Every good reality show starts with a memorable cast, but the producers of Below Deck set themselves up for an especially difficult task. Not only do they need to find capable and willing yachties who are going to pop off the screen whether they’re making beds and cleaning heads or inflating that godforsaken slide, they need crew who can do all that while keeping the show’s docusoap elements afloat. To be good at Below Deck is to be skillful at two jobs, both the one on the boat and the one as a practitioner of the reality-television arts and sciences.
Complicating things even more is that there are relatively few repeat cast members year to year; even fan favorites may only get one or two seasons to shine. That means production can keep salaries down (lucky them!), but it also means that each season we get a mostly new cast to meet, judge, and get excited about, secure in the knowledge that most of them didn’t go on the show with the sole intention of becoming a professional reality-TV personality. They’re doing this for fun and their love of the yachtie lifestyle, they’re being themselves, and they’re not forcing drama for the sake of an extended story line like many new Real Housewives do.
This constant turnover also means that more people have performed on Below Deck and its four spinoffs (Mediterranean, Sailing Yacht, Down Under, and Adventure) than on all of the stages at Coachella combined. There have been a ton of them — 214, in fact, as I learned when I set out to rank everyone who has ever served in Bravo’s armada of drama. Some were memorable and some barely invited a second thought, some were hard workers and some spent most of their time on smoke breaks, some were affably charming and some were in boatmances so toxic not all the self-help books in the world could help. (Being in a boatmance is a bit of a double-edged sword on Below Deck: It will get you a lot more screen time, but so many of them are so awful in their relationships that they get judged more harshly.) So we stacked all of them against each other to determine who were the best and who deserved to be sent home with nothing but an insult and a plane ticket.
To rank highly, crew — and captains! We’re not letting them off the hook here! — have to be exceptional at both of their jobs. Those who are terrible at being a yachtie but excellent at reality TV can still rank pretty highly, depending on how much they lit up our screens. (Those who were so terrible at being a yachtie that they disembarked the show after four episodes or fewer have been relegated to their own “short timers” ranking.) And those who are good at their jobs but bad at TV, basically, yawn; I’m sure there’s some kind of maritime commendation they can receive that has nothing to do with this list. Memorability and overall impact on the show are the biggest factors here, which is why you’ll see some villains climbing higher than you might expect, some absolute messes climbing higher than we’d like to admit, and some boatmances climbing both on top of each other and higher on this list than the chaste. With all that in mind, here is the official, irrefutable, absolutely scientific ranking of everyone who has ever had to don a polyester polo shirt to please some cretin with “No onions!” on his preference sheet.
199.
Luke Jones
Deckhand
Below Deck Down Under
Season 2
—
He was caught on-camera trying to climb into bed naked with drunken stew Margot Sisson without her consent and slammed the door on producers when they tried to intervene. Of course he was fired, and of course his behavior lands him dead last on this list.
198.
Laura Bileskaline
Second Stew
Below Deck Down Under
Season 2
—
Thinking she knew better than Aesha Scott would be enough to doom her to hell. Her sexually harassing Adam Kodra and then sympathizing with Luke Jones won’t send her there faster, but it did get her kicked off the show and a place at the bottom of this list right alongside Luke.
197.
Gary King
First Officer
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Seasons 2-5
—
The franchise’s ultimate lothario, Gary’s hooked up with nearly everyone — including two different stews during season two — and found ways to mistreat all of them. His ethics when it comes to workplace romances are nil, culminating in a messy season four when he was shagging Mads Herrera while also pursuing Daisy Kelliher when she was dating his best friend Colin Macrae. It might be all Gary’s fault season five was delayed, following allegations he sexually assaulted a member of production staff, which, after seeing how he treats women on the show, are horrendously believable. Yes, he’s provided lots of great story lines, but this is a bridge too far.
196.
Peter Hunziker
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 5
—
A cast member so horrible that Bravo had to go back and edit him out of the show after his racist Instagram posts came to light. Because he was erased from the season, all we ever learned about him is that he was such a misogynist that Malia White had to give him a talking-to.
195.
Mila Kolomeitseva
Chef
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 4
—
She made the world’s saddest nachos for guests and then made a bunch of homophobic comments on a yacht captained by a lesbian. She only lasted five episodes and then was replaced by Anastasia Surmava, a stew who had no formal culinary training.
194.
Raygan Tyler
Bosun
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 7
—
Maybe it was laziness, maybe it was incompetence, but this bosun couldn’t handle her job at all. When Captain Sandy couldn’t find her onboard, she claimed it was “food poisoning,” the “dog ate my homework” of excuses. She was sent to shore after only five episodes.
193.
Emma Crouch
Deckhand
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 5
—
Perhaps the worst deckhand we’ve ever seen, she not only couldn’t do the job but was lazy, complained, and refused to take direction. She even walked out in the middle of Captain Glenn firing her because she needed a cigarette break.
192.
Chandler Brooks
Bosun, Below Deck Season 6
When Captain Lee told this rudderless leader that he needed to improve, he blamed his fed-up crew instead of taking the criticism. When that improvement never came, he was walked off the plank after nine episodes.
191.
Chris Brown
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 5
—
When he just couldn’t do his job, Captain Lee fired him after six episodes. On his way out, he said, “I don’t give a shit. I’m gonna get drunk on the beach and get laid.” At least he was good at making an exit.
190.
Brian de Saint Pern
Lead Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 7
—
This guy broke up with Courtney Skippon by text (what, were there no Post-its available on the Valor?) and then got mad when she told everyone he broke up with her by text. In a season notorious for its misogyny, he was one of the worst offenders.
189.
Tanner Sterback
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 7
—
Another dog in a season of dogs, Tanner hooked up with stew Simone and tried to climb aboard the Kate Chastain express. Thank God she wasn’t having it.
188.
Ashley Marti
Stew
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 3
—
She kept begging to get promoted and it was exhausting, but it worked and she went from third stew to lead stew. The bigger issue was that she engaged in sex with Gary King when he was too intoxicated to give consent, which some fans saw as assault (Gary said later he didn’t think it was). Ashley refused to film the reunion and blamed the whole thing on the edit. Yeah, that line never goes over well.
187.
Shane Coopersmith
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 8
—
This dreamy Berkeley grad thought he was better than everyone onboard but was the laziest of all the deckhands. When he slept through an alarm for an early shift, Captain Lee sent him packing after seven episodes.
186.
Jessica Albert
Stew
Below Deck
Season 9
—
After nine episodes she dramatically quit, saying that her body was “shutting down” owing to the intense schedule of working on a yacht. She packed her bags and hit the dock without even saying good-bye to anyone.
185.
Jason Gaskell
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 7
—
The only introvert among a deck crew of extroverts, Jason never fit in. The whining about everyone else didn’t help, either. When Bosun Storm Smith tried to talk to him about his attitude, the talk got heated and he decided he’d rather storm out than continue onboard.
184.
Parker McCown
Deckhand
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 1
—
This dude knew nothing when he started but also refused to listen to direction or respect the crew hierarchy, especially when he talked down to Ciara Duggan, the one woman on the deck team. His issues got so bad he eventually quit before the end of the season.
183.
Seth Jacobson
Deckhand
Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
This annoying overachiever wanted to be lead deckhand so badly that he never shut up about it. When Captain Kerry finally made it a reality, he turned into a petty dictator.
182.
Jean-Luc “JL” Cerza-Lanaux
Deckhand
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 2
—
He fathered a baby with stew Dani Soares, denied it was his, then confirmed it. Perhaps it seems unfair to rank him this low for stuff that happened postseason, but JL deserves it.
181.
Tom Pearson
Deckhand, Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 3
He wasn’t paying attention and let the anchor drag and the ship run aground. Probably the biggest nautical fuck-up in franchise history. Yeah, he was fired in episode seven.
180.
Delaney Evans
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 6
—
Delaney was supposed to bunk with Chef Matthew Shea, but when management said she had to share a room with another woman, Chief Stew Katie Flood decided to let her go. You know she wasn’t contributing much if an overworked stew would rather let her go than rejigger bunk assignments.
179.
Davide Morosi
Engineer
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 5
—
Not only does he have a terrible haircut, but his drunken antics with Gary King ruined a couch, something he never suitably apologized for.
178.
Matt Burns
Chef
Below Deck
Season 5
—
This guy was a chef on Below Deck? Wait, this was the season where Kate Chastain had to come up with his menu. Got it.
177.
Robert Phillips
Deckhand, Below Deck Season 8
This fill-in deckhand made his mark by slagging off Izzy Wouters after she was promoted to lead deckhand over him.
176.
Chris Miller
Deckhand
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 1
—
Competent with a hardworking attitude, he was a replacement at the end of the season and ended up hurting his back so badly he couldn’t even work the last charter. He wasn’t terrible, just superfluous.
175.
Kelsie Goglia
Deckhand
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 3
—
She worked hard, had great hair, and didn’t say much. What’s great in the real world isn’t always great in the reality world.
174.
Lauren Burchell
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 4
—
An early female deckie, she didn’t really stand out other than for a drunken night in the master cabin where she, Kyle Dixon, Ben Robinson, and Nico Scholly damaged a wall.
173.
Baker Manning
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 5
—
The only memorable thing she did was blank EJ Jansen when he went in for the kiss. She was working too hard to get into the drama.
172.
Nick Tatlock
Chef
Below Deck
Season 11
—
A late-season replacement, this chef was always harping on his 20 years of experience, but among all of that expertise, taking notes apparently wasn’t part of it.
171.
Julia D’Albert Pusey
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 1
—
Other than a fight with Chef Ben about croissants, I can’t remember one thing she did on the show. I do remember her being a hard worker. That’s good.
170.
Reid Jenkins
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 7
—
Coming in for the last five episodes, he struggled to get in good with the crew, who were already trauma-bonded by this season’s romantic toxicity.
169.
Haleigh Gorman
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 8
—
She got so sick she had to go to the hospital, but other than that, she failed to make an impression.
168.
Diana Cruz
Stew, Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5
Too shy to flirt with boys and too quiet to start mess, Diana never seemed like a good fit for the show. She seems capable enough on the boat, though.
167.
Wes O’Dell
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 9
—
A deckie who kept his head down, avoided the drama, and worked hard. We love to see it, even if it’s kind of hard to remember seeing it.
166.
Barnaby Birkbeck
Deckhand
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 3
—
The name, the wild hair … He sure was a lot. Nice kid, but we only knew him for a few episodes.
165.
Scarlett Bentley
Stew
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 3
—
She had a crush on Gary King, which doesn’t speak well for her judgment, and she struggled to keep up with her boss Daisy Kelliher’s exacting standards when she was onboard. Good thing she was only an end-of-season replacement.
164.
Paris Field
Stew
Below Deck
Season 11
—
Sexy and bossy is always a good combination for a replacement stew, even though she could have been better about deferring to Chef Nick Tatlock.
163.
June Foster
Stew, Below Deck Mediterranean Season 4
“June June Hannah. June June Hannah. June June Hannah.”
162.
Emile Kotze
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 3
—
He was hot, but did he really do anything other than be hot? Did he need to?
161.
Max Hagley
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 2
—
Cute and lovable, first-time deckie Max made friends with nearly everyone on the crew. Nothing bad to say about him, but not much else to say about him, either.
160.
Emily Warburton-Adams
Stew
Below Deck
Season 4
—
Chef Ben’s adorable English girlfriend was so lovely. If only there was more to say about her otherwise uneventful tenure.
159.
Kevin Dobson
Chef
Below Deck
Season 7
—
Telling Kate Chastain that her service sucks and kicking sand at her were strikes one and two. Forgetting Captain Lee was sitting in on a guest dinner was strikes three through a million.
158.
Danny Zureikat
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 1
—
The undisputed villain of the season, not just with the fans but also the crew. Hannah Ferrier and Bobby Giancola both hated this deckie, and he was eventually fired for making out with a guest and writing her a poem. Cringe.
157.
Mathew Shea
Chef
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 6
—
He almost quit during the first charter, when a panic attack and a knee injury sidelined him. He then actually quit after a crew night out and decided to come crawling back the next day. This guy was an absolute mess and not even that great of a chef.
156.
Simone Mashile
Stew, Below Deck Season 7
This stew was bad on service and good at annoying Kate Chastain, a combination that got her demoted from second to third.
155.
Jared Woodin
Bosun
Below Deck
Season 11
—
This bosun was giving chaotic energy from the jump, but when he drunkenly freaked out at Kyle Stillie for leaving his tobacco on deck, his aggression woke up the captain and got him fired.
154.
Danni Warren
Stew
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 5
—
Usually it’s on The Bachelor that we hear that people are there for the wrong reasons, but Danni seemed more interested in hooking up with Gary King, Keith Allen, or her hottie who works at a beach club than doing her job.
153.
Jenna MacGillivray
Chief Stew
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 1
—
She spent most of her time onboard engaging in PDA with Chef Adam Glick — so much so that Captain Glenn had to talk to her about it. While she was ignoring her duties, she was also yelling at her stews about slacking off.
152.
Ross McHarg
Bosun
Below Deck
Season 10
—
This bosun hooked up with subordinate Katie Glaser, then flirted with Alissa Humber and other women at the bar right under her nose. He did his job well enough, but stringing along someone who worked for him was deplorable.
151.
Adrienne Gang
Chief Stew
Below Deck
Season 1
—
The franchise’s initial chief stew had such a bad attitude that none of her subordinates would listen to her and were always talking back. When she came back for a visit during season two, Eddie Lucas wanted to avoid her so badly he swam back to the boat.
4 eps or less
Short Stays
Some of these short-timers were barely remembered but competent replacements for departed crew, and some were so egregiously bad at their jobs that they got fired before reaching the five-episode threshold to be on the main list. Unlike the main ranking, this one goes from relative best to the absolute living worst.
15. Leigh-Ann Smith
Stew, Below Deck S10
Though she was only on the show for four episodes, she added some late-stage drama when we found out she had been sexting with Ben Willoughby for months before arriving onboard.
14. Taylor Dennison
Stew, Below Deck Down Under S1
She was a replacement at the end of the season but a hard worker. She deserved more.
13. Avery Russell
Deckhand, Below Deck S8
The first crew member to leave after only one day and the only one to do so voluntarily, Avery returned home before the season even started to be with his ailing grandmother.
12. Kaylee Milligan
Stew, Below Deck S9
A former co-worker of chief stew Heather Chase, Kaylee was only on three uneventful episodes to fill in after another stew quit.
11. Brooke Boney
Temp Stew, Below Deck Mediterranean S8
She was a fill-in stew for the first two episodes while Kyle Viljoen was stuck owing to visa issues. Thanks, I guess.
10. Don Abenante
Deckhand/Engineer, Below Deck S3
This former engineer just wanted to work on the boat’s engine, but his boss Eddie Lucas just wanted him to scrub the teak. After he was reprimanded for diving off the boat with Rocky Dakota, he decided it was time to leave.
9. Trevor Walker
Deckhand, Below Deck S4
This former hair model pissed off just about everyone onboard and got demoted from second engineer before Captain Lee fired him in episode four “for being a fuck-up.” That’s that.
8. Andrew Sturby
Deckhand, Below Deck S2
The first person in the whole franchise to be fired, he only lasted four episodes before Captain Lee found out he lied about his credentials.
7. Logan Reese
Deckhand, Below Deck Season 2
This late-season fill-in for four episodes seemed nice enough.
6. Nate Post
Chef, Below Deck Down Under S1
He was only the chef for the last four episodes, but after the horrible Ryan McKeown, he gets all the Michelin stars.
5. Sean Meagher
Temporary Captain, Below Deck S9
The meddling micromanager filled in for two episodes while Captain Lee was delayed on land. Yeah, none of us want him back.
4. Dane Jackson
Deckhand, Below Deck S3
He got wasted in the crew mess and woke everyone up, then got so wasted on a crew day off that he became aggressive and had to be sent back early on a tender. Naturally Captain Lee was waiting for him with a plane ticket home. He did all of this in four episodes.
3. Lara Flumiani
Second Stew, Below Deck Mediterranean S5
Of all the attitude problems we’ve seen on this show, hers was absolutely the worst. She didn’t want to do anything Hannah Ferrier told her and acted as if she was above the job she was hired to do. She quit after three episodes and everyone rejoiced, including fans.
2. Ruan Irving
Bosun, Below Deck Mediterranean S8
This short-term bosun got caught faking his yachting certificates and was booted before the boat even left the dock for the first time. Absolutely terrible but also absolutely iconic.
1. Kyle Dickard
Deckhand, Below Deck Adventure S1
This loud-and-proud Texas cowboy was fired in the third episode for threatening to fight Nathan Morley, the only Black member of the crew, because Nathan asked him politely to flush after he takes a poop in their shared bathroom. This guy was bad news from the jump.
150.
Caroline Bedol
Stew, Below Deck Season 6
She quit with “two days’ notice,” as if that’s a thing, after being a terrible stew all season. That said, Kate Chastain and Josiah Carter did torture her on the way out by blasting music outside her room, which wasn’t nice, but if she was my co-worker, I’d celebrate her quitting, too.
149.
EJ Jansen
Bosun
Below Deck
Season 5
—
He arrived as a replacement bosun, ran the deck like a petty dictator (“It’s my deck now, buddy boy”), then left six episodes later to go back to a boat he’d worked on before.
148.
Iain Maclean
Bosun
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 9
—
Iain’s biggest feat is somehow managing to not get fired after being the laziest and most incompetent bosun we’ve seen on the show.
147.
Gabriela Barragán
Stew
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 3
—
She butted heads admirably with fellow stew Ashley Marti, but after a spat with Chef Marcos Spaziani on the crew day off and an emotional call with a friend back home, she realized she was better off leaving.
146.
Abbi Murphy
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 7
—
She got engaged to her boyfriend via text message and then left after six episodes because she didn’t like the yacht lifestyle. And she had a wedding to plan!
145.
Adrian Martin
Chef
Below Deck
Season 6
—
The calm and capable chef showed up on the boat in an open relationship, which is fine, but his unwanted advances toward Laura Betancourt were not cool.
144.
Laura Betancourt
Stew
Below Deck
Season 6
—
She was a late replacement who booed up with Ashton Pienaar and never lived up to Kate Chastain’s expectations. The classic Below Deck experience in just seven short episodes.
143.
Benny Crawley
Deckhand
Below Deck Down Under
Season 1
—
He started out with a terrible attitude, refusing to “flake” the anchor chain because he didn’t want to crouch in a small space. Eventually, he came around, but man, could this guy whine.
142.
Cloyce Martin
Chef
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 5
—
When this 21-year-old arrived, it was pretty clear that he was going to prove too immature to be effective in the hardest job on the boat. After serving a disgusting cake and screwing up a dinner because he would rather go swimming with the guests than prep, Cloyce got an old-fashioned talking to from Daisy Kelliher that turned him around and got him plating perfect dishes. Thank God he grew up.
141.
Oriana Schneps
Stew
Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
All she wanted was to be second stew, but she didn’t have the chops for a promotion. And so smug, too!
140.
Carrie O’Neill
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 9
—
On a season marked by terrible stews, Aesha Scott finally got a good one who showed the others just how hard they should be working. Too bad she was only there for four episodes.
139.
Jen Howell
Stew, Below Deck Season 5
This stew was usually more concerned with doing her hair and fighting with Kate Chastain than actually doing her job.
138.
Cat Baugh
Stew
Below Deck
Season 11
—
She always seemed a bit fragile, but when she got a disturbing call from her best friend at home, she packed up without giving an explanation. Probably for the best.
137.
Kasey Cohen
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 3
—
A terribly green stew, she was so bad at her job that Hannah Ferrier thought she lied about her experience on her résumé. But she’ll be most remembered for her love triangle with João Franco and Brooke Laughton. She lost to Brooke, but she’s probably not even mad about it since she’s now married to a woman.
136.
Lexi Wilson
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 6
—
Where to start? Her bragging about her expensive apartment and nice bags? Her coming for babyangel Zee Dempers for no good reason? Her telling Chef Matthew Shea that his parents should have aborted him? She was a litany of horrible right up until Captain Sandy fired her.
135.
David White
Chef
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 7
—
If toxic masculinity needed a mascot, it could do no better than this “adrenaline junkie.” Before joining the show, Dave and chief stew Natasha Webb started a relationship while she had a boyfriend. They tried to keep their romance on the DL, but when Natasha went cold on him, he sent her a tirade of inappropriate messages, calling her a “whore” among other things. Grow up, dude.
134.
Natasha Webb
Chief Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 7
—
After her relationship with bunkmate David White became known to the crew, she went back to the toxic ex-boyfriend whom she cheated on with David. All of these distractions made her management skills atrocious.
133.
Jamie Sayed
Bosun
Below Deck Down Under
Season 1
—
This cop turned bosun clashed with just about every crew member, including Captain Jason. He was angry, manipulative, and always made himself out to be the hero of his own drama. But the toxic masculinity really showed when the women onboard jokingly called him “bitch” and he freaked the fuck out.
132.
Katie Glaser
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 10
—
This deckie hooked up with her boss, bosun Ross McHarg, then stood by him as he treated her like a barnacle for the rest of the season. She deserved better and should have dumped that loser.
131.
Bryan Kattenburg
First Officer, Below Deck Mediterranean Season 1
This bosun turned first officer had to deal with horrible Danny Zureikat and his insubordination, but that doesn’t excuse the chauvinism he displayed to deckie Jen Riservato.
130.
Aleks Taldykin
First Officer
Below Deck
Season 1
—
The first officer was initially hired to be the captain, but the owner of Honor didn’t think he was experienced enough, and Captain Lee was hired at the last minute. (Thank Poseidon, god of the sea!) What’s most shocking is that he also showed up in two episodes of Vanderpump Rules when he dated Kristen Doute.
129.
Kyle Dixon
Deckhand
Below Deck
Seasons 4-5
—
On his first season as a fill-in deckhand, this unruly Englishman flirted with Sierra Storm while he had a girlfriend, and during his second season, he freaked out when someone touched his food. Someone loves drama!
128.
Lewis Lupton
Bosun
Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
Usually bosuns are too overbearing, but this one was too wishy-washy. He let his crew get away with everything, including being lazy. To make it worse, he had Kyle Dickard’s back when he threatened to beat up another deckhand.
127.
Tyler Rowland
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 6
—
This surfer boy was a late addition to the deck crew and even went on a date with Rhylee Gerber … where he maybe-sorta broke up with her? Very much a type but good at his job.
126.
Keith Allen
Deckhand
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 5
—
He let professionalism keep him from getting sucked into the drama whirlpool that is Danni Warren, who made some moves on him, but when he grew close to Daisy Kelliher, he had to know that would cause some waves.
125.
C.J. LeBeau
2nd Engineer
Below Deck
Season 1
—
This second engineer took a drunken swim with Sam Orme while they were on charter, which is two big no-nos wrapped into one. When Captain Lee told him to take a tip cut or take a walk, he walked … right to another boat in the marina, which hired him. That’s gumption!
124.
Elizabeth Frankini
Stew, Below Deck Season 8
She wasn’t the greatest stew and made plenty of mistakes, so when she slept in a guest cabin off charter, Francesca Rubi used it as an excuse to give her the ax. But her begging for her job after her dismissal is one of the cringiest moments in Below Deck history.
123.
Ashling Lorger
Stew
Below Deck
Season 8
—
Her most memorable moment wasn’t even about her, it was when she ratted out Elizabeth Frankini for sleeping in a guest cabin. No one likes a snitch, but she did help facilitate drama and was a better worker than Elizabeth on top of it.
122.
Magda Ziomek
Stew
Below Deck Down Under
Season 1
—
She texted her boyfriend so much while working that she used up the ship’s data allowance. What is she, a 15-year-old?
121.
Leon Walker
Chef
Below Deck
Season 3
—
This villainous chef served beef cheeks on nearly every charter, told Kate Chastain to her face he didn’t like her, then tried to blame her when he caused a fire in the galley. After that, Captain Lee told him to pack his knives and go. Oops, wrong Bravo show.
120.
Ryan McKeown
Chef
Below Deck Down Under
Season 1
—
His arrogance and attitude were off-putting enough, but the truly annoying thing is that he wanted the guests to eat when he thought they should, not when they wanted to. And he was mean to Aesha Scott. Thankfully Captain Jason put him out of his misery before the season ended, and he mooned the crew on his way out.
119.
Jessica Condy
Chef
Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
This chef was so mean to the rest of the crew that Captain Kerry had to have a talk with her about her “intimidation.” Yeah, she was no fun.
118.
Max Salvador
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 8
—
The lazy and whiny Frenchman would rather flirt with stew Lily Davison than do his job. He was really nice to look at while he was being horrible, though.
117.
Michael Gilman
Deckhand
Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
He tried to make the jump from commercial vessels to yachts, and, well, he didn’t quite make it. He couldn’t do anything right, except for suck up to his bosun.
116.
Bruno Duarte
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 5
—
He came from cruise ships and came out to the crew, but had a difficult transition to being a deckhand. Since he’s left the boat, he has been on a rampage against Captain Lee and Kate Chastain.
115.
Joe Bradley
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 9
—
He seemed to know what he was doing on deck and have no clue what he was doing with the ladies. Both Bri Muller and Ellie Dubaich were into him, even fighting over him, but by the end of the season, the only thing these enemies (and fans!) could agree on is that he’s bad with the ladies.
114.
Ashton Pienaar
Deckhand/Bosun
Below Deck
Seasons 6-7
—
This square-jawed deckie came back for a second season as bosun, making him the only one of Kate Chastain’s fellow crew members to both make out with her and punch a window in a fit of rage against her. His alter ego “Smashton” terrorized a number of women over two seasons, he led a testosterone-heavy crew on one of the worst seasons ever, and he remains the only yachtie to almost die when a line got wrapped around his ankle. Ashton seems not good at anything, including his job.
113.
Heather Chase
Chief Stew
Below Deck
Season 9
—
To start with, she was terrible at managing her underlings, but she will forever go down as the white chief stew who used the N-word. When following Black cast member Rayna Lindsay to the bathroom, she repeated the slur after Rayna used it. She thought it was innocent; it was not. It was an incident that fueled a million Twitter fights.
112.
Sierra Storm
Stew, Below Deck Season 4
This third stew missed her flight to make it onboard the ship on time, and then she tried to help Chef Ben in the kitchen but couldn’t even manage to make a simple salad.
111.
Anthony Iracane
Chef
Below Deck
Season 11
—
This French chef just could not read a preference sheet, and when one of your guests is Jill Zarin, there are going to be a lot of preferences and even more upset diners. Captain Kerry was right to let him go.
110.
Faye Clarke
Chief Stew
Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
She wanted the deck crew to do half of her work. Sure, they were lazy, but at the end of the day, the interior is her domain.
109.
Natasha De Bourg
Chef
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 2
—
This chef couldn’t do much of anything. She couldn’t poach an egg. She couldn’t make enough pita bread. She couldn’t even admit her mistakes, and her incompetence and arrogance led to an explosive relationship with Daisy Kelliher. At least that last one was fun to watch.
108.
Adam Glick
Chef
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 2-3
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 1
—
We’ve seen plenty of yacht chefs with anger problems, but few as severe as Chef Adam’s. During his first season, he hooked up with Malia White, who dumped him mid-season, and during his first season on Sailing Yacht, he got it on with Jenna MacGillivray. But even more memorable than his romantic escapades are his failures in the kitchen, like when he used onions against a guest’s wishes and became the only chef to have his food sent back twice.
107.
Jamie Jason
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 3
—
This deckie had such intense seasickness she had to work the interior for a few charters. Once she recovered, she then had to be quarantined with the flu. Get this woman a doctor!
106.
Samantha Orme
Stew
Below Deck
Season 1
—
This third stew with an engineering degree always acted like she was better than everyone, even after she and C.J. LeBeau got caught swimming and drinking on charter.
105.
Nico Scholly
Deckhand/Bosun
Below Deck
Seasons 4-5
—
When season five didn’t have a bosun in place, this lead deckhand was tapped for the position. But when he couldn’t hack it, Captain Lee brought in EJ Jansen, whom Nico clashed with until EJ quit. At least Nico stuck around.
104.
Dylan Pierre De Villiers
Deckhand, Below Deck Season 11
Never has someone so conventionally handsome had so little game. His cringey demeanor and mumbling affirmations to himself while on deck made him annoying, but he backed it up with hard work.
103.
Wes Walton
Bosun
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 2
—
The second guy Malia White hooked up with this season, Wes didn’t handle his love triangle with Adam Glick very well, including getting physical with him on a crew day off.
102.
Alissa Humber
Stew
Below Deck
Season 10
—
One of the show’s great villains, Alissa’s initial flare-ups with Camille Lamb made her seem like the grown-up and responsible one, but once Camille got fired, it turned out she was just as much of a slacker. Then she flirted with Ross McHarg even though he was already hooking up with another crew member. The final straw was when she got caught talking smack about Captain Sandy, then referred to her boss as “Sandy” rather than “Captain.” With just a few episodes left to go, she got her plane ticket home.
101.
Camille Lamb
Deckhand/Stew
Below Deck
Season 10
—
Another of the show’s great villains on a season with several, Camille was initially reprimanded for her shoddy work, horrible attitude, constant backtalk, and histrionic fits. The only person sad to see her go was Ben Willoughby, who was hooking up with her.
100.
Barbie Pascual
Stew
Below Deck
Season 11
—
This stew had the skills but not the attitude, especially to her boss Fraser Olender. She knows that part of the job is taking orders, right? This self-styled spoiled girl was erratic both in her mood and her boatmance with Kyle Stillie.
99.
Johnathan Shillingford
Chef
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 9
—
Whenever we’re told a chef is self-taught, red flags go up. But while he at first came off a little lazy and bad at criticism, he eventually kicked it into high gear to become a great chef and an excellent foil to the interior’s incompetency.
98.
James Hough
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 8
—
A deckhand so hot the guests were literally fighting over him. The only one who got him was stew Elizabeth Frankini, but all that accomplished was making a bad stew even worse at her job.
97.
Ben Willoughby
Deckhand/Bosun
Below Deck
Seasons 10-11
—
It was shocking when this long-haired hottie was the only one to stand up for Camille Lamb, whom he was hooking up with. But he did a good enough job to be invited back as bosun for the following season. Too bad he used it to be horrible to Sunny Marquis, who he made feel terrible because he couldn’t commit and then made it look like her fault.
96.
Kiko Lorran
Chef
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 5
—
Let’s be honest, he was not the greatest chef, even when his bestie Hannah Ferrier did him dirty by telling him to cook French fries for “Vegas Night.” Still, he didn’t deserve to be let go halfway through the season by Captain Sandy, who made him finish working a charter after she had already fired him.
95.
Ross Inia
Deckhand/Bosun
Below Deck
Season 6
—
Cute as a button and usually low-key, but when he was promoted to bosun, Rhylee Gerber often got the best of him.
94.
Brianna Adekeye
Stew
Below Deck
Season 5
—
Despite often getting drawn into the fights between Kate Chastain and fellow stew Jennifer Howell, Bri’s laidback style helped make the interior a slightly better place.
93.
Adam Kodra
Deckhand, Below Deck Down Under Season 2
This adorably accented Brooklyn native with a background on commercial ships handled Laura Bileskalne’s unwanted advances admirably, but his seasickness and lack of experience on luxury yachts gave him trouble — especially that time he accidentally dropped the anchor while the boat was moving. Still, Captain Jason could have tried harder to turn him around before firing him.
92.
Marie “Sunny” Marquis
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 11
—
If you are a competent female deckhand, why, oh why, would you get in a relationship with Ben Willoughby? He made her feel clingy, but all she wanted was basic respect.
91.
Nathan Gallagher
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 9
—
Charming, handsome, funny, and good at his job. This guy has it all, including a winning bromance with Joe Bradley and a winning boatmance with Gael Cameron. Can we have him back, please?
90.
Gael Cameron
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 9
—
She entered the season with a boyfriend and struggled with finding her place among the deck crew. She finished the season with Nathan Gallagher and having learned everything she needed to flourish while scrubbing the teak.
89.
Tiffany Copeland
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 1
—
She came onboard wanting to be a deckie, and Hannah Ferrier tried and tried to make her into a stew, and finally did. Good work, Hannah … and Tiffany, I guess.
88.
Brooke Laughton
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 3
—
After a dramatic love triangle between her, João Franco, and Kasey Cohen, she ended up walking off the boat hand-in-hand with João. When he returned the next season, she did not, and the relationship ended. Bullet dodged.
87.
Rayna Lindsey
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 9
—
After being upset by chief stew Heather Chase using the N-word, it seems like Rayna’s very real complaints about how she was being treated onboard were dismissed by bosun Eddie Lucas. Rayna deserved better than what she got, but still made plenty of drunken mess herself.
86.
Xandi Olivier
Stew
Below Deck
Season 11
—
She just wanted to clean the beds, do the laundry, and stay the hell out of it. Good for her.
85.
Kat Held
Stew
Below Deck
Seasons 1-2
—
This mess of a stew feuded with Adrienne Gang, had a fling with Ben Robinson, and once got caught sneaking off the boat while saying “Kat wants to go to the bar.” A drunken legend.
84.
Francesca Rubi
Chief Stew, Below Deck Season 8
It was an impossible job replacing Kate Chastain after she retired from yachting and the show, but this boring lady was never gonna cut it. Francesca had a difficult time managing her stews (especially Elizabeth Frankini) and didn’t seem that interested in training or improving them. Lucky for all of us her season got cut short by COVID.
83.
Connie Arias
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 3
—
The only thing this deckie loved more than a good time was taking her clothes off, including one memorable stint in a whipped-cream bikini.
82.
Lauren Cohen
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 2
—
This third stew mostly kept her head down and focused on work (though she did spend a night with Bobby Giancola), except for that time Malia White called her out for gossiping with Hannah Ferrier after Malia made out with both Wes Dalton and Adam Glick on the same night. (God, Malia, if you don’t want people talking about it, don’t make out with the crew!)
81.
Conrad Empson
Bosun
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 3
—
This bosun was the youngest of the deck team but also in charge, which rankled a lot of his subordinates, especially João Franco. But he’ll forever be remembered as Hannah Ferrier’s BF who started slacking once they got together.
80.
Jessica More
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 5
—
She’s mostly remembered for her tumultuous relationship with deckie Rob Westergaard and when she convinced him not to take a gig on a boat to go to Bali with her. They broke up soon after.
79.
Paget Berry
First Officer
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 1
—
Captain Glenn’s right-hand man could sure handle a donkey dick (that’s what it’s called!), but he couldn’t handle the crew drama. He was living on the boat with Ciara Duggan even before the show started but then flirted with stew Georgia Grobler under her nose the whole season. That’s a donkey-dick move.
78.
Ciara Duggan
Deckhand
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 1
—
Paget Berry’s girlfriend worked on deck but handled the interior in the off season. She got huffy with chief stew Jenna MacGillivray when she didn’t like how she did things, even though it wasn’t her department anymore, and spent more time worrying about her relationship than doing her job.
77.
Elena “Ellie” Dubaich
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 7 & 9
—
Her first stint was only two episodes at the end of the season, where she pulled out her costume bag as soon as she got the chance. When she returned full time, she spent the season complaining that Aesha Scott wasn’t giving her enough responsibility even though she was bad at her job and didn’t take feedback and feuding with fellow terrible stew Bri Muller over Joe Bradley.
76.
Bri Muller
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 9
—
We’ve seen stews be bad at all sorts of things before, but Bri couldn’t figure out the most basic function of her job: laundry. Captain Sandy had to get involved when Bri kept losing her knickers. She threw herself at Joe Bradley more than once, which made her feud with Ellie Dubaich. The two are a perfect match: both awful at their jobs but drama for days.
75.
Sydney Zaruba
Deckhand
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 2
—
This deckie hooked up with Gary King, her boss, almost immediately and still harbored feelings for him even after he started hooking up with Alli Dore. Most of this is Gary’s fault, but c’mon, sis! But she grew up on a sailing boat, so even if she couldn’t navigate the drama, she was great at navigating the ship.
74.
Georgia Grobler
Stew
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 1
—
Madison Stalker’s only ally against their awful boss, chief stew Jenna MacGillivray. The pair developed a friendship that was better than Georgia’s flirtation with the very-taken first mate Paget Berry. Oh, and do you know she has a dance single?
73.
Robert Westergaard
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 5
—
This guy had red flags aplenty, like texting his ex-girlfriend while getting it on with stew Jessica More, but he knew his job so well he was offered another gig during the season. Too bad he skipped it to follow Jess to Bali.
72.
Kelley Johnson
Second Engineer
Below Deck
Season 2
—
Bosun
Below Deck
Season 4
—
This hunky ex-Marine is the thing that Magic Mike fantasies are made of, even though he didn’t always enjoy Captain Lee pointing out mistakes he made. Jennice Ontiveros got to live that fantasy when they hooked up, and he pursued her even though she had a boyfriend. Not cool, but fun to watch.
71.
Amy Johnson
Stew
Below Deck
Seasons 2-3
—
Her first season she clashed with just-arrived Kate Chastain, leading to some memorable tension. But when Amy returned for a second season, she and Kate forged a grudging respect while dealing with the absolute insanity that was Rocky Dakota. Also, the sweet relationship between her and her brother Kelley is the only time we’ve seen siblings working together on the franchise.
70.
Jaimee Neale
Stew
Below Deck Down Under
Season 2
—
She came in halfway through the season but made a huge impact on both Culver Bradbury, who tried to run off with her after the season, and Luka Brunton, whom she obviously preferred.
69.
David Pascoe
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 6
—
There was nothing more cringe than his unrequited crush on Malia White who was also, need I remind him, his boss!
68.
Chase Lemacks
Deckhand
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Seasons 4-5
—
This well-meaning goober wasn’t bad at his job; he just could never read the room, and his aw-shucks antics turned off several of the crew (including most of the girls when he kept talking about boobs). Neither Gary King nor Daisy Kelleher were happy when Captain Glenn hired him back as a replacement the following season.
67.
Travis Michalzik
Lead Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 4
—
Sweet and upstanding, Travis took on Chef Mila when she went on a homophobic rant, but his excessive drinking led him to engage in some questionable behavior, including a “love tap” on a sleeping Anastasia Surmava that seemed more like a slap.
66.
Alli Dore
Stew
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 2
—
This stew is less memorable for being one of Gary King’s girlfriends and more for hooking up in the master suite with fellow stew Dani Soares.
65.
Dani Soares
Stew
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 2
—
Her hookup with fellow stew Alli Dore and relationship with deckhand Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux really made her stand out on her season, but it was afterward, when we discovered she was carrying JL’s baby, that things got really interesting.
64.
João Franco
Deckhand/Bosun
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 3-4
—
2nd Officer/Bosun
Below Deck Down Under
Season 2
—
Why can’t someone knock the smug look off of this deckie turned bosun’s face? He has a drunken alter ego named “Jezabob” that called Hannah Ferrier all sorts of names and degraded the other women onboard. When he returned to Down Under, he claimed he had turned over a new leaf, but was still a jerk.
63.
Jake Foulger
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 9
—
A drunk who was always getting his naughty bits out, Jake even had an aborted threeway with Fraser Olender and Rayna Lindsey. Despite this, he was so good at his job he got promoted to lead deckhand. He’s since made a second career of getting his bits out with a very racy Twitter (NSFW!) and OnlyFans.
62.
Rhylee Gerber
Deckhand
Below Deck
Seasons 6-7
—
The rough-and-tumble former Alaskan fisherwoman was never afraid to stick up for herself with an all-male deck crew, sometimes at the top of her lungs. Yes, she was drama personified, but she was usually right!
61.
Kyle Viljoen
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 7-8
—
He was excellent with the guests and always the life of the party. Unfortunately, the fuel for this engine was gossip, recriminations, shade, and drama. He was one of the most toxic people on reality television, and that says a lot. He put the hate in love to hate.
60.
Natalya Scudder
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 7-8
—
The flip side to her frenemy Kyle Viljoen, Natalya was a very hard worker and excellent at housekeeping, but her superpower was an ability to insert herself into every conflict and make it even worse. She left early during her second season and was not missed, even when she came back to surprise everyone and cause chaos on the final night out. But good at her job and good at drama gets her high on the list.
59.
Mark Howard
Captain
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 1
—
As Hannah Ferrier once said, “He was the opposite of Captain Sandy. He kind of drove the boat and stayed in his cabin, so it was lovely.” What made her job easy made the show, in its first season, a bit hard to watch. But we will speak no ill of the dead, and he died in 2021.
58.
Culver Bradbury
Deckhand
Below Deck Down Under
Seasons 1-2
—
At first, his mulleted party-boy shtick as “chief entertainment officer” Keith Stone was cute, as was his flirtation with Brittini Burton, but during his second season, he slacked off a lot and was totally cringe in his boatmance with Jaimee Neale. He wrote her a “Will you be my girlfriend Y/N?” note. For real!
57.
Marcos Spaziani
Chef
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 3
—
Nice guy, good chef, easy demeanor. There should be more like him, but then we wouldn’t have a very exciting show.
56.
Lucy Edmunds
Junior Stew
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 4
—
She had a couple of breakdowns, like when she had to clean puke and shit out of a disgusting guest’s room, but she worked through it and always kept it sunny.
55.
Tom Checketts
Chef
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 5
—
After Chef Kiko got the ax, Malia White convinced Captain Sandy to hire her then-boyfriend Tom. Problem is he sucked, not as a chef but as a person. He would throw temper tantrums if he didn’t think his food was good enough and once yelled at Aesha Scott when she told him he had to come off his break to cook. Don’t come for our Aesha!
54.
Kyle Stillie
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 11
—
A hard worker who loves to be naked and, considering the size of the pixelation when strutting starkers, he’s doing quite well for himself. Barbie Pascual never should have been so conflicted about their hookup.
53.
Byron Hissey
Chief Engineer
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 1
—
The chief engineer stayed where he belonged — in the engine room — and didn’t want to engage in any of the drama onboard. That made him great at only half of his job. Dude, the cameras are there for a reason.
52.
Kasie Faddah
Stew
Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
She worked hard and kept her head down among a tumultuous crew. Flirtatious and fun-loving, she was one of the few highlights of this nonstarter of a franchise. Now if only we could figure out where her accent is actually from.
51.
Jack Luby
Chef
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 8
—
A good and competent chef, his only mistake was getting involved in the seasonlong drama between Tumi Mhlongo and Natalya Scudder.
50.
Madison Stalker
Stew, Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Season 1
When I picture Madison in my mind, she’s carrying a tray because she was such a hard worker who always kept a cool head. The former quality was a huge asset when her chief stew, Jenna MacGillivray, was too busy making out with the chef, as was the latter when a male guest repeatedly lifted her into the air without her consent.
49.
Nathan Morley
Deckhand
Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
The only Black crew member on his season, he was threatened by Kyle Dickard over toilet-flushing and then wasn’t backed up by his bosun, Lewis Lupton. Even after that, he was the one deckhand who could be relied on to help the interior crew and entertain the guests.
48.
Mads Herrera
Junior Stew
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 4
—
She finally gave Gary King a taste of his own medicine by continuing to hook up with him and saying “It’s just sex” while knowing he had deeper feelings for her. This is what feminism looks like.
47.
Brittini Burton
Deckhand
Below Deck Down Under
Season 1
—
Terrible name but an excellent deckhand. Toiling away under Über-masculine bosun Jamie Sayed wasn’t easy, but she always did her work without complaining.
46.
Ileisha Dell
Chef
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 4
—
She kept her head down and cooked without any drama. It’s best for the show that this doesn’t always happen, but it sure was a nice change of pace for a yacht chef.
45.
Lily Davison
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 8
—
She started off not being able to do anything, including laundry, but thanks to lots of guidance from Tumi Mhlongo, things finally clicked. Phew.
44.
Alex Propson
Deckhand
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 4
—
Quiet, sexy, and a hard worker, Alex is the full package, so much so that Bravo invited him to Winter House, where he made a much bigger impact than he did aboard the Parsifal III.
43.
Tyler Walker
Deckhand/Stew, Below Deck, Season 10
It was hard for this soft-spoken deckie-stew to make an impression since he was a replacement in the latter half of the season, but he did just that when a charter guest’s drag performance inspired him to talk about his coming-out journey.
42.
Courtney Skippon
Stew
Below Deck
Season 7
—
She got promoted to second stew and formed a great bond with Kate Chastain, but what was she thinking getting into a relationship with the horrible Brian de Saint Pern?
41.
Jessika Asai
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 8
—
She came aboard with the refreshing attitude of I’m a follower, not a leader. Just tell me what to do. She was great at her job and sweet in her boatmance with Luka Brunton, even though she knew he was an F-boy when she first went for him.
40.
Margot Sisson
Stew
Below Deck Down Under
Season 2
—
She dealt with the trauma of potential sexual assault at the hands of a fellow crew member admirably, and when she got caught drinking on the job, she shaped up immediately. All around a good, if tumultuous, showing.
39.
Jen Riservato
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 1
—
One of the few openly gay cast members, Jen had a difficult time with bosun Bryan Kattenburg calling out her every mistake while letting the boys slide, which led to an epic standoff with a drunken Bobby Giancola.
38.
Jennice Ontiveros
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 2
—
Let’s give it up for our first female deckie. She had a hard time as the only woman on the deck crew, especially when it came to setting up that stupid slide. But she never quit working hard, and the will-they-won’t-they between her and Kelley Johnson was electrifying right until they finally did. Do you think she ever told her boyfriend?
37.
Storm Smith
Lead Deckhand/Bosun, Below Deck Mediterranean, Season 7
The mustachioed and tattooed devil stepped up after Raygan Tyler was fired as bosun. He was relatable in trying to deal with the insecurity of a new promotion and in his wonderful friendship with Zee Dempers, but he wasn’t very relatable when romancing stew Natalya Scudder.
36.
Kerry Titheradge
Captain
Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
Below Deck
Season 11
—
Captain Lee’s replacement on the flagship show had some big shoes to fill, and I’m not convinced he has done so adequately. He has a bro-y energy that might be off-putting to some and, much like Captain Lee, he has a “figure it out for yourselves” attitude toward management that is perhaps outdated and not really great for crew development. When he finally got around to admonishing Chef Jessica Condy for being unruly with everyone on staff, the season was almost over and the damage done. The same goes for his inattention in helping Fraser Olender navigate a sticky season with Barbie Pascual. Maybe he just needs a few more seasons.
35.
Lloyd Spencer
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 6
—
Adorable and sexually fluid, Lloyd loved to show off his ridiculous dance moves, found the strength to come out to the rest of the crew, and never said a bad word about anyone. Couldn’t love him more.
34.
Alex Radcliffe
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 5
—
A hard worker with a crush on Bugsy Drake, handsome Alex was an all-around excellent deckie who was promoted to lead deckhand just before the end of the season.
33.
Izzy Wouters
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 8
—
This deckhand hated chief stew Francesca Rubi as much as fans did, which is why many people loved her. Maybe that’s why she switched from interior to deck crew early in the season. She also feuded with Robert Phillips when she was named lead deckhand over him, but screw him, she was great.
32.
Hayley De Sola Pinto
Stew
Below Deck
Season 10
—
Hardworking and quick with a quip, this Brit was the only stew Fraser Olender could trust to do her job correctly on the tumultuous tenth season. Bonus points for her amazing hair.
31.
David Bradberry
Deckhand
Below Deck
Seasons 1 & 3
—
This sweet, handsome, and diligent deckie was always on the quiet side, but hearing him talk about being openly gay in the yachting community and his friendships with the straight bros on deck was fascinating. Let’s not forget when his boyfriend Trevor proposed to him over Skype. They’re broken up now, though. Someone should slide into those DMs.
30.
Luka Brunton
Lead Deckhand, Below Deck Down Under, Season 2
Bosun, Below Deck Mediterranean, Season 8
He wasn’t a huge standout as a hard worker with a heart of gold on Down Under, probably because he didn’t fancy any of the other crew, but you could tell just from his smile that this handsome devil was going to be trouble once he came aboard the Mustique. He managed to mack on Natalya Scudder, Jessika Asai, and Katie Flood all in one season, even though Katie wasn’t even on the boat. Captain Sandy bumped him up to bosun, and he was great at managing a sometimes unruly crew, even if his antics with the ladies got him in trouble.
29.
Tony Duarte
Deckhand
Below Deck
Season 10
—
Curly-haired and hot bodied, Tony would pitch a fit whenever his job would get in the way of his workout routine. Still, he was a committed worker and ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark season.
28.
Jack Stirrup
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 4
—
The charming and hilarious Brit didn’t spend as much time working as he did wooing Aesha Scott, including making a banner out of a bed sheet to ask her to be his girlfriend with a question mark written on his chest. (Still no clue how he got that off his skin.) He cheated on Aesha after filming wrapped, and still I can’t hate him — that’s how charming he is.
27.
Harry Van Vliet
Deckhand
Below Deck Down Under
Season 2
—
This lanky goofball was always the life of the party. He didn’t mind being ogled by guests and would take any chance to put on his budgie smugglers. A great no-mess addition to any crew.
26.
Lara Du Preez
Lead Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 8
—
A no-nonsense, tough-talking lesbian, Lara is exactly who you want on your deck crew. She had no tolerance for Max Salvador, and her bluntness was refreshing. Get this lady back as a bosun.
25.
Anastasia Surmava
Stew/Chef
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 4
—
When Chef Mila Kolomeitseva got fired and there was no replacement, this self-trained chef stepped up from stew to running the galley. It was a challenge, for sure, but she mostly rose to the occasion (except when she couldn’t kill lobsters because she’s a vegetarian). It seemed like the crew, fans, and Anastasia herself were relieved that she got to go back to beds-and-heads when Chef Ben came to close out the season.
24.
Glenn Shephard
Captain
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Seasons 1-5
—
It sometimes seems like he’s a little too Canadian to really do his job; he’s so low-key that when his drunk bunkie Alex Propson tried to use his head as a nightstand, he didn’t say anything. Though he did cancel a crew day off when he discovered they ruined a sofa and didn’t clean it up. It seems like all he cares about is sailing and the deckhands who make it possible, which might be why he’s let Gary King run roughshod on the crew for four seasons now. All the captains seem a bit biased toward the exterior, but Glenn lets it happen so much he’s either ignoring the interior or giving it undue criticism. He sure is nice, though.
23.
Tzarina Mace-Ralph
Chef
Below Deck Down Under
Season 2
—
Hilarious and chaotic but ultimately a great chef. She had terrible taste in mates, though, like when she got it on with João Franco even though he already hooked up with her friend. At least she called him fake to his face. No lies detected.
22.
Colin Macy-O’Toole
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 3-4
—
This down-home mama’s boy was always ready with a smile and a halfway corny rap to cheer up everyone onboard. He did his job, never complained, and was always a wholesome treat. He gets bonus points for still driving the Fire Island ferry so that all the gay party boys have somewhere to go in the summer.
21.
Tumi Mhlongo
Stew
Below Deck Down Under
Season 1
—
Chief Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 8
—
The queen of the tablescape from Down Under became the chief stew in the Mediterranean. She got on the boat late in her second season, which set her at odds with Natalya Scudder, and she got caught talking about her staff behind their backs multiple times. But she pulled it out of the bag, got her crew in shape, and ended the season on a high.
20.
Josiah Carter
Stew, Below Deck Season 6
Our first-ever stew with a Y chromosome became Kate Chastain’s gay bestie, and the two were a great duo, always cracking jokes and commiserating about their terrible co-worker Caroline Bedol.
19.
Malia White
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 2
—
Bosun
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 5-6
—
Drama follows Malia around like the stink lines behind Pepé Le Pew. During her first season, she hooked up with two crew members, and during her second, she got Chef Kiko Lorain fired so her boyfriend Tom Checketts could come onboard, then majorly flame out. Captain Sandy loved her, fans often felt quite the opposite, but she definitely made an impact; while she hasn’t been back to Below Deck, Bravo put her on Winter House, proving her staying power even on land.
18.
Mzi “Zee” Dempers
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 6-7
—
While he was a little green to start, Zee overcame his lack of knowledge the old-fashioned way: by working hard, always with a smile on his face and an encouraging word. He’s one of the best on deck, and guests, co-workers, and fans all loved him, even if his once-and-forever crush Courtney Veale never could return his affections.
17.
Bobby Giancola
Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 1-2
—
Big, beefy, and quick with a smile, Bobby was an early crew and fan favorite. He tried it on with both Julia d’Albert Pusey and Malia White, but neither of them returned his affections. He did get in trouble for making out with someone, but it was a guest.
16.
Sandy Yawn
Captain
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 2-8
Below Deck
Season 10
—
There’s no more divisive figure in the franchise than Captain Sandy. Some see her as very involved with the crew, and some see her as a micromanager. Some see her as championing female deckhands, and some see her as giving Malia White more leeway because she has a crush on her. While some will never forgive her for firing Hannah Ferrier, others think that her style of intervention with the crew is much better than Captain Lee just yelling at folks. Either way, Sandy has made a huge impact on the series, and all this division shows that she is as great at her reality-TV job as she is at her job as captain: She gives us something to talk about while running a tight ship.
15.
Raquel “Rocky” Dakota
Stew, Below Deck Season 3
There are very few stews who did as much with one season as Rocky. She got yelled at for climbing on top of the boat near the radar; dove off the ship while it was at sea and was picked up by another boat; and had a secret, ongoing affair with Eddie Lucas. She was a one-woman chaos agent, and we’ll never forget her.
14.
Katie Flood
Chief Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 6
—
Our Katie had it all: a bright smile, good management instincts, and a great work ethic. Replacing Hannah Ferrier was a tough job, and the only thing Katie lacked was confidence in her decisions and a second season on the show. Ask her back already, especially considering she’s dated several dudes from the show and Tom Schwartz on Winter House.
13.
Courtney Veale
Stew/Deckhand
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 6-7
—
Making a rare move from the interior to the deck crew, Courtney proved that she can do both with a smile, laugh, and good spirits. Oh, if only she could have loved Zee back, they would have been the perfect go-getting couple.
12.
Bugsy Drake
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 2 & 5
—
The “Queen of Theme” sure knew how to kit out a tablescape, but her calming presence during the show’s wild fifth season is what she’ll be best remembered for. She arrived as a last-minute fill-in after Lara Flumiani quit, then got bumped up to chief stew when Hannah Ferrier got fired. (Sadly, she was on Malia’s side of that argument.) Why hasn’t production brought the fan favorite back for another round on the high seas? Oh, and did you know her real name is Christine?!
11.
Colin Macrae
Chief Engineer
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 2-4
—
This guy managed to save a smoking engine and an entire charter season with his engineering skills. In his earlier seasons, he was the Jiminy Cricket on Gary King’s shoulder, trying to make him behave and failing. In the fourth season, he became part of a love triangle between Gary and Daisy Kelliher and learned just how terrible Gary can be to his romantic rivals. He deserves better than the two of them.
10.
Fraser Olender
Chief Stew
Below Deck
Seasons 9-11
—
The hardworking Englishman started out as a stew and was quickly promoted to chief stew the next season. While diligent and focused, he butted heads with Captain Sandy when she filled in for Captain Lee and tried too hard to be friends with his stews rather than their boss. He also had a tough time with Captain Kerry when he took over for Lee and was forced to deal with some crew members he would have rather let go. Still, he’s one of the show’s more likable cast members, and I think of him every time I use his signature method for fluffing pillows.
9.
Daisy Kelliher
Chief Stew
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Season 2-5
—
There’s something about Daisy that always seems put-upon, but it’s because Captain Glenn and the rest of the deck crew are overlooking her excellent work. Great with guests and always organized, Daisy is a killer chief stew, even if her entanglement with Gary King and Colin Macrae almost upended season four. Her bizarre dynamic with Gary, especially when they became bunkmates in season five, is one of the most fascinating things on TV.
8.
Jason Chambers
Captain
Below Deck Down Under
Season 1-2
—
The foxiest man on Bravo might also be one of the best leaders. He is affable with the crew and guides them but won’t take any shit from them, as his mirrorball helmet at the end of each charter lets them know. He expertly handled a double sexual assault onboard, and his relationship with Aesha Scott gives Captain Lee–Kate Chastain vibes (but less father-daughter and more big brother–little sister). They’re one of the best duos to watch, especially when he gets down to his budgies.
7.
Eddie Lucas
Deckhand/Bosun/First Officer
Below Deck
Seasons 1-3 & 8-9
—
The only person other than Kate Chastain whom Captain Lee seemed to respect was Eddie, the sweet, competent, and levelheaded deckie turned bosun, which is why he returned after Kate’s departure. But Eddie does have a few strikes against him, including his lack of support for his deckie Rayna Lindsey when she struggled with racially disparaging remarks. Oh, and there was his relationship with insane stew Rocky Dakota, which really seemed to piss off his surrogate father Lee.
6.
Rachel Hargrove
Chef, Below Deck Seasons 8-10
After a rocky initial season where her drunken antics embarrassed the whole crew on their days off, Rachel rebounded to be a quirky, outspoken chef who somehow managed to get along with the rest of the crew. When she wasn’t threatening to quit and screaming “Eat my cooter” in front of Captain Lee, she had a relationship with the captain that was especially wonderful in the post–Kate Chastain era.
5.
Lee Rosbach
Captain
Below Deck
Seasons 1-10
—
The stud of the sea was synonymous with the series until his retirement for health reasons at the end of season ten. His gruff exterior and down-home sayings (“I’m madder than a pissed-on chicken”) made him the disapproving father figure that most people imagine a captain should be. His management style was a bit hands-off, as if he would rather his crew figure it out by themselves instead of showing them how to improve, but at the end of the day, he upheld his maxim “Don’t embarrass yourself, and don’t embarrass the boat.” In a decade at sea — and in front of the cameras! — he managed to do neither.
4.
Hannah Ferrier
Chief Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 1-5
—
As a reality-TV character, she did it all: dated a crew member, clashed with Captain Sandy, and — the ultimate no-no — hooked up with a guest. But she was also a dedicated chief stew who ran a tight ship, right up until her final season when she was a little checked out. Even so, she always got along with the guests (and the fans!) before being ousted for having a “Below Deck pen” and some Valium onboard that she didn’t declare to the captain. We always knew that her panic attacks would be her downfall (“It’s the anxiety, Sandy!”), but even when she was freaking out, she was still freakin’ great TV.
3.
Ben Robinson
Chef
Below Deck
Seasons 1-4
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 1 & 4
—
Funny, talented, and also batshit insane, Chef Ben set the template for what to expect from a boat chef. His love-hate relationship with bestie Kate Chastain kept many seasons afloat, especially when the two were at each other’s throats. A season-four romance with Emily Warburton-Adams was a highlight, as were the couple of times Ben filled in for a fired chef. As annoying as he could sometimes be, that British accent always won over crew members and fans alike.
2.
Aesha Scott
Stew
Below Deck Mediterranean
Seasons 4-5
—
Chief Stew
Below Deck Down Under
Seasons 1-2
Below Deck Mediterranean
Season 9
—
Kate Chastain and Hannah Ferrier established the paradigm of the Good Stew Who Is Slightly Bitchy, then Aesha Scott smashed it to bits. While she was fun and lovable as a stew on Med, she really started to shine as chief on Down Under, and her return to Med cemented her as an example of how you can be good at your job, relentlessly positive, and still hilarious as hell. She showed great initiative and empathy during a sexual assault onboard, but it’s her wacky camaraderie with Captain Jason that stands out. He seems to view her not as an inferior but as a friend. Who else but a friend would put in his contacts every day? She struggled with two difficult stews on her return to Med, but she eventually figured it out. That’s the thing about our girl: always winning, always nice.
1.
Kate Chastain
Chief Stew
Below Deck
Seasons 2-8
—
The success of the whole franchise arguably lies on Kate’s shoulders. Her unique blend of quippy confessionals, sniping at incompetent co-workers, and barely tolerating obnoxious guests made her the audience surrogate and took Below Deck from a Bravo also-ran to one of its highest-rated shows. Her bonds with Captain Lee and Ben Robinson let us in on the squishy interior hidden by her (self-admitted) resting bitch face. From making a blanket in the shape of a penis on a guest’s bed and calling it a rocket ship to her season-four relationship with a woman, or even when she hooked up with the long-haired crew member of a neighboring boat, Kate always found a way to keep it interesting, which she then continued as a fan favorite on two seasons of The Traitors.