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Joe Bradley Was "Hurt" by Captain Sandy's Deck Crew Change: “I Failed" (EXCLUSIVE)
Hear Joe Bradley, Nathan Gallagher, Iain Maclean, and Captain Sandy herself reflect on her decision.
A reassignment on the deck left Joe Bradley feeling "hurt" on Season 9, Episode 8 of Below Deck Mediterranean (which aired July 22).
The lead deckhand — who was taken off the bow by Captain Sandy Yawn despite being given the role by bosun Iain Maclean — revealed as much on the subsequent episode of the Below Deck Mediterranean After Show.
"That hurt me a lot. I was not at the point of crying, but I was sitting on the toilet going, 'I feel like I failed myself. I feel like I failed my crew,'" Joe said on the After Show alongside Nathan Gallagher, who was actually the one to take over for him on the bow, per Captain Sandy's request. "I had been given this lead deckhand role and I failed my team."
Ultimately, though, he knew that he couldn't question Sandy's decision. "That's the captain's discretion," Joe added. "Like, if captain says that Iain's gonna be a stewardess, then that's just how it is."
Here's What You May Have Missed on Bravo:
How to Watch and Listen to Season 9 of the Below Deck Mediterranean After Show
Below Deck Mediterranean Producers Break the Fourth Wall in a Rare Show Moment
The Below Deck Med Crew Runs Into a “F-cking Expensive” Problem: “Worst Possible Time"
Nathan Gallagher's reaction to Captain Sandy's deck crew change
Nathan, meanwhile, had mixed feelings about the swap. As he explained on the Below Deck Med After Show, "When Joe was taken off the bow and I was put on the bow, I sympathized with Joe. But I don't disagree with Captain Sandy's call either, because she felt more comfortable doing that. And you shouldn't question the captain anyways."
Thankfully, Joe made sure to avoid doing that and was instead "open to criticism," Nathan recalled. "I was also really proud of him that he didn't let it affect him on the job. It made him work even harder I think. He wanted to prove himself."
Why did Captain Sandy take Joe Bradley off the bow?
Captain Sandy made the change because she found Nathan to be more experienced.
"I like Joe, but clearly Iain really hasn't paid attention to who has more experience because Nathan has far more experience than Joe," Captain Sandy said on the Below Deck Med After Show. "He didn't run it by me, which, OK — but still, you picked the wrong guy."
She continued to elaborate on her decision to have Nathan take over for Joe on the bow.
"I saw [Nathan's] CV first and foremost, and then secondly, I watched how he worked on the bow. He's quick. He's worked the deck before. It's just like night and day between the two. Joe has what it takes, Joe just needs more experience."
Iain Maclean defends his decision to make Joe lead deckhand
Iain stood by his decision to make Joe lead deckhand on the Below Deck Med After Show.
"Nathan had been off a boat for a year or something. It was more commercial side, so he hadn't been on a superyacht, where Joe had come from a yacht, so obviously he had the knowledge that we needed now on this boat," Iain explained.
Plus, he found Joe to be "very well spoken."
"He's got pretty good leadership qualities, so I knew I could count on him to get things done if I was maybe sleeping or doing another job," Iain added. "I'm on the stern, [so] there's no way I can actually tell how everyone does their work, so obviously Captain Sandy could see that Nathan was maybe more confident in the beginning."
As for why he didn't tell Captain Sandy about his decision to make Joe lead deckhand, "I was just more focused on everything else we had to do that first day."
Hear more from the yachties in the above Below Deck Med After Show clip.
