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It’s a sad day for Below Deck fans, as Captain Lee Rosbach is leaving the franchise after 10 amazing seasons skippering super yachts around the Caribbean while managing the interior and exterior crew with so many salty one-liners. Keep reading for details on why Captain Lee is leaving Below Deck and what the future holds for him and the show.
Why Is Captain Lee Leaving ‘Below Deck’?
The veteran seaman had been experiencing health problems that forced him to leave season 10 after only a few episodes. Though he will be returning at the end of season 10, he will be leaving the show for good. Us Weekly was the first to break the news. Bravo declined In Touch‘s request for comment.
Why Did Caption Lee Depart ‘Below Deck’ Season 10 Early?
The “Stud of the Sea” had to leave season 10 early after suffering mobility and nerve issues. He was on crutches or a cane during the episodes he appeared on. Lee finally called it quits after not being able to keep a proper eye on his deck and interior teams due to being confined to the St. David’s bridge or his cabin.
“My injury, it’s getting worse. The left side of my body, I don’t feel anything,” he said in a confessional in the December 12, 2022, episode of the show.
“I expected a lot more progress than I’m experiencing, and the most frustrating part about it is, I can’t do a goddamn thing about it, and it’s hard,” he continued. He later told chef and close friend Rachel Hargrove, “This has probably been one of the most humbling experiences of my life.”
“One of my biggest problems now is I’m not able to observe,” Lee said in a confessional about his decision to leave the super yacht, adding, “I don’t know who’s doing what, it’s my job.”
“I owe it to my crew to do right by them,” he continued. “They expect that out of me. There comes a point if a captain is really being objective, he should be putting the best interests of his crew first.”
Who Replaced Captain Lee on ‘Below’ Deck Season 10?
Below Deck Med skipper Captain Sandy Yawn stepped in when Lee flew back home to Florida to get surgery for his mobility issues. Since her micromanaging style was the opposite of Lee’s hands-off approach, she clashed with some members of Lee’s crew, including his chief stew, Fraser Olender. The England native returned for a second season of Below Deck to work with mentor Lee, only to be put under the microscope and openly disrespected by Captain Sandy.
Sandy made Lee furious when she fired stew Camille Lamb without letting him know first. “Had I been replacing Captain Sandy on her boat temporarily and felt the necessity to fire one of her crew, I would have called her first to let her know what I was doing and why,” Lee tweeted on January 23, 2023, adding, “I agree with her decision, just not how she went about it.” He also noted Sandy’s move “lacked in procedure and respect.”
What Will Happen Next For ‘Below Deck’?
Us Weekly reported that Captain Kerry Titheradge is set to replace Lee for season 11. The show has since spawned the spinoffs Below Deck Mediterranean, Below Deck Down Under, Below Deck Sailing Yacht and Below Deck Adventure. Fans got to know Captain Kerry on the Norway-set adventure series.
Below Deck is primarily set in the Caribbean, where Lee has sailed various motor yachts on charters around the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, St. Maarten, St. Kitts, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Lucia. Season 7 saw Lee and his crew head to the South Pacific take guests around the gorgeous waters of Phuket, Thailand.
