Is Yachting All It's Cracked Up to Be? Captain Lee on the Drawbacks to Life at Sea

If the season's snowy conditions have you dreaming of some serious yachting time, consider that the high seas aren't all about toasting and tanning. But don't take our word for it: Listen to Below Deck's Captain Lee Rosbach — who knows his way around the expansive blue. One main drawback, he told The Daily Dish, is that extended time on the high seas can get lonely. 

 

“I think one of the hardest things is dealing with the isolation,” he says. Even though he Skypes or FaceTimes with the family once a day (sometimes his dogs will hear him, but refuse to look at the screen!), the man behind the steering wheel doesn’t socialize with his crew. As the leader, his preferred management style is to keep a healthy distance. “They need to have their own space,” he explains. “It’s always been my philosophy. If they want to vent about the captain they can vent without me hovering. It allows them to be themselves.”

 

While the captain is still friendly and maintains a professional line with all hands on Below Deck, he lets them know he’s human, by admitting to any mistakes and correcting them. He also tries to keep himself occupied constantly with things to do on the ship. And aside from the rare, end-of-charter-season get-together, he eats about 90 percent of his meals alone. That includes cereal, and a glass of juice and coffee for breakfast, followed by two small meals. On that note, the captain cites the potential for fitness to fall by the wayside as another drawback to extended time at sea. The captain is wary of packing on the pounds from all the gourmet food, and works out early in the morning. 

 

“It’s hard to go for a swim when you get guests on board so you have to be disciplined and not just blow it off. That’s probably one of the big things, people throw [the exercise regimen] away and they just don’t do it to follow through so they gain 10 pounds and bitch about it,” he says. “I try to stay as fit as I can — it makes my job easier.”

 

Captain Lee makes sure to bring exercise bands, a picture of him and his wife, his guitar and an extra pair of shades to his “office." As he puts it: “There’s nothing worse than getting caught out at sea and losing your sunglasses.” Of course — naturally — life at sea has its many perks too: Captain Lee's history (and future) of navigating bucket-list islands attests to that!

See the Captain and his Below Deck crew before they hit the water.