Here we are Below Deck again and we’re getting our captain back! Maybe! We’re in the middle of our first charter, we’ve got a tiny tyrant rearranging dock furniture, where do we go from here? Rolling into my recap of Below Deck S9:E02 Boat Daddy after the break!
We’re on deck of My Seanna still waiting for Captain Sean Meagher to stop messing with outside couches so the restless guests can have a beach picnic; I’ve never seen a captain actively torpedo a tip like that. First Engineer Eddie Lucas is doing what he can, but Primary Nikki Foster is getting madder by the moment and Eddie is stuck longing for Captain Lee Rosbach, his Boat Daddy.
The interior crew is doing what they can to entertain the irritated guests who now think something is wrong. Second steward Fraser Olender is growing increasingly frustrated at being yanked hither and thither by chief steward Heather Chase. He made a mistake the day previous by leaving out garbage in the master bedroom so Heather told him to focus on housekeeping then twenty minutes later pulled him upstairs to make drinkies.
He knows very little about making drinkies, he’s worked on exactly one boat and he was Head of Housekeeping, in case you didn’t know it.
I will just say: he probably wouldn’t have left garbage in the room had he not been yanked to another task without notice. I love how Heather was completely mortified about a tiny bag of garbage wrapped up and left on a chaise.
Finally, FINALLY Captain Sean likes his little oasis enough to allow the guests to enter, one hour past the start of the beach picnic and WHAT.
They have these little net things laying on top of the ocean so you can be in the ocean without things touching you!!! How awesome is that?? That’s almost a critter-free pool!!
They spent an hour getting the area ready, did not bring over food yet. I mean
Chef Rachel Hargrove is slowly, sloooowly cutting up crudites for the party while asking passive aggressive questions of Eddie. Last season Eddie didn’t hold a lot back when talking about Rachel in interview and there was a LOT to say.
I can’t say I miss the last chief steward, I can’t even remember her name. I will always miss Kate Chastain who was awesome and that is THAT.
The deck crew is still getting to know each other, and for some reason we always start with if they’re single…weird. Rayna Lindsey has a crush on fellow deckie Jake Foulger, he’s been flirting with her but other deckie Wes O’Dell has been keeping it pretty clean. Jake mentions later he loves being p*gged and that seems a lot for Day 2, doesn’t it? Rayna is young and gorgeous with long, long beaded hair; Jake has frosted blonde tips and a mustache that takes up his whole face and Wes is your basic super hot dude with a short afro and beard.
Lots of tattoos and abs, your basic nightmares.
A couple of hours later, the guests are tired and want to head back to the boat so that means now Eddie has to pack up the entire living room Captain Sean just carted out there, one tender trip at a time.
It was an awesome set up though, have to say.
Captain Lee calls; he’s on his way! Yay! The guests head to the hot tub and Captain Sean calls a meeting to say goodbye. Lots of hugs but nobody really got to know him, so it’s an easy gone.
Here comes Captain Lee! He’s ‘rather sandpaper a tiger’s ass in a phone booth” than miss the charter! Awww I’ve missed Skinny Kenny Roger’s old-timey-isms!
Eddie hugs him like he doesn’t want to ever let him go.
What. Rachel is doing a Japanese tasting menu for dinner, even though the guests didn’t ask for it and it’s so much. Well, she’s an excellent chef, I’m staying noncommittal about her until they go out for their first night drinking.
Heather meets Captain Lee for the first time, he’s waiting to see how she shakes out but I laughed because she said he smelled nice and I was just thinking: I bet he smells nice. She’s super perky and positive, I hope that stays the case.
Captain Lee has a whole new look this season, he’s not in his old-timey tux anymore but rather a fitter back turtleneck thingy with this massive pendant hanging out.
*Not a euphemism*
Captain Lee shares his recent medical issues with Eddie and all of us; he has a condition called ‘afib’ which I think is actually atrial fibrillation, and I have a friend with this condition, or adjacent. The doctors burned out parts of Captain Lee’s heart to fix it, that’s what happened to my friend too! All better!
Dinner time! The guests dress up, everyone looks fab and my bad, Captain Lee has his tux after all and we have a Japanese tasting menu!
Course one: Takoyaki Fritters with bonito flakes.
Course two: vegetable gyoza with scallion broth
It’s 9 pm, dinner is ongoing, third steward Jessica Alberta and Jake head Below Deck for the rest of the night as they’re early shift. Jessica stops by the crew mess for a chat with Wes but that’s nice and chill so far. SO FAR.
Course three: Chicken tonkatsu and I’m confused…don’t you need pork for that? Like a lot and lot of pork?
Course four: vegetable tempura, squash, it looks like an adorable present
Course five: tuna shiitake
Booooo I don’t see the dessert! Boooooo at least the guests go to bed right after supper, a lovely relaxed night.
The morning is great too, until Primary Nikki has to ask AGAIN for towels and that knocks Heather back a step. How are people not getting this right?? Fraser blames this on the guests but that’s just victim-shaming and we’re not having that.
The guests get up and start moving around, as are the deck crew. Jake breaks a glass and steps on it, that’s one of the drawbacks of not wearing shoes on board. Rayna wanders around looking for a dustpan and broom, muttering shittalk about Heather not knowing where either are.
Our first docking! Now we’ll find out how this crew is on lines! Captain Lee is as nervous as a cat with a long tail in a room full of rocking chairs!
The guests eat their last breakfast on My Seanna, quiet but appreciative of the food again. Packing montage!
It’s a very smooth docking, Captain Lee had nothing to worry about! Crew whites and guest departure is imminent, they were a fun group. Rayna was very excited to see other Black people yachting, heeeeeey that makes me think of Jemele Hill and her group! Viva YWB!
Primary Nikki’s goodbye speech is marred by comments about the housekeeping, expect Captain Lee to lay down the law later. Primary Nikki liked Heather enough to give her a captain’s hat though, woooo! First charter done!
Heather takes a moment for a private call in her bathroom (in.her.bathroom), she’s dating a former charter guest oooooh. Captain Lee interrupts by calling her to the bridge to explain the guest comments, he reminds her to keep it clean.
Our first tip meeting yay!!!I will guess…$21,000 based on the fancy but late beach picnic, the longer duration and Fraser forgetting how to Head of Housekeeping. He definitely understands he’s the reason for the light tip envelope.
And it’s: $18,000. Yikes. Well, it’s $1,500 each so it could be worse, right? Captain Lee reminds them: have fun tonight but tomorrow: your asses belong to him!
Everyone gets super fancy for our first crew night out, someone keep an eye on Rachel! Do you think she learned after last season? Watching that must have been hard. It was hard from over here!
Aww, Eddie’s in a long term relationship, good for him! He and Jessica are both 35, they’re the elders, I guess? Heather and Fraser sit aside for a conversation, he hates everything about her hahahaha. I mean.
Jake’s loaded already, he keeps asking Rayna about p*gging, moving to kissing all over her in no time.
It’s not even midnight!
Awww, Rachel stays calm and heads right to bed after supper. Rayna, Jake and Rayna head to the hot tub. Soon it’s just Jake and Rayna making out on deck and in the crew mess. They manage to make it to their own beds, wait, Rayna has a girlfriend already?Waaaaat? Man young people like to mix it up these days!
Until next time, y’all, cheers!
