Over the years, the Below Deck franchise has become one of Bravo’s biggest hits. Season 1 premiered on July 1, 2013, with Captain Lee Rosbach at the helm. Over ten years later, there are no signs of the franchise slowing down. Below Deck Mediterranean wrapped up its eighth season earlier this year. Below Deck Sailing Yacht is expected to return with its fifth season later this year. Bravo has guaranteed that there’s a year-round supply of deep-sea drama.

While the yachties on Below Deck come and go, the captains are the glue that holds the franchises together. From Captain Glenn Shephard on Below Deck Sailing Yacht to Captain Jason Chambers on Below Deck Down Under, they all bring a unique leadership style to the show. Bravo recently assembled all of them for a conversation to reflect on the show’s legacy and how Captain Lee laid the foundation for their reality TV success.

The OG of the 7 Seas

One thing all of the captains have in common is that they all stumbled into the yachting career. For Captain Sandy Yawn, her first job on a boat coincided with her sobriety journey. It gave her a way to make money when she was practically unemployable. Captain Lee said he suddenly wound up in the boating industry because he needed cash. He saw a job posting to work on a boat that required no experience. The rest is history.

Regardless of how they got into yachting, all the captains spoke about the industry with incredible passion. They all expressed how thankful they were that the Below Deck franchise has put more eyes on the industry. Captain Jason said the visibility the show created has added more diversity to the industry.

Ultimately, all of the captains agreed that if it weren’t for Captain Lee blazing the trail, the Below Deck franchise would have never blossomed into what it is today. He’s basically like the Vicki Gunvalson of Below Deck. He’s the OG.

In a touching moment, Captain Kerry Titheradge told Lee how he was “honored” to be a part of the Below Deck franchise. He said that if it weren’t for Lee, none of them would have their Bravo careers. That rings especially true for Kerry, who has become Lee’s full-time replacement.

“None of us would be here if you didn’t make the show successful, if you didn’t work with the production crew, if you didn’t find ways to make things work,” Kerry noted.

He continued, “Just to see what it’s grown to, it’s gone from a show that everyone was dogging, and from that it’s grown to a very popular show, and then, from that platform, different people are able to help other people in their lives.”

Of course, Captain Lee is a class act and didn’t want to take too much credit. He noted that it’s been the “collective efforts” from all of the captains to helped make the show, and its impact, so impressive. He told the other captains that now, it’s up to them to continue championing the show into its next era.

Lee said, “Now it’s up to you to carry it on. Never quit. Never give up. You give your word, you fulfill it.”