Below Deck Mediterranean will be going through some changes — and bosun Nathan Gallagher has to make the decision after a “very dangerous” incident with guests.
During the Monday, October 20, episode of the hit Bravo series, Nathan struggled with his deck team: Max Salvador, Christian Trimino and Tessa Budd. He questioned how long they could deal with mistakes including Tessa forgetting to fill a jet ski up with fuel. The situation got worse when Nathan instructed Christian to watch over the guests at night.
Christian was told not to let the clearly inebriated group into the water without supervision. The guests ultimately asked Christian to just dip their feet in the ocean, which turned into one of them slipping into the water. By chance, Nathan caught the moment while near a surveillance monitor and rushed in to shut it down.
Nathan told Christian that he was warned how “under no circumstances can the guests go in the water.” The bosun pointed out that it was “not safe” while Christian said in a confessional that he was listening to what the primary wanted, adding, “Nothing happened so it was a successful night.”
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The night concluded with Nathan being certain they needed to make a change.
“Things have gone from people being incompetent to being very dangerous,” he noted. “I have to raise my concerns to [Captain] Sandy [Yawn].”
Sandy was even less thrilled when she was informed of what took place.
“Allowing a drunk guest in the water with very little oversight is a big no-no,” she told Nathan about the incident. “Safety is non-negotiable. I need to make a change and I need to make it quickly.”
At the end of the episode, Sandy reconvened with Nathan where they discussed how the deck team was “circus on steroids.” Nathan went on to highlight how there “is a lack of experience and motivation.”
Sandy pointed out that it was up to Nathan to figure out next steps.
“I think we need to replace Christian or Tessa with someone with more experience,” she explained. “But I want you to figure out based on experience and leadership who you are going to let go. This is your call.”
Season 10, which premiered in September, reunited Aesha Scott with Captain Sandy and now-bosun Nathan. In addition to past Below Deck star deckhand Max, the rest of the crew includes Chef Josh Bingham, stews Kizzi Kitchener and Victoria SanJuan and deckhands Christian and Tessa.
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“Consistency makes a better boat,” Sandy exclusively told Us Weekly about hoping to remain with some of the same crew season to season. “You’re not always training people and they’re not always finding their feet. But to be honest, every boat that we get every season is different. It’s rare we get the same boat every season.”
Sandy explained that there are always obstacles, sharing, “No matter if you return or not, you’re still going to have to figure out the boat because it’ll probably be a different one. Having consistency when we return is great because the trust factor for me is there — or the watch factor to make sure I keep an eye on them. Because sometimes they’re just not great at certain things but they’re great at others.”
She concluded: “Aesha is well-rounded. [With Nathan], I think unless you’re pushed into something, you’re never going to know if you’re a fit. I think pressure makes us better. I do apply the pressure and let’s see how well Nathan handles that pressure.”
Below Deck Med airs on Bravo Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
