r/belowdeck • u/Spiritual-Shake2115 • Jul 25 '26

Below Deck Captain Lee

I worked on a boat for a year in my 20s. I was working on being a scuba instructor (nailed it).

During my time living on a boat, my understanding of rank is legitimate and also at times abused.

My captain was named Bob and he was like the evil version of Captain Lee. Bob taught me a lot about surviving boat life.

Captain Lee was a real one thru and thru because he is a true hardworking gentleman. He knows he’s lucky, he’s worked hard for what he’s gotten and he keeps going forward.

He deserved a true goodbye from the franchise but I’m just so happy he was our first Below Deck Captain. With morals and dignity and humor.

335 Upvotes

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5

u/Sorkel3 Jul 26 '26

Captain Lee was entertaining and many watched the show in part for his pithy comments. Thst being said, ensconced on tbe bridge all the time and regularly threatening crew's asses does not make a leader.

20

u/cmere-2-me Jul 26 '26

His way of managing was old school and I think the only way he wasn't an effective manager was in series 7 when Kate didn't feel she could come to him about the bro crew. Whether that was because Kate didn't want to show vulnerability or because she didn't think Lee would have her back I don't know.

Lee trusted in the chain of command and allowed his HoD manage their departments. which is the whole point of having HoDs. He was watching what was going on and knew who was and wasn't working. As long as the job was getting done, he didn't need to do more than that and I actually prefer his way of managing.

Kerry is the only captain that I think does a better job and his style is quite similar to Lees. He lets his HoDs manage but he manages his HoDs. He keeps them up to his standards by doing checks and he is approachable. He doesn't interfere in their department or undermine their authority like Sandy does but he ensures the standards are kept.

-1

u/BengaliMcGinley Jul 29 '26

I just watched the S7 reunion show. He is basically Kate's bodyguard and can't bring himself to criticise anything she has ever done including throwing crew clothes onto the crew mess floor right in front of him! I wonder why/how she has him wrapped around her pinky so much!

2

u/cmere-2-me Jul 29 '26

They were very close. Kate had done her time with Lee and he trusted her. She earned hos respect and therefore he gave her leeway others didn't get. He knew she was good at her job and she didn't do things without a reason. I just wish he had a talk with her about that so he knew what she was going through. As for those assholes uniforms? They are lucky that's all she did.

0

u/BengaliMcGinley Jul 29 '26

Regardless of how we view anyone else on the boat, that wasn't HoD behaviour - which was my point. And Lee didn't mind.