There have been many Bosuns in the Below Deck franchise with big egos. As the head of the exterior team, Bosuns have a difficult job that requires skill, patience, and leadership. They serve as the right hand in line for each captain. Bosuns are crucial to the success of each charter team alongside the Chief Stew. If they don’t fit the position, the whole superyacht suffers. Jared Woodin was fired during Below Deck season 11 for underperforming as Bosun. Aside from Jared, there have been other Below Deck bosuns who should’ve been fired but weren’t.

Oftentimes, the crew members of Below Deck develop massive egos. Being the star of a season can get to their heads. Instead of prioritizing their jobs onboard, they may focus on creating dramatic reality TV moments to ensure fame after Below Deck. On the contrary, crew members also develop a sense of cockiness because of their titles aboard the superyachts. Across the Below Deck franchise, they’ve had plenty of bosuns who have let the excitement of being on TV, combined with their pride in their job, change them as crew members.

10

Malia White

Below Deck Mediterranean Seasons 2, 5, & 6

Malia White became the first female bosun of the Below Deck franchise during Below Deck Mediterranean season 5. Despite making history on the show during season 5, she also prompted one of the show’s most contested firings ever. In Below Deck Med season 5, Malia told Captain Sandy Yawn that Hannah Ferrier had illegal Valium and a vape pen on the superyacht. The Chief Stew was immediately fired, prompted by Malia’s conversation with the captain. While Hannah was in the wrong, Malia’s ego was somewhat inflated after getting one of the most beloved Chief Stews fired.

9

EJ Jansen

Below Deck Season 5

EJ Jansen is one of the least memorable Below Deck bosuns from the franchise. He joined during Below Deck season 5, serving as a temporary replacement for Kelley Johnson, who had to depart due to family matters. Even though EJ was on the show for a short time, his ego showed. Despite a lack of experience with the franchise, his title of “Bosun” arguably got to his head as he didn’t get along swimmingly with the rest of his crew members. EJ had tension with Chief Stew Kate Chastain during the season.

8

Bryan Kattenburg

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 1

Bryan Kattenburg was the first official Bosun for the franchise spin-off Below Deck Med. He performed his job as Bosun exceptionally well. The cause of his conflict throughout Below Deck Med season 1 was deckhand Danny Zureikat, who was fired for his questionable behavior toward guests and the rest of the crew. Bryan was likely excited to be known as the OG Bosun of Below Deck Med, though he often faded into the background for the rest of the season’s drama.

7

Eddie Lucas

Below Deck Seasons 1-3, 8, & 9

Eddie Lucas was the Bosun on Below Deck for several seasons, including 1-3, 8, and 9. His many appearances on the show seemingly got to his head. During Below Deck season 3, he infamously cheated on his girlfriend with fellow crew member Rocky Dakota. They hid their boatmance from the rest of the Below Deck season 3 cast and confirmed their affair at the finale. Eddie’s ego was so inflated he didn’t even care he was cheating on his girlfriend and that the affair was filmed.

He made waves once more when returning for Below Deck season 9. The season was negatively tainted when Heather Chase said a racial slur in front of Rayna Lindsay. At the reunion, Rayna revealed she told Eddie what Heather said, and he didn’t do anything about it. He furthered their conflict, alleging Rayna used a homophobic slur, though Eddie said he “didn’t remember the conversation” he had with her about the issue. However, there was footage of Eddie making the allegation about Rayna.

6

Nico Scholly

Below Deck Seasons 4 & 5

Nicol Scholly joined Below Deck season 4 as a deckhand and returned once more for season 5. Working under Captain Lee Rosbach, he was the lead deckhand on season 5 and impressed his captain with his ability to help teach the rest of the exterior team crew. He was quick to discipline his fellow deck team members and was eventually promoted to Bosun by Captain Lee. Nico’s promotion was a dream come true for the Bosun, who notably enjoyed the power he held in the position.

5

Jamie Sayed

Below Deck Down Under Season 1

Jamie Sayed had a sour attitude on Below Deck Down Under season 1. He was disrespectful towards his fellow crew members. Jamie was demanding instead of working alongside them to ensure success during the charter season. Jamie was rude towards Captain Jason Chambers and would call him “Jason” instead of “Captain.” He truly thought he ran the superyacht during Below Deck Down Under season 1, and Captain Jason caught onto this. Subsequently, Jamie wasn’t asked to return for a second season.

4

João Franco

Below Deck Mediterranean Seasons 3 & 4, Below Deck Down Under Season 2

João Franco’s first stint with the franchise during Below Deck Med season 3 showcased an ugly side of the eventual bosun. When he drank, João turned into his self-proclaimed alter ego “Jezabob.” His behavior when he was intoxicated was utterly outrageous, and he specifically targeted the women of the crew to direct his anger towards them. João got so angry one night that he shattered a glass in his bare hands on top of calling Aesha a “Russian prostitute.” Despite his terrible behavior, he returned for another season of Below Deck Med and Below Deck Down Under.

3

Ashton Pienaar

Below Deck Seasons 6 & 7

During Below Deck season 6, Ashton Pienaar was a beloved cast member. He’s well-known for being in a near-fatal accident when his foot got caught in a tow line and went into the ocean. He was promoted during Below Deck season 7, and it seemed that the attention he’d received from the show’s audience had gotten to his head. Like João, Ashton became aggressive when he consumed alcohol. He did not get along well with Chief Stew Kate and punched a car door during one night out.

2

Ben Willoughby

Below Deck Seasons 10 & 11

Ben Willoughby was promoted to Bosun during Below Deck season 11 after Jared was unable to fulfill his duties in the role. He went into the season disappointed that Captain Kerry Titheradge had not hired him in the role but was eager to take over in place of Jared. Before he was promoted, Ben often critiqued his Bosun’s performance. He grew incredibly annoyed with Jared and wasn’t too sad to see him leave St. David. Once he stepped into the role of Bosun, Ben did a good job leading his team. Nonetheless, Ben stirred up drama during the season.

After entering a boatmance with Camille Lamb during Below Deck season 10, he formed a connection with his fellow deck team member, Sunny Marquis. His boatmance with Sunny was incredibly up-and-down. She had real feelings for Ben while he ranted about missing Camille in his confessionals. He went as far as to call his ex-girlfriend and ask if she’d be willing to hang out, an offer she declined. Ben and Sunny took time apart from each other before reconciling and walking away from Below Deck season 11 together as a couple.

1

Gary King

Below Deck Sailing Yacht Seasons 2-4

Gary King is a very controversial Below Deck Bosun. He deemed himself a womanizer and got involved in many boatmances on Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 2-4. The audience thought Gary was a problematic creep because of his behavior towards the women on the show. Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 4 makeup artist Samantha Suarez accused him of sexual misconduct while the series was filming. Per Rolling Stone, Samantha said that he tried to grab her from behind when he was intoxicated in a hotel after filming a confessional, and she couldn’t leave the room.

The makeup artist also alleged she told the Below Deck production team about the incident, and no action was taken against Gary. The production team behind Below Deck Sailing Yacht ended up issuing a statement saying they investigated at the time of the alleged assault. He was allegedly invited back for Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5 instead of being fired.

Most of the Bosuns on Below Deck have huge egos. It takes a great deal of pride to accept the role of leader when it comes to the exterior deck team on superyachts. Sometimes, the notoriety of being on the Below Deck franchise combined with the power position of their job naturally inflates a Bosun’s ego.

Sources: Rolling Stone