One of the most interesting aspects of theBelow Deckfranchise is the hierarchy of the employees, and some department heads have proved that their job might not be worth it. Department heads include the captain, the top of the hierarchy, the chief stew, who runs the interior of the ship, the chef, who keeps guests and crew fed, and the first officer or bosun, who manages the exterior crew. To create a cohesive unit, all department heads must manage and work as a united front. If one function of the team fails, they must pick up the slack.
Generally, the exact salaries of department heads are unknown, but in general, a yacht captain would make approximately $85,000 to $228,000, depending on the size of the ship. A chief stew would make approximately $54,000 to $84,000, and a chef would be somewhere in the ballpark of $54,000 to $84,000, more if they are culinary trained, which could see them more in the $60,000 to $108,000 range. A bosun would make somewhere in the $48,000 to $66,000 range, and a first officer would make somewhere in the $54,000 to $102,000 range.
Of course,having to perform their regular duties while also being recorded for a reality television show ups the pressureon the cast and crew of anyBelow Deckfranchise series. Not only are they being watched and critiqued by their fellow staff, they’re also being watched and critiqued by audiences viewing in at home. It can make one beg the question as to whether being a department head on a super yacht is even worth it.
6Kate Chastain
Not Worth It
Kate is one of the most famousChief Stews to come out ofBelow Deck. She appeared onBelow Deckfrom season 2 through season 7, and made other sporadic appearances. In an interview withBravo, Kate shared that her first impression of being a chief stew was that it was an easy job.
“Before I was a Chief Stew, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that job is so easy. I could do such a better job.’ And then, I became a chief stew and there were so many things that I didn’t know had to be done.”
A chief stew’s role is all-encompassing, and the entire interior crew is dependent on the chief stew’s leadership and management skills. Not only must a chief stew manage the interior crew’s work, they must also step in to settle squabbles, keep the team motivated, and make sure everyone is running on track. In Kate’s case,it doesn’t appear that being the chief stew was worth it.
Kate left the show and has pursued other endeavors in the reality TV world, including memorable appearances onThe Traitors. Since Kate ultimately chose to leave yachting, it’s a sign that the benefits of the job didn’t outweigh the negatives. Despite rising to such a high position, Kate left the industry entirely.
5Fraser Olender
As theBelow Deckfranchise’s first male chief stew, Fraser had some large shoes to fill. He began onBelow Deckseason 9and byBelow Deckseason 10, he was named chief stew. Fraser remained on the show forBelow Deckseason 11, and is slated to return toBelow Deckseason 12.
In Fraser’s case, it seems that the struggles of the job, including a tough season 10 with Captain Sandy, the fact that he’s willing to return for another go means being a department head has worked out for him on the surface. However, Fraser endured a lot of emotional wreckage. During season 10, Captain Sandy accused Fraser of being a poor manager, and blamed him for all of the problems on the interior team.
“The fish stinks at the head, and right now, you’re that head.”
Rather than fight with Captain Sandy,Fraser took her words to heart. He apologized to her for his shortcomings, and vowed to do better. And better he did, remaining in his role for two more seasons at sea, but he has made it abundantly clear on the show that being a department head is not easy, and that it comes with self-doubt, self-criticism, and a lot of attention.
4Natasha Webb
Below Deck Mediterraneanseason 7 was filled with classicBelow Decktropes: “boatmances” gone wrong, crew insubordination, demanding charter guests, and more. The season also introduced anew Chief Stew in Natasha. Natasha came on board the super yacht Home and came face-to-face with former fling, chef Dave White.
It was a difficult situation to work in for Natasha, who wanted to keep her past with Dave private. Add to that all the drama with her own interior crew, and it looks like being a department head onBelow Deckwasn’t worth it for Natasha. Or perhaps the idea of working as a chief stew on reality TV wasn’t worth it. Not only did she only appear in one season, and she’s gone on to other endeavors, she still does some yacht work, meaning that it wasn’t the job itself that wasn’t worth it for Natasha.
3Eddie Lucas
Eddie appeared on multiple early seasons ofBelow Deckas a deckhand, eventually working his way up to Bosun. He returned forBelow Deckseasons 8 and 9 as a Bosun and then as First Officer. Eddie was always seen as a solid Bosun who acted professionally, but never managed to live down his ill-advisedfling with Raquel “Rocky” DakotaduringBelow Deckseason 3.
US Weeklyreported that after not being asked back forBelow Deckseason 10, Eddie commented on the fact that crew members don’t really earn much, proving that in his case, working in a lead position wasn’t worth it.
“I was not invited back to do another season. …While we do get paid better than a normal yachtie, of course, we are still not getting paid what people like the Housewives are making, which is a little frustrating, because they’re not really working—they’re just going out to dinner and fighting,” said Eddie.
2Katie Flood
Katie, a New Zealand native, made an impact during her appearance onBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 6, when she worked as chief stew of the motor yacht Lady Michelle under Captain Sandy. Katie came to the boat with loads of experience. Still, she was determined to work hard and impress Captain Sandy.But she only served one season on reality TV, and it was obvious that she was tested in leadership beyond her means.
“I don’t consider myself a typical chief stew. When you’re in a higher role, I think it’s important to show that you still work as hard. It’s a Capricorn thing!”
It was a tough season for Katie, as she suffered frequent panic attacks from the pressure of leading the interior team. In an interview withE! News, Katie reflected on her season, saying, “I sure am not gonna enjoy watching myself cry on TV, I know my mom’s not gonna like that. I talk about it on the show, I do struggle with anxiety, and that was a really hard time for me, what I was going through at that particular time.”
1Adam Glick
Chef Adam made hisBelow Deckdebut onBelow Deck Mediterraneanseason 2, and remained on board for season 3. He then jumped ship and ended up onBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 1, so Adam has been around the reality TV/yachtie block. His wayward boatmances with Malia White and Jenna MacGillivray did not paint him in the best light, and many viewers felt him to be toxic. After his reality TV appearances,Adam stepped away from Bravo cameras.
Today,Below Deck’sAdam is a food influencerwho recently released his own cookbook. While the trials of working as a chef on a reality TV show are difficult, one could argue that without his time on the show,he wouldn’t be as successful in the food world. Audiences got familiar with Adam, and while his cooking was often praised, his behavior and personality were not and he received online criticism. While the money can be enticing to become a department head (viacrewfinders.com), the trouble of the job may overshadow the compensation, at least in these cases.
