On July 1 of this year, Bravo TV introduced us to the high seas and a HUGE yacht called the Honor! After a few short weeks, the viewers knew this was a hit!
Even though season one has come and gone, the impression these Bravolebrities made impacted Twittter in the most positive ways. The person that stands out the most from the show, is the silver hair, handsome Captain!
I had the opportunity to interview this humbled man and discuss the show, his wife, and his life! Check it out below:
Me: How were you approached to do Below Deck?
Captain: I wasn't actually approached by Bravo nor did I submit a request to be on the show. The yacht that I worked on had been contacted by an agency to see if my owner would consider chartering the yacht to a network for a reality show.
My owner and the powers that be had agreed to do a deal. My owner was not comfortable turning over his $20m yacht to a Capt. that he didn't know and neither was the insurance company. So if I didn't go along to run the yacht the deal was done. They asked me if I minded being on TV and after conversing with my boss, my response was "of course I don't mind." It all happened last minute.. it was not something that I sought out, it just came with my job.
Me: After watching yourself on TV, do you have any regrets?
Captain: Regrets, no I really have none. It was a net positive experience for me and I would do it again if asked, and I hope that I am.
Me: You seem to have captivated the female crowd. They are now calling you "The Silver Fox Captain"!!! How is your wife handling all of this attention?
Captain: As far as women going crazy, I don't know about all that. I just try to be myself and my wife keeps me grounded, she is my best friend. She finds a lot of humor in it all. The whole experience has been enjoyable for both of us and were just trying to have fun with it and not take things too seriously.
Me: How long does it take to become a MEGA yacht captain? And what qualifications do you need?
Captain: To get to the level that I'm at now it takes years. To obtain your first USCG License takes up to 720 days at sea just to be able to sit for your first exam, thats two years straight at sea, so you can see where it may take 3-5 yrs. just to accumulate that. After that it takes more sea time and increase in vessel size to move up the ladder. The Coast Guard has a web site that lists all the qualifications that they need to verify in order for you to be able to sit for their exams.
Me: Your leadership style seems to be very calm. How is that, when it seems to be a hectic career?
Captain: The secret to staying calm and my mgmt. style. Anticipating things before they become a problem. A lot of it is having been there before and doing what your training and experience has prepared you for, so that when it hits the fan, you just act without hesitation or panic. Panic at sea in an emergency is what get most people in trouble. Asses the situation, stay calm and just do it. That comes from drills, drills, and more drills. You can panic when its all over. My style is to just get the job done, I don't offer excuses for why something doesn't get done I just do it. No reason to get excited, yell, and scream, just quietly go about the task at hand and get it done. If there are circumstances beyond your control, it means just that, its beyond your control, do what you can do and don't worry about things that you have no control over. It accomplishes nothing but adds to the problem.
Me: How long have you been charting trips?
Captain: I have been chartering for 20+ years and never get tired of it. It really brings a sense of satisfaction to you when you can show someone something they have never seen before or take them somewhere they've never been and are not likely to again. Gives you a nice feeling. I really do love my damn job. Best job in the world.
Me: Working on a yacht requires excellent customer service skills. What does world class service mean to you? And how do you execute this to make your guests happy?
Captain: My idea of service is to always exceed expectations. Better yet is to give them something that they totally never expected. Way over the top and then some. Details, details, details is where its at. Be very attentive, but without hovering, always in the background quietly, and then delivering whatever, whenever, even when its not part of the deal. Listen to casual conversations, but never eavesdrop, and note what a guest may mention that you may be able to surprise them with. Thats the best. One guest may be talking to another about the best oysters they had one time and you know they didn't put it on their preference sheet. Make that happen for them on this trip and watch the wow factor come into play. Thats service that makes you feel great about what you do. You really want to make it a truly unforgettable experience.
Me: The ratings were off the charts! Will there be a Season 2 of Below Deck?
Captain: As you probably already know they did sign for a season two. Stoked about that and hopefully I 'll be back for it. It any of your readers would like to see me back for season 2 they can tweet #Bravopr or #Bravotv and put in their request that they have me back. I would love to do it again.
Make sure that you are following Captain Lee Rosbach on Twitter at @Capthlr and stay tuned....season two will be here before we know!
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