It’s no secret that Captain Lee Rosbach was all over the crew of Valor on Below Deck this week, and more specifically, all over newly appointed bosun Kelley Johnson. Lee claims the entire crew is indeed struggling, and took to his blog to break down this week’s performance and drama!
“Wow, this week is really something else. I have no frigging idea where to start. We had a lot of stuff going on, and plus we had a charter break out in the middle of it all,” admits Captain Lee. Although the charter guests were fun, he observes, “The crew, however, is struggling just a bit, and there are a variety of reasons.”
CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON FOR MORE!
Captain Lee asserts that one of these reasons may be the mounting tension between chief stew Kate Chastain and chef Ben Robinson. “Call me silly, but I feel Kate’s new girlfriend is the catalyst for this abnormal behavior displayed by Ben,” he reflects.
“Ben seems obsessed with the fact that someone else is taking up all the time that he and Kate used to spend together and now that she has switched his focus, he seems to be having difficulties with that. He gets all over her about the dinner, saying that he wanted that information three hours ago. News flash Ben! She gave you that info about dinner three hours ago; you were not paying attention to Kate. You only made your own life difficult for this one-day charter. No one else did.”
As for Ro – who came to Scrub Island on a surprise visit to girlfriend, Kate – Captain Lee thinks she’s, well…a bit much. He blogs, “Kate, you seem really smitten with Ro. It seems as though I should have gotten you two a room at Scrub Island. She couldn’t stay away from you. I’m not sure I have seen someone as aggressive as Ro is with you. It appeared almost smothering at times. Maybe it was just me. She seemed to enjoy jerking Ben’s chain at every opportunity though.”
Captain Lee doesn’t feel like Kate’s texting is interfering with her work, however. “As you know, if I did feel that way I would have said something to you, in spite of the fact that I am (according to Kelley) totally terrified of you. I would have dug deep and found the courage to speak up somehow.” Ha!
Speaking of Kelley, Lee has a few choice words about his head bosun: “I don’t think that Kelley had an exceptional week. I think your sister Amy [Johnson] has rubbed off on you. She is the sweetest girl and always is trying to please everyone. I think that is what you are trying to do with your crew. Your crew was not doing you any favors. I let the windows go for two days just to see how long it would take before someone besides me noticed them. It never happened. Some of your crew sat down in the crew mess having a leisurely breakfast and didn’t even move to wipe down outside, or clean up, or do much of anything. That’s what I needed you to notice. I didn’t need you to cover for them. I needed you to recognize what they were and weren’t doing. When I come to you it’s because they have let you down, and you haven’t done anything about it. It’s tough to be friends and a boss at the same time.”
RELATED: Kate Chastain Talks The Below Deck Mediterranean Cast
Citing Kelley’s unresponsiveness to radio calls as well, Captain Lee admits he does want to see Kelley hang in there and do better. “Not your best effort, but I am by no means throwing in the towel. We have a long way to go, and I am not giving up on you,” he offers.
As for deckhand Lauren Burchnell, Captain Lee has zero sympathy. He accuses, “Let’s move on to Lauren. Really? Did you just try to throw Kelley under the bus? Because in four charters and numerous anchor drops and retrievals with you present at almost all of them, you didn’t learn how to do it properly? If we burn up that Windlass Motor because someone can’t give the proper hand signal when we’re pulling the anchor so I know where to put the yacht, then our charter season is effectively over.” Yikes! That anchor lesson went deep. (Ba-dum-bum!)
“You sit down below at the crew mess and have a carefree breakfast while there is work to be done, and then you get called on it and have the nerve to tell Kelley that he doesn’t have your back? Your back for what? Not doing the job like you’re supposed to? Sorry kid, you get defended when someone comes at you for something and you are not in the wrong. That’s not the case here, you were totally wrong. And don’t worry, everyone is going to get the same opportunity that you just had, so don’t think for a second that you are going to be the only one in the spotlight.”
Although Sierra Storm wasn’t putting anyone’s life in danger, per se, with her supreme airheaded-ness, Captain Lee jokes that he still doesn’t “know what to make of” her. He snarks, “Did you seriously not know that when I said, ‘Make a round of painkillers,’ that I was talking about drinks? I don’t know, I just find that really incredible, but I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
Lee‘s not giving Kelley’s “subtle moves” on Emily Warburton-Adam the benefit of the doubt, however, advising Kelley, “I’m just saying that you may want to review your tactics. Just a thought.” Agreed!
Captain Lee does feel sorry for Ben, who had no choice but to witness Kate and Ro making out for 6 straight hours on the crew’s day off! “Ben, I honestly felt bad for you,” admits Lee. “Ro kept jerking your chain again and again. It will pass.”
Lee also advises Kyle Dixon that he may want to pump the breaks on his relentless quest to conquer Sierra’s, um, territory. “Kyle, you really are busting a hardcore move on Sierra in spite of what your intuition is telling you. Should always listen to that little voice inside your head. It’s almost always right,” warns Lee.
TELL US: DO YOU THINK KELLEY WILL IMPROVE AS BOSUN? WAS LAUREN WRONG IN WANTING KELLEY TO HAVE HER BACK? WILL’S BEN’S JEALOUSY OF RO INTERFERE WITH HIM WORKING WITH KATE?
Photo Credit: Virginia Sherwood/Bravo
