When Bravo announced that Captain Kerry Titheradge would be taking over the helm on Below Deck from Captain Lee Rosbach, fans weren’t convinced he would lay down the law. However, the newest captain has done great and hasn’t even needed to use inspirational quotes to do so. But as Season 11 keeps on swimming right along, fans are starting to see a whole new side of the Australian native, and he knows how to run a tight ship.
Captain Kerry is a breath of fresh air in his own way. He shows genuine concern for the crew’s mental and physical health, has a very hands-on approach to teaching, and is unmeasured in his ability to empathize with and relate to his crew on personal matters. Fans have enjoyed watching his management style, and he is becoming quite the legend. It helps that Captain Kerry has years of experience and is level-headed in tight situations. But the captain knows who is in charge, as fans learned during his causal retelling of how he had to duct tape a charter guest who was misbehaving.
Captain Kerry’s leadership style
Until the newest episode, Captain Kerry has been a pretty laid-back leader, in my opinion. He hasn’t micromanaged, and he hasn’t been riding the heads of departments either. The captain struck me as the type of leader who wanted to be a source of comfort for his crew. More than once, he had expressed support for the crew when they were feeling down. He also gives some pretty solid advice. Instead of acting on emotions, Captain Kerry takes a minute and thinks about what is best for the boat.
For example, when Fraser Olender wanted to fire Barbie Pascual because they butted heads, the captain wouldn’t allow it. Barbie is a hard worker who does her job well. He essentially asked Fraser to be better and work through his issues. He rarely interjects himself into the crew’s mess, but he will make his presence known when he feels the need.
Captain Kerry is in charge
In the newest episode, fans saw a whole new side to Captain Kerry—and he was unhappy. The crew has not been taking their jobs very seriously, and the skipper has had enough. Captain Kerry pulled out a power move as he decided to hold cabin inspections on the very last charter. The captain had become extremely frustrated when he noticed that both the exterior and interior were chinning off their responsibilities.
Trying to stay positive, Captain Kerry notes, “This is the last charter, so let’s make this the best one ever.” But the reminder did little to stir the crew. What then happened was a Below Deck first, as Kerry told the crew, “We don’t eat when the guest area is not sorted out. Schoolboy errors are unacceptable.” The leader of the St. David then tells the crew, “At six o’clock tonight, cabin inspections.”
Viewers will see Captain Kerry lose his patience as he enters a very messy cabin, saying, “What the hell is going on in here? It’s a huge slap in the face. Blatant disrespect. It’s f*cking beyond words.”
Captain Kerry has weathered storms
During Season 11, Captain Kerry dealt with some pretty interesting scenarios. Sadly, he has had to fire Jared Woodin and Anthony Iracane. Both couldn’t get a handle on their respective jobs, and they were essentially bringing the boat and tips down. Fans also saw Captain Kerry navigating Cat Baugh’s departure due to her mental health.
Captain Kerry has never minced his words. When he first revealed he had been given the job, he captioned a social media photo by writing, “I expect perfection. If you work hard, you will be rewarded. You f*ck around, and I will f*cking turn in a heartbeat.” I think the captain reached a record high when it came to firings this season.
One thing is for sure- we don’t want to anger the captain. Or it might be down to Davy Jones’ locker for us.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK CAPTAIN KERRY WAS RIGHT TO HAVE A CABIN INSPECTION ON THE LAST CHARTER?
