Below Deck viewers have watched Captain Lee Rosbach at the helm of the hit Bravo franchise for ten seasons now, but they just watched him take an early charter season exit because of health issues.
To replace him five episodes in was Below Deck Mediterranean figurehead Captain Sandy Yawn. She answered the call to help Captain Lee out and run the charter season until Captain Lee can return, assuming he does.
As she stepped into her new role, Captain Sandy gave Captain Lee well wishes and encouragement.
In her Instagram post, Captain Sandy shared a picture of her and Captain Lee hugging with smiles on their faces. In the caption, Sandy wrote, “Always happy to help a fellow captain when called upon. Here’s to your quick recovery @captain_lee_rosbach and your boat will be waiting for you when you get back later this season.”
Captain Lee has been running boats on the high seas for 37 years but was unfortunately brought down by a nerve issue affecting his mobility and feeling in part of his body.
When Captain Sandy introduced her experience in a private interview on the show, she noted that she started on small boats and then went to engineering school and captain’s school, getting her start in the Caribbean before going to the Med. She said her career included living through storms, fires, pirate threats, and warship rescues, along with crew fights and meltdowns.
Captain Sandy Yawn’s girlfriend spoke about when Sandy got the phone call to take over
Captain Sandy’s girlfriend of four years, Leah Shafer, had the top comment on the post and gave insight into the circumstances under which Sandy took the position over for Captain Lee.
She wrote, “[I’ll] never forget the day sandy got the phone call to step in for @captain_lee_rosbach . It was day before valentine’s day and as much as i was sad to see her leave me last minute, sandy didn’t hesitate to step in. She knew this was serious and Captain Lee needed her.”
She finished by saying that she and Sandy had been praying for the respected captain to get better, and she said they loved him.
Below Deck viewers have had a negative reaction to Captain Sandy Yawn’s presence
While Captain Lee may have been happy about Captain Sandy taking over his vessel, St. David, a large swath of Below Deck viewers were not happy to see Sandy at the helm.
Captain Sandy has been criticized for being a micro-manager who plays favorites, and some Below Deck Med viewers who have been turned off by her even threatened to stop watching the OG show since she is now on it.
Below Deck airs Mondays at 8/7c on Bravo. Seasons 1-9 are streaming on Peacock.