43 Fun Facts About Below Deck

On which US network did Below Deck premiere in 2013?

Bravo premiered the series on Monday 1 July 2013, and the ratings were strong enough for a second-season renewal.

Where was the first season of Below Deck filmed?

Sint Maarten: the crew worked a Caribbean charter season out of the island in the season-one footage, which did not air until the summer of 2013.

What was the season-one yacht renamed for filming?

Honor was the on-screen name of the 164-foot yacht; its owner's crew stepped aside for the cast, except the captain and a couple of senior officers who stayed aboard.

What was the real name of the season-one yacht, shown under a different name on screen?

Cuor di Leone, a 164-foot yacht, sailed under a screen name for season one and kept its working captain, who became the face of the franchise.

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

Ben Robinson, one of the few season-one cast members with real yachting experience, returned as chef in later seasons and on the first Mediterranean series.

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

Adrienne Gang, a chief stewardess with years of real yachting experience, ran the interior in season one and did not return as a cast member afterwards.

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

The second season brought Kate aboard, alongside siblings Kelley and Amy Johnson, and she stayed through season seven.

What was the name of the yacht in season two?

Ohana, a 153-foot yacht, was the season-two boat; it worked a Caribbean charter season with a largely new interior team.

Where was season two of Below Deck filmed?

British Virgin Islands: the season-two yacht worked its charters around the BVI, the first season filmed after the network's renewal, with a mostly new crew under the same captain.

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

The Bahamas: season three ran out of Nassau, and chef Leon Walker was replaced mid-season by the chef from the show's first season.

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

The sixth season, filmed in 2018, was set in Tahiti, French Polynesia, and featured 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?

Ashton Pienaar, the South African deckhand, was yanked overboard when the tender's tow line wrapped his ankle during a docking; the line was freed before it pulled tight.

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

A cameraman, Brent Freeburg, dropped his camera and freed the line in seconds, and the captain brought in strict new docking procedures afterwards.

Season seven of Below Deck was filmed in which country?

Thailand: season seven's yacht worked out of Phuket in the Andaman Sea, and it was Kate Chastain's final season as chief stew.

Why was season eight of Below Deck cut short?

COVID-19 cancelled the last two charters: the March 2020 shutdown ended filming early, and the lone season for chief stew Francesca Rubi finished with the crew leaving ahead of schedule.

Which captain stood in at the start of season nine until the regular captain arrived?

Sean Meagher, a veteran charter captain, ran the first charter of season nine while the show's regular captain recovered from a medical issue, then handed over the yacht.

Which spin-off captain filled in for the regular captain mid-way through season ten?

Sandy Yawn, captain of the Mediterranean spin-off, took command for most of season ten while the regular captain recovered from a back injury, and he returned for the final charter.

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

Kerry Titheradge, an Australian captain, took over full-time in season eleven after leading the one-season spin-off Below Deck Adventure.

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

St. David took over as the show's yacht from season ten, hosting the mid-season captain handover that year and the first two seasons under the new full-time captain.

Who was promoted to chief stew in season ten of Below Deck?

Fraser Olender, second stew in season nine under Heather Chase, was promoted to chief stew for season ten and kept the role in the seasons that followed.

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

Eddie Lucas, a deckhand on the very first season, came back in season eight as bosun and was promoted to first officer for season nine.

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

Valor hosted the Nico Scholly and Kate Chastain years in the Caribbean before returning for season seven in Southeast Asia.

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

Rachel Hargrove, a classically trained chef, cooked for three straight seasons from season eight, returning each time despite a walk-out in her first season.

Where was season nine of Below Deck filmed?

St. Kitts: season nine's charters ran around the island and neighbouring Nevis, with Heather Chase as chief stew and a stand-in captain for the opening charter.

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

May 2016: the Mediterranean spin-off premiered on 3 May that year, about a year after the network announced it, and ran a full season before returning with a new captain.

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

Mark Howard captained only the first Mediterranean season, aboard Ionian Princess in 2016; a different captain took over from season two and became the spin-off's fixture.

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

Hannah Ferrier ran the interior for five seasons until she was dismissed midway through season five over undeclared medication, and Bugsy Drake stepped up to chief stew.

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

The Wellington, a 184-foot Oceanco build, was the season-five yacht off Mallorca, 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?

Anastasia Surmava, the third stew, took over the galley after Mila Kolomeitseva's exit and cooked for several charters before a franchise veteran flew in to finish the season.

Who captained Below Deck Sailing Yacht from its 2020 launch?

Glenn Shephard, a Canadian-born captain with decades on sailing yachts, led the sailing spin-off from its 2020 launch.

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

Parsifal III, a 177-foot Perini Navi ketch, hosted the sailing spin-off's early seasons under the same captain throughout.

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

Daisy Kelliher, an Irish chief stew from a yachting family, joined the sailing spin-off in season two and stayed on for the seasons that followed.

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

Greece: the first sailing season cruised the Ionian Islands out of Corfu; later seasons moved to the Adriatic, Menorca, Sardinia and Ibiza.

Who captained Below Deck Down Under from its 2022 premiere?

Jason Chambers, an Australian captain with years of superyacht experience, fronted the Down Under spin-off from its 2022 premiere.

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

Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service, premiered Down Under in March 2022; from season two in 2023 the show aired on the franchise's home cable network.

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

Aesha Scott, a New Zealander who had been second stew on the Mediterranean show, ran the interior for the first two Down Under seasons, then returned to the Med as chief stew.

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

The Whitsundays: the first Down Under season cruised the islands off Queensland's coast near the Great Barrier Reef, and season two moved north to Cairns.

In which country was Below Deck Adventure set?

Norway: the crew cruised the fjords of the country's west coast, and guests went parasailing, cycling and rock climbing off the boat.

Who was the chief stew on Below Deck Adventure?

Faye Clarke, a British chief stew, ran the interior for the adventure spin-off's single season, managing guests who spent as much time off the boat as on it.

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

Mercury was the yacht of the adventure spin-off, the only series in the franchise built around off-ship excursions such as cycling and climbing.

Who was the chef on season five of Below Deck?

Matt Burns, a Canadian chef, ran the galley for season five in 2017; Courtney Skippon from British Columbia followed as a Canadian cast member in season seven.

Which yacht was used for seasons six, eight and nine of Below Deck?

My Seanna served three seasons of the main show: the Pacific season with the tow-line accident and the two Caribbean seasons that followed it.

Where was the eighth season of Below Deck filmed?

Antigua: the eighth season's charters ran around the island before filming ended early, and the season premiered on 2 November 2020.