Credit: Todd Williamson/Bravo
After months of online rumblings and rumors circulating around his health, Captain Lee Rosbach has exited the St. David.
Monday night’s episode of Below Deck saw Captain Lee having to disembark from the charter season halfway through due to his ongoing mobility issues.
Captain Lee sorrowfully spoke of his departure in a conversation with Chef Rachel Hargrove during the episode, saying, “This has probably been one of the most humbling experiences of my life.”
The beginning of season 10 of Below Deck saw the OG captain struggling with ongoing nerve and heart issues that stemmed back well over the past year and as far back as season nine of the franchise. During that season, Captain Lee missed the first few charters, handing over the reins to his righthand man and “boat son,” Eddie Lucas, and temporary boat captain Sean Meagher.
At the time, Captain Lee told Eddie, “I have a condition. The whole boat is your ballgame now.”
Unfortunately, his injuries continued to plague him well into the current season.
“My injury, it’s getting worse. The left side of my body, I don’t feel anything,” Lee said in a confessional. “I expected a lot more progress than I’m experiencing, and the most frustrating part about it is, I can’t do a god d— thing about it, and it’s hard.”
However, he knew that he needed to get seek medical attention, and his role as captain was to do right by his ship and crew. He “owed it” to them and they “expect that out of [him.]”
“There comes a point if a captain is really being objective, he should be putting the best interests of his crew first because that’s your primary responsibility,” he said as the episode went on. “As soon as you step on board, check your f—ing ego at the dock. That’s where you leave it,” he firmly stated.
The end of the climactic episode saw Captain Lee call an “all-hands” meeting with his crew and staff, where he relayed the heartbreaking news that he would be leaving the St. David.
“As you guys know, I’ve been struggling with my mobility, and it’s been hard. And I’ve let you guys down, and for that I apologize. So, I’ve made a decision to leave the boat,” he revealed.
No replacement captain has been announced yet. However, an earlier scene showed Lee calling an unnamed fellow captain to seemingly take over his duties.
It’s expected that next week’s December 20 episode will showcase the new direction the season is set to embark on under new leadership.
Bravo’s Below Deck airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. EST.