Summary
- Captain Sandy filled in for Captain Lee on Below Deck during season 10 to ensure smooth operations.
- Captain Lee disagreed with Captain Sandy’s leadership choices while she temporarily took over.
- Captain Sandy called out Captain Lee publicly for misogynistic behavior in a recent interview.
Below Deck has several captains throughout the franchise, but Below Deck‘s Captain Lee Rosbach and Below Deck Mediterranean‘s Captain Sandy Yawn are two of the most high profile and their current feud is a long time coming. Captain Lee, who has been on Below Deck since it’s very beginning, was the first Captain on the franchise and set the tone of the series before there were any other spin-offs. Captain Sandy, who joined in on Below Deck Mediterranean season 2, has a vastly different approach to yachting than any of the other Captains in the franchise. Though their working styles are very different, both have been successful in the industry.
While Captain Lee wasn’t asked back for Below Deck season 11, he spent 10 seasons with the franchise and speaks publicly about it often. Captain Sandy, who’s currently on Below Deck Mediterranean season 8, has filled in for Captain Lee in the past, and the two had an amicable working relationship for years prior to her stepping in for him during Below Deck season 10. Captain Lee is outspoken and isn’t afraid to speak his mind on things he feels strongly about, but when he spoke out against Captain Sandy, things got rough. Here’s what to know about their feud.
Captain Sandy Filled In For Captain Lee On Below Deck
After suffering from some medical issues, Captain Lee needed to take a leave during Below Deck season 10 and didn’t want the charter season disrupted. He was able to put his faith in Captain Sandy, who’s not only a successful superyacht captain, but has worked in the Below Deck franchise for quite some time. Captain Sandy took over for Captain Lee, ensuring things ran smoothly on the yacht while she was there. She even wound up firing one of the more controversial crew members of the season, Camille Lamb, before Captain Lee returned to duty, feeling good about her time on the yacht when she left.
Captain Lee Didn’t Agree With Captain Sandy’s Choices
Although Captain Lee was happy that Captain Sandy had filled in for him and kept things running smoothly, he was quick to criticize the choices she’d made while she was helping out. Never shy about his feelings, Captain Lee spoke out about Captain Sandy’s leadership. He criticized the fact that Captain Sandy chose not to let him know about firing Camille before doing so, expressing that he felt disrespected as the yacht’s Captain not to know about such a big decision. While Captain Lee agreed with Captain Sandy’s call, he didn’t like the way she went about it and made sure it was public knowledge he felt that way.
Captain Sandy Called Captain Lee Out For Misogynistic Behavior
Although it’s been months since the incident, Captain Sandy still isn’t happy with the way Captain Lee has treated her publicly. In a recent interview, Captain Sandy explained that Lee’s behavior isn’t out of the ordinary for men in the yachting industry, especially when they’re speaking to women in roles of power. She called out Captain Lee’s misogyny, explaining that while she knows he’s well-respected in what he does, so is she, and it’s clear he doesn’t respect her as a Captain in her own right. While the Below Deck captains were keeping their feud quiet before, it’s clear that Captain Sandy’s had enough of Lee questioning her leadership.
Where Do Captain Lee & Captain Sandy Stand Today?
Some time has passed since Captain Lee and Captain Sandy’s feud came to a head. The feuding went back and forth for a while, but the two have since quieted down regarding their dislike for each other. However, no one should expect Lee or Sandy to make amends anytime soon, or ever, for that matter. The captains simply don’t like each other, and Lee made that abundantly clear in a recent interview. While speaking with The Standard, Captain Lee revealed where he and Sandy stand today. When asked if he and Sandy would ever make amends, he responded:
You’d probably spend a better chance of seeing God twice in the next 30 seconds than that happening.
Lee revealed that he was once asked, point-blank, if he likes Sandy, and he simply said no. He didn’t go into much more detail but did say that his “wedding invitation got lost in the mail.” This was clearly a dig at Sandy, who didn’t invite Lee to her wedding when she married her longtime partner, Leah Shafer, earlier this year. It’s safe to say Lee has no want to mend his friendship with Sandy now or in the future following his lack of an invite; it seems to have really dug a deeper hole in their ongoing feud.
Overall, Lee and Sandy have hit the end of their camaraderie after being friends with each other for almost a decade. While it’s sad to see this friendship end, especially after Sandy helped Lee when he needed it, it’s probably for the best. It will be easier for them to avoid each other now that Captain Lee has left Below Deck and has moved on to other career ventures.
Below Deck
is available to stream on Peacock.
Source: The Standard