Below Deck Season 11 premieres Monday, Feb. 5 at 9/8c.
Below Deck Mediterranean Captains
Season 1: Mark Howard
Before there was Captain Sandy, there was Captain Mark Howard. Captain Mark led the very first season of Below Deck Med, which aired in 2016.
Another Michigan-born yachtie (maybe there's something in that Great Lakes water?), Captain Mark had racked up nearly 30 years of experience on both private and charter boats before he passed away in late 2021.
“Our thoughts and sincerest sympathies are with the family and friends of the respected Captain Mark Howard," Bravo said in a statement at the time. "As the captain of the first season of Below Deck Med, he will always be remembered for his many contributions and mentorship and will forever remain part of the Bravo family.”
Seasons 2-7: Sandy Yawn
Captain Sandy joined the Below Deck ranks during the second season of Below Deck Mediterranean and has been a stalwart ever since. In her first six seasons of BDM, the captain sailed her charters through the waters of Greece, Croatia, Italy, France, Spain, and Malta, while also finding time to step in for Captain Lee while he dealt with health issues during Season 10 of the original Below Deck.
“Captain Lee and I go way back, so when I heard about Captain Lee’s situation, I felt terrible,” Captain Sandy told the Below Deck cameras during Season 10 Episode 5. “Who wants to leave because you can’t physically do it? My hope is that Captain Lee feels supported. I’m here to take care of his boat and his crew until he comes back.”
Always the professional, Captain Sandy has over three decades of yachting experience under her belt. A Florida native, she knew she wanted her career to revolve around the ocean from an early age. When she learned yachting was a male-dominated field, she simply pushed forward. And she hasn't stopped: In March 2023, she launched her own organization, Captain Sandy's Charities, to support women's maritime and environmental education and employment opportunities.
Off the water and outside of her charity work, Sandy has a longtime girlfriend, gospel singer Leah Shafer. The pair met in 2018.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht Captains
Seasons 1-4: Glenn Shephard
Long before Below Deck Sailing Yacht premiered in 2020, Montreal native Captain Glenn was captaining the elegant Parsifal III.
No stranger to long-term relationships (seriously, he's been captain of Parsifal III for 13+ years), Captain Glenn has been with his girlfriend, Danelis “Dani” Jimenez, for about four and a half years. Unsurprisingly, the duo are serious globetrotters.
"I just dropped [Dani] at the airport in Madrid. We’ve been, like I’ve said, traveling around southern Spain for the last week or so, 10 days maybe,” Glenn told The Daily Dish in May 2023. “She has to shoot back home. We live in Palma de Mallorca, which is almost like a bus ride from Madrid… We’re planning to head up to Andorra, which is in the mountain range between Northern Spain and France, and hopefully get a little bit of snowboarding in before the snow disappears for this winter. Right after that, we’re going back to the boat in Greece, and we’ll probably cruise around for a few weeks, and then I’ll have to go back to work for the summer on Parsifal somewhere in the Mediterranean doing charters.”
Below Deck Down Under Captains
Seasons 1-2: Jason Chambers
With 23 years of yachting experience behind him, Captain Jason Chambers is an expert at transporting charter guests around his home country of Australia — no matter what vessel he finds himself on. During the second season of Below Deck Down Under, Captain Jason and his crew found themselves on a boat built in the ’70s.
“I walked onto the boat, said ‘What the hell is going on?’ and then the season ended,” Jason joked in a July 2023 conversation with the Daily Dish.
The Aussie captain has a daughter, Saskia, who he loves to spend time with when he's not working.
"Being away from her hurts every day," he said in a Season 1 Episode 1 interview. "There's no words for how much I love my daughter. Everything's about her."
Below Deck Adventure Captains
Season 1: Kerry Titheradge
Sailing crews and guests throughout the majestic fjords of Norway, Captain Kerry Titheradge rounds out the Below Deck captains as the newest addition to the franchise.
The father of two has worked on boats for 30 years and has spent almost two decades yachting, with experience in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Pacific Northwest, and more. According to Captain Kerry, he made the decision to join the Below Deck family after reaching out to longtime friend Captain Lee to see if he had any regrets about the show.
“When it came, the opportunity to do this, I gave Lee a call and asked him would he do it again if he had to redo his time?” Kerry said during BravoCon 2022. “He said, 'One hundred percent.'”
Originally published Aug 1, 2023.
