This Issue Almost Ended Parsifal III’s Charter Season Before It Began
Find out why one deckhand called the problem a “blessing in disguise.”
On the April 10 premiere of Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 4, Parsifal III (metaphorically!) hit troubled waters.
After Captain Glenn Shephard, returners Daisy Kelliher and Colin MacRae (Gary King missed the first day due to COVID), and new additions Ileisha Dell, Lucy Edmunds, Alex Propson, Chase Lemacks, and Mads Herrera made it on board the vessel, they learned there was a serious mechanical issue.
The discovery came when engineer Colin tried to start the boat’s engine and it wouldn’t turn on. While Captain Glenn said the engine had been operating well when Parsifal III completed an Atlantic crossing ahead of the charter season, something went wrong afterward.
“This is probably the worst news I could receive right now,” Captain Glenn ominously said in an interview during the episode. “We need the motor because you can’t sail the boat off the dock. I mean, people are chartering a boat not to sit on the dock — it’s not a hotel. They want to go somewhere. If we can’t start the engine, we’re f--ked.”
After looking into the issue, Colin delivered some bad news to deckhands Chase and Alex.
“Oh no,” Colin responded when Chase asked if the boat would be able to move off the dock during the first day of the guests’ charter. “Tomorrow we’re not moving.”
Captain Glenn later told the rest of the crew members what happened and how the group would have to work hard to make sure the guests still had a good time despite the unfortunate circumstances.
“We have an issue with the main engine,” he explained. “We’re not getting off the dock tomorrow, so we’re going to have to keep these guys entertained.”
While the interior crew members were more than bummed out about the engine issue since it meant the food and service would have to be impeccable for the guests, the deck team felt a sense of relief.
“I’m devastated that we can’t move, but it’s kind of a blessing in disguise,” deckhand Chase said. “We don’t have a first mate around to show us how to get on and off the dock. All the deck team has to do on this charter is keep the boat clean and distract the guests with a little bit of a good time.”
Once the guests arrived, they were disappointed to learn that their dream of going on a sailing vacation wasn’t coming true. “Glenn, you’re breaking our heart,” one guest said, though Daisy had a scheme to keep them entertained.
“The current plan is to keep their glasses topped up, their stomachs full, and their memories short,” Daisy said.
As she got to work executing her plan, experts arrived to evaluate the engine issue. They discovered that salt water had flooded the engine and it needed to be rebuilt, which would take a “long, long time.”
“If it’s gonna take 15 days, our season is finito,” Captain Glenn said. “We’re done.”
Will Parsifal III ever get to leave the dock? Keep tuning in to Below Deck Sailing Yacht to find out.
Watch Below Deck Sailing Yacht on Peacock and the Bravo app.
