The real life ‘Below Deck’ – shocking demands of rich ‘yachties’ and sentence that got a crew member fired

In order to sail the seven seas with the ultra-wealthy, crew members are expected to follow strict rules or risk being thrown overboard for silly mistakes. 

For Josh Golder, who owns the 154-foot King Benji, having inexperienced staff is a no-no and something he’d never consider in a million years. 

‘I have fired people on my boat simply for saying the wrong sentence to me, because I knew it would piss off a charter guest as much as me,’ he told the Wall Street Journal. 

‘I believe that if owners of big yachts hire crew that have never been on a yacht before, it’s a recipe for absolute failure.’ 

And he doesn’t seem to be the only one in search of yacht crew with years of experience, as many job postings require a few years to even be considered for the job. 

A little slip up here and there is intolerable when the ultra-wealthy are involved and looking for a lavish experience with zero blimps. 

A captain position based in Mallorca, Spain, is looking for a person with three years experience on 80-foot yacht who has previously sailed the US’ East Coast and the Caribbean. 

‘Also the crew must be experienced for Atlantic Ocean crossing with sail boats of similar sizes,’ the job listing on The Crew Network read. 

In order to sail the seven seas with the ultra-wealthy, crew members are expected to follow strict rules or risk being thrown overboard for silly mistakes (pictured: stock image) 

‘I have fired people on my boat simply for saying the wrong sentence to me, because I knew it would piss off a charter guest as much as me,’ Josh Golder told WSJ (pictured: stock image)

All that just to share a bunk bed with other crew! 

Another 80-foot yacht, also based in Spain, is looking for a chef, but they ‘strictly’ can’t be a smoker and ‘preferably no tattoos’. 

A permanent captain position open on the West Coast requires three to five years experience, but at least the owner will pay for flights to and from the boat, The Crew Network posting said. 

You’ll just have to deal with ‘two 25-year-old sons coming-and-going!’  

The majority of crew on luxury yachts come from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, or Fort Lauderdale, Florida – the biggest hotspot for American yachting. 

And they require a lot of training and safety certificates to be onboard these ships. 

Kevin Norrish, 26, of Ohio, had to take courses in firefighting, first aid, and survival, he told WSJ. 

He now works on a 118-foot private yacht after spending some time working as a deckhand on a boat in the Ohio River in 2023 before going to Fort Lauderdale, he told the outlet. 

However, some think the show bringing in a new, younger crowd is a good thing, like Jason Chambers (pictured), who worked as a captain on Below Deck Down Under.

‘It’s not for everyone. But if you like routine and discipline, and you are highly detail-oriented, you will move up, and move up fast,’ Golder said (pictured: Below Deck with Jason Chambers) 

And reality shows like Below Deck have drawn a younger crowd like Norrish. 

But the problem with that, Golder said, is that they don’t understand how hard the job is and that it’s not all partying. 

‘A lot of young people see Below Deck and a boat’s itinerary, and they get delusions of stardom,’ he told WSJ. 

‘It’s not for everyone. But if you like routine and discipline, and you are highly detail-oriented, you will move up, and move up fast.’ 

However, some think the show bringing in a new, younger crowd is a good thing, like Jason Chambers, who worked as a captain on Below Deck Down Under. 

‘If we get someone to get off their butt and go down to Florida and start looking for jobs, that’s a bonus for the industry,’ he told WSJ. 

And yachting companies and private owners may need younger crews with the amount of ships that have hit that high seas in recent years. 

A more than 30 percent jump in job registrations happened between 2023 and 2024. And with job demand comes higher pay, according to WSJ. 

A captain position based in Mallorca, Spain, is looking for a person with three years experience on 80-foot yacht who has previously sailed the US’ East Coast and in the Caribbean. But you’ll have to share a bunk bed to get the job! 

However, they don’t want anyone. Like many jobs dealing with the ultra-wealthy, working at McDonald’s or serving drinks in a bar isn’t enough hospitality experience to serve caviar and champagne to those with bursting bank accounts. 

One of the few downsides of the job is the constant need for positivity, but also the dangers that come with the job. 

The ocean is a scary place and rough seas can cause unpredictable conditions for patrons and crew. 

The $40million Bayesian sunk in 2024 after a storm hit off the coast of Italy. The yacht had previously been called ‘unsinkable.’ 

The crew was blamed for the sinking as the boat had taken on water.  

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of Italian Sea Group told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera at the time that there were a long list of errors; the stern hatch was ‘clearly’ open; the ship’s keel should have been lowered; people shouldn’t have been in their cabins’ and the crew should have known about the storm.

He said the tragedy was avoidable and said: ‘Ask yourself – why were no fishermen from Porticello out that night? A fisherman reads the weather conditions and a ship doesn’t?

‘The storm was in all the weather charts. It couldn’t have been ignored.’

Crew members of different boats also told WSJ that they had been hit by other boats while swimming and another lost a finger. 

Injuries are common onboard these gorgeous ships, but the chance to travel the world on a yacht makes it worth the price for many sailors.