Below Deck's Captain Lee reveals his "biggest error in judgement"

Below Deck veteran, also known as the "Stud of the Sea", Captain Lee was the first ever ship runner in the franchise. During his ten-season run, the fans and cameras were drawn in by his charm, landing him more on-screen time even after he'd left the show. He co-hosted Couch Talk with Kate Chastain and then went on to start his own podcast, Salty with Captain Lee, recently.

In conversation with the new podcast's fellow host, Sam DeCavalcanti, he dishes the dirt about all that goes on behind the scenes. Recently, in the latest episode, he confessed to what he believes was his greatest mistake while on board. He referred to the time when Rocky from season 3 literally jumped ship, saying he should have terminated her contract right away.

"I consider that my biggest error in judgement... I had a gut [feeling] and it just bit me in the a**," said Captain Lee.

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Below Deck: Captain Lee looks back at Rocky Dakota's theatrics from season 3

Captain Lee Rosbach and co-host Sam were getting candid in the latest episode of his podcast, Salty with Captain Lee. One of Sam's questions unexpectedly opened a treasure trove of secrets, with the Captain revealing his biggest fault from his stint on Below Deck.

He claimed that he kept season 3's Rocky on for much longer than he should have, following the incident where she jumped off the superyacht in protest of Chef Leon's firing and tried to escape by swimming to another boat before making her way right back. The Below Deck Captain recounted the incident where he was informed about her actions and told Sam that he reacted with no sympathy.

"I didn't care. I said 'that's what you call an exodus... if we're lucky, they'll keep her," Captain Lee said.

Third Stew, Raquel 'Rocky' Dakota, had been rocking the Below Deck ship ever since she stepped on, with accounts of insubordination, a turbulent boatmance with Eddie that severely hindered her performance, and of course, her infamous, unexpected dive.

The last straw for her was when her BFF, Chef Leon, was fired for creating a fire due to his lack of cleanliness in the galley. This, along with other issues, caused her to get into a heated dispute with the Captain and then exit the ship in an odd yet memorable way.

She had also failed to create a positive impression on Captain Lee, who, in hindsight, thinks he should have stepped in at that time and held her accountable.

She was allowed to work on board, being let off the hook easily for an offense that was serious enough to get her fired. Below Deck season 3 ended with Rocky still an active member of the crew. However, that was her first and last charter season. Rocky had also been slammed by fans for entering the show to gain overnight fame without any background in yachting.

She admitted to her lack of experience too and has since not returned to the industry.

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Below Deck season 11 is expected to hit screens in October or November of 2023. Additionally, Below Deck Mediterranean season 8 will premiere on September 28, 2023, on Bravo.