50 Fun Facts About Below Deck

On which US network did Below Deck premiere in 2013?

The first episode aired on a Monday night in July 2013, and the ratings were strong enough for a renewal.

Who was the captain for the first ten seasons of Below Deck?

He was the real captain of the season-one yacht and stayed aboard with his first officer and engineer to make sure nothing went wrong.

Where was the first season of Below Deck filmed?

Producers booked a five-week Caribbean charter there, though the show did not air until nearly two years later.

What was the season-one yacht renamed for filming?

Its real name was different, and its regular crew were given time off while the cast took over.

What was the real name of the yacht that appeared as Honor in season one?

The 164-foot boat kept its actual captain, who then became the face of the franchise.

In which year was the first season of Below Deck actually filmed?

The footage sat for well over a year before Bravo premiered the show in July 2013.

Who was the chef on the very first season of Below Deck?

He was one of the few cast members with prior yachting experience and returned for several later seasons.

Who was the chief stewardess in season one, before Kate Chastain arrived?

She had genuine yachting experience but only returned as a guest in season two.

Kate Chastain joined Below Deck as chief stewardess in which season?

She arrived alongside siblings Kelley and Amy Johnson and stayed through season seven.

What was the name of the yacht in season two?

The 153-foot boat worked a Caribbean charter season with Kate Chastain newly aboard.

Where was season two of Below Deck filmed?

Season four moved to the neighbouring US Virgin Islands.

Season three of Below Deck was filmed in which location, aboard the yacht Eros?

Chef Leon Walker was replaced mid-season by a returning season-one chef.

Which season of Below Deck was filmed in Tahiti, French Polynesia?

It was the season with the tow-line accident that nearly cost a deckhand his foot.

Which deckhand was dragged into the water by a tow line in season six?

Someone behind the scenes freed the line; had it pulled tight it would have severed his foot.

Who saved the deckhand during the season-six tow-line accident?

Brent Freeburg dropped his camera to free the line, and Captain Lee brought in strict new procedures afterwards.

Season seven of Below Deck was filmed in which country?

The crew worked out of Phuket, with Kate Chastain back for her final season.

Why was season eight of Below Deck cut short?

Filmed in Antigua, it was the last season for chief stew Francesca Rubi.

Which captain opened season nine before Captain Lee returned in episode two?

Captain Lee missed the start of the St. Kitts season and a stand-in ran the first two episodes.

Which spin-off captain filled in for Captain Lee mid-way through season ten?

She took over from episode five to fourteen before Lee returned to close out the season on St. David.

Who became the full-time captain of Below Deck from season eleven?

He had previously captained the one-season spin-off Below Deck Adventure in the fjords.

What is the name of the yacht used in seasons ten, eleven and twelve of Below Deck?

It replaced My Seanna, which had featured in three earlier seasons.

Who was promoted to chief stew on St. David in season ten of Below Deck?

He was promoted from 2nd steward after his season-nine debut under Heather Chase.

Which season-one deckhand returned in season eight as bosun and later first officer?

He was first deckhand on Honor in 2013 and back on My Seanna seven years later.

Which yacht appeared in seasons four, five and seven of Below Deck?

Valor hosted the Nico Scholly and Kate Chastain years before My Seanna took over.

Who was the chef for seasons eight, nine and ten of Below Deck?

She cooked on My Seanna and then St. David under both Lee and Sandy.

Roughly how many viewers per episode did the first season of Below Deck average?

The figure was enough to earn a renewal and, eventually, four spin-offs.

Where was season nine of Below Deck filmed?

It reused My Seanna and was Heather Chase's season as chief stew.

When did Below Deck Mediterranean, the first spin-off, premiere?

Bravo announced it in March 2015, promising the world's oldest cruising grounds for the next charter season.

Who captained the first season of Below Deck Mediterranean, aboard Ionian Princess?

It was his only season; a new captain arrived for season two on Sirocco and never left.

Who was chief stew for the first five seasons of Below Deck Mediterranean?

She left midway through season five, when Bugsy Drake stepped up to chief stew.

Through season 11, which country had hosted the most Below Deck Mediterranean seasons?

Croatia hosted seasons 2, 6 and 11; Italy and Spain had hosted two seasons each, Malta and France one apiece.

What was the yacht in season five of Below Deck Mediterranean?

The 184-foot OceanCo build was where Bugsy Drake stepped up to chief stew mid-season.

Which third stew was promoted to chef in season four of Below Deck Med after Mila Kolomeitseva left?

She ran the galley for eight episodes before a franchise veteran flew in to finish the season.

Who captained Below Deck Sailing Yacht from its 2020 launch?

He led every season of the sailing spin-off from its 2020 launch aboard Parsifal III.

Which 177-foot sailing yacht hosted Below Deck Sailing Yacht from its 2020 debut?

It hosted the early seasons, from the Ionian Islands to Ibiza.

Which chief stew joined Below Deck Sailing Yacht in season two?

She later crossed over to Below Deck Down Under as chief stew for its fourth season.

Where was the first season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht filmed?

The Ionian Islands came first; later seasons moved to the Adriatic, Menorca, Sardinia and Ibiza.

Who captained Below Deck Down Under from its 2022 premiere?

He had made Australian headlines in 2019 after crashing a superyacht into a wharf in Queensland.

On which streaming service did Below Deck Down Under premiere in 2022?

It moved permanently to Bravo in 2023.

Which former Below Deck Med stew was chief stew for the first two seasons of Down Under?

She then went back to the Med as chief stew from season nine.

Where in Australia was the first season of Below Deck Down Under filmed?

Season two moved north to Cairns before the show left Australia for Africa in season three.

In which country was Below Deck Adventure set?

The crew cruised the fjords, and guests went parasailing, cycling and rock climbing off the boat.

Which town was Below Deck Adventure based out of?

Filming ran from late July to mid-September 2021, more than a year before the show aired.

What was the name of the yacht on Below Deck Adventure?

It was the fourth spin-off, and the only one built around off-ship excursions.

Which UK channel picked up Below Deck Mediterranean in 2021?

The Channel 4 youth channel started with episode one in February 2021.

Which season-five Below Deck chef from Ottawa was among the show's first Canadian cast?

Courtney Skippon from British Columbia followed as third stew in season seven.

How long was the Caribbean charter that producers booked for the first season of Below Deck?

The 164-foot yacht's real crew were given time off and replaced by the cast, though Captain Lee, his first officer and engineer stayed aboard to keep things safe.

Which US Virgin Islands-filmed season came after Bravo's April 2016 renewal?

Season five moved back to Sint Maarten, where the show had begun, and season six went all the way to Tahiti.

Which yacht was used for both season six in Tahiti and season nine in St. Kitts?

It was alongside this yacht that Ashton Pienaar was dragged into the water by a tow line, a near-fatal accident that led Captain Lee to tighten procedures.

In which Caribbean island was the COVID-shortened eighth season of Below Deck filmed?

Lee Rosbach and Eddie Lucas returned for the season, which premiered on November 2, 2020 and lost its final two charters to the pandemic.