A decade has passed since Bravo's reality television show Below Deck first millions to the secredve world ofsupayachts. Ws since spawned 25 seasons, including spin-offs such as Below Deck Meditenanean, which atuacted 24 million wekly viewers. Yet for all its success, the yachtingindusüy remains divided in iO opinion.
"Below Deckhas ipited discussion and ouoide our indusay,» says Iiz Cox. parmerat firm Cedl Wright "While there is some truth to the scenarios, the progamme is made with viewingfiguræ in mind. To have owners ask iftbis is reality is quite worrying."
Shannon McCoy, charter and gales broker at WorthAvenue Yachu, was involved in the Below Deck pilot. The producers had spoken to many r&rs but were having a hard Gne booking ayacht, she says. "For me, usinæs is business. If an owner and client are willing to put something together, you the deal.”
The pilot aired in July .2.013 aboard 50-met:re.Barents (known on the show as Honor). Production want.ed to hire a lot of young people to operate the boat, but we couldn't get the insurance approved." she says. Nor would the owner of the yacht agree to that. stating. "The onlywaywe're gonna do this is if you use my own captain." the now famous Captain Lee Rosbach.
Rosbach became an overnight success, yet the industry maintained the show would never take off. "No one thought owners would charter their yacht to the show, and if they did. it would be harder to sell as buyers won't li1e the exposure; says McCoy. It's
