Below Deck with Captain Lee

Hey there, everybody. Welcome to another TJ is starting episode of Amy and TJ.

My favorite episodes.

Look can we go? We're going to talk a little reality TV today. And I am not a big reality TV fan, haven't been throughout my life. But what would you say is your Even before us you and I have started watching some things, but what is your would you say has been your number one? Like the show you made sure you watched if it was a dancing competition or if it's a housewive type show, what's what did you commit to?

So it's evolved over the years.

So I think my first reality show that I got totally stuck on was American Idol, without a doubt. I loved it, the girls watched it with me.

It was a family show.

There aren't many shows on TV these days, especially where you can watch with the family safely and so so American Idol, for sure, I was obsessed with that show.

I loved it.

And I have not been a big reality TV show person per se. We've had to watch for what we did for a living oftentimes. But I kind of got into at one point in my life in the in the Bachelor series.

I liked Bachelor in Paradise.

I kind of fell in love with that because those were all the rejects who then got thrown on an island together. And then just like whatever happened happened, and that, I think then led to my next guilty pleasure, which was Love Island. It's embarrassing to admit, but in weak moments, or in like moments where I just couldn't think or I didn't want to accept my own reality, I went to Love Island, and then you and I when we got into our situation, we found an absolute amazing outlet.

Well, I can't what was my question?

You asked what reality shows I like?

I just went through the timeline of it.

What was my question?

What reality shows I liked? And I think I did a very good job at answering you. Chronologic dive is what we call it, explaining everything, maybe over explaining.

Would you say, though, that you are a reality TV fan? Because I don't want to call it trash TV. That's but a lot of people do call it. But it's a guilty pleasure is a good way to put it.

It's a guilty pleasure. But I will at least feel like I choose No, I can't say that. Yeah, it's a guilty pleasure. I was thinking that.

So I don't like a lot of conflict. I like some conflict. I like fun, silly conflict. I don't like deep, like table throwing conflict.

I have a limit to the conflict. I'm willing to watch.

What the actual is happening right now.

Okay, I'm just answering it as honestly as I posed.

Well, I haven't been a reality TV fan. The one that I did follow was Rachel Lindsays season of The Bacheloreat. Okay, that was one that I was committed to, watched every day and was she's a friend, so that's.

It's also for work because we needed to watch those things.

Okay, I'll give you that one. But the first one that you and I found this was the first one that I was shocked by that I got into and it was completely random. Okay, how you're going to say, serving the Hampton, Yes, okay, this We're sitting in the room here with our producer Andy, who was a reality guy, and he's even looking at me like what.

It's a little left field, it's a little here's why we liked it. Go ahead, because it was people who were actually doing a job that they would have done ordinarily. It wasn't a forced situation with fake friends. Yes, you're actually showing somebody at work and the conflict that often ensues at work.

So I'm just look at Andy, our producer here, and he's he this is not what he was into. It was completely random. You and I of course, at the end of twenty twenty two went into kind of a lockdown for a while to where we were inside together, just the two of us in hiding to a certain degree for whatever I think it was. H BO Max just popped up, I started it and really got into serving the Hamptons, which is about a restaurant called seventy five Main I think is right.

Yes, okay, and we've eaten there.

Okay. See that's the thing. We followed these folks on this journey of on the show to where they're working together at this place, all the conflict, you get it, it's a reality show. We then friend of yours Joe. Yes, as when we were in hiding, if you will, Joe and Preston both we wanted to just get out of town, yes, and they knew we couldn't go a lot of places and they say, hey, why don't you just we have a place here in the Hamptons that we rent out.

It was great.

By the way, the place that's featured in Serving the Hamptons. Okay, so to catch you up now, after we finished that one, we like, when is Serving the Hamptons too. I don't know if they had a season.

I don't think they got renewed. We might have been the only one who, like everyone else, might have thought it was boring.

I don't know.

Then, holy hell, we were looking for something else. You actually googled best reality shows to stream or something.

In the workplace.

I think I said that because we wanted people to actually have a real function, like a real job, so it wasn't all manufactured. We wanted to have actually some reality to the reality.

And what we found was below deck.

Below deck and our lives were never the same ever, so it was like, I mean, not trying to throw shade on Serving the Hampton's but that was just nothing compared to what Below Deck offered.

Wow, and below Deck, Look, folks, this show it is if you haven't and it's to your point, it's folks who are actually doing a job that looks difficult. Was it takes a lot of them. It's physical ability, but you need to know how to You're right? Do I need to throw this out here? Do I need to? I mean it's a lot of Technically, if you screw up, you could crash a boat, oh, without a doubt. Yes. So to see them going through that's what we respect. At least they were doing a job, and you can

All that there was to stream, and we went through all of them, not just rolling Deck Mediterranean, there was sailing, there was all the down Under. We haven't gotten totally through, but we have gone through all the different iterations. We just wanted more and more and more.

So if anybody knows what we're talking about, we say, below Deck the first thing out of your mouth after saying below deck has to.

Be Captain Lee.

It has to be because if you've watched that show, he has been the constant on that show. Look, we liked Blow Mediterranean, yes, and we liked Captain Sandy there as well, but the thing that got us into it and the guy who guided us through. They changed staff, but he was the constant throughout that show and if he it sounds crazy, but this was a guy who helped us through one of the craziest stretches yep, and difficult stretches of our lives.

I mean, I'm not trying to be ridiculous here, but it actually makes me kind of emotional because I feel like Captain Lee and watching how he led this young, wild group of kids trying to put on their best to a make tips and just keep people happy and learn the trade of yachting. It was Captain Lee, And

To shut up.

So, Captain Lee, are you offended to hear that? Amy Robock says that you remind her of her dad? Is that offensive? That's a compliment? Is it not? Not?

Definitely as a compliment. I'm flattered.

Thank you very much, Oh Captain Lee.

It's so fun to hear your voice and see your face and see us actually talking to you like we're I'm a little starstruck.

I'll just speak for myself.

Because we really did lean on you on it like so many ways, in so many ways. And then to come to find out you're from Michigan, I'm from Michigan. And then when I found out and this was like months after watching the show, because you're just referred to as Captain Lee, but your last name and my last name are almost identical, rose Bocher.

That's freaky.

Yeah, Captain Lee Rosebach and Amy Robo we have to be related, Captain Lee.

I'm going to choose to think we are.

That's almost scary. It truly is in a good way.

Yes, yes, no, because you remind me of my family. You remind me of how I was raised. The things you say are the things my father would have said. So it was just it felt like I was watching a little bit of home, watching you out on the water commanding.

This group of kids. It was great, It was It felt great.

Wasn't a lot There wasn't a lot of gray area when you were growing up, was there?

No, there was not. It's blackys.

You knew exactly where you stood if you screwed up, and you knew what was coming, and if you didn't, you might get an added boy. Probably not because you didn't get ada boys for doing what you were supposed to do.

Exactly, you don't get praised for doing what's expected of you, but if you don't do what you're supposed to do, there will be consequences.

And that is exactly how I was.

I ever wanted to hear was wait did I tell your father?

Oh?

That was it's the worst. Oh my goodness, that's so funny.

And if it happened early in the morning, you had all dated.

To sweat it out, to sweat it out. Yes, no, German Catholics are very specific. I don't know if you were raised the same way, but yes, German Catholics both sides. My mom is Schtopfel and my dad is a Robot, and we were all German Catholics, So I think, yes, there was a familiarity and just and there's.

I don't know.

I just felt so connected to you and to everything you had to say. It was it was cool and I needed that.

Actually, I when I found out your last name, because I'd watched you for years, and I thought there's something there.

Yeah, there has to be really.

There, really is it just can't. I'm not a firm believer in coincidence.

Well neither am I at all.

But you're also not of a believer yet in twenty three and me, you say you don't necessarily want to trace all that DNA.

Like I said, my dad was rather prolific, So I'm not sure if I want to open up that Pandora's box or not.

It has been that for many people twenty three and me and all of those other new DNA that's yes, yea right find relativetion nevernew you had.

You've got to be careful what you ask for.

Ketie, What do you think when you hear something like she's describing. I mean, people have all kinds of stories. I'm sure fans have talked about just you know, they just didn't enjoy the show is one thing. But I mean maybe you do remind people of somebody in their family. Maybe they feel a different type of connection the way Robot here that I'm sitting next to does. What do you do? You get a lot of that kind of thing from people.

I do. I get a lot. You remind me of my dad, my granddad, And I think that I come from a generation where things are pretty cut and dried. You know, you didn't you knew when you screwed up, you knew when you didn't and I mean you knew it before you finished doing it, and you knew what was going to happen, and then you had to figure out, Okay, is the going up going to be worth the coming down?

Yeah?

And it's crazy too, like you think about it so many people. Everyone parents differently, but there is something to that knowing what the expectations are and knowing what the consequences will be. I think so often kids these days, I sound so old, but don't know that though, or they aren't being taught the same way we were.

Now they don't have the structure that I feel they need, and they don't have the discipline, and they don't have that. A lot of them don't have that male figure in their life. It sets an example. You know, you get up, you go to work every day, and if you don't go to work, you do your job at home. Whatever your job is, you do it. You don't make excuses. You just suck it up no matter what the issue is, and you get it done. Period. So yeah, I don't like my professor at college, so who cares?

Oh my god, that's my dad.

Well, Captain Lee, he's my professor is triggering me, and it's it's reminding me of a trauma that I had, Captain Lee, and he should not. My professor needs to be aware of these triggers for me. Captain Lee.

Your professor doesn't give two about your trigger.

Oh Captain Lee, I wish there were more of you in the world. It just no, it really is a slice of hope.

It makes me laugh.

Sorry, and my daughters, I think, would say the same thing because I'm I'm the mean mom apparently, But that's just I think there is something to that, and you give them to the.

Keep being the mean mom than you, you keep being the parent first. Yeah, there's plenty of time later on to be friends. But if you if you're not, in my opinion, if you're not the parent first, then you're probably not going to raise the type of show that you want to be friends with later.

So true, so true and just. And you take that philosophy and you bring it on the boat. How did that work?

I do? It worked fine for me. For some of the crew members not so much. And production and I had an understanding from Jump Street that you know you have a job to do. I have a job to do. My job supersedes your authority. You charted the boat, you got me with it, so you can film me all you want. I'm going to do my job as I understand it, and that's to make sure that everybody on this boat is safe and I don't do any harm

Be take the cameras away, Captain Lee, did you do everything the exact same way you did it that we sell on camera. If those cameras weren't there, you've been the same guy.

Didn't make any difference. Cameras are no cameras. That's the way I've been running boats for over almost forty years now, and I doubt it's going to change now.

I was just going to ask, it's the way you've been running boats. It's the way you see fit to run boats. But when you watch yourself back, did you have any thoughts like that was too much or maybe that was too harsh?

You know, maybe early in my career, before all of the TV stuff started, I may have been a little more strict than I actually needed to be. But I think that's a process that all captains go through, a maturation process where you learn that everybody's different and some people need to be handled differently. It's not a one

Can you spot them from a mile away, even before you start a charter season, can you say, yep, that's going to be a problem like this, that's going to be or were you even surprised once you got to know them a little bit.

They're pretty easy to spot.

Has anyone surprised?

Level of transparency is just like, seriously.

Tell us this, Captain Lee. If the two of us t J. Holmes and Amy Robot stepped on to your deck as new members.

Of the crew, she's chiefs to lead deckhand.

Okay, fine, lead deckhand. Okay, what would you say these two are going to be for you and your crew?

Have I been able to look at your resumes?

Yes, and they are stellar.

Yeah.

Well I've never met anybody that that impellised your resume.

Right, we were fired once. We probably gonna leave that off.

I was.

I was fired once as well. Okay, I don't. I don't leave that off off my resume. I was actually quite proud of the fact that I was fired.

Wow, why were you fired? Who would have fired you?

Uh?

It was the owners of Utopia two, in Utopia three and four and five, but extremely demanding people, and I was fired for bringing something to one of the owner's attention that she really didn't want to see. And I didn't really care she wanted to see it or not, because it was the truth and I was doing the right thing. And I've always been a firm believer that you can never go wrong by doing the right thing. So when she fired me, I thought, there.

Is a god hallelujah. Wait what did she not want to see?

Oh? You don't really want me to say?

Oh I do, though, I kind of do.

Well. We had a My boat was primarily used as a floating hotel. When they'd have too many guests for the big boat, they'd send them over to my little one hundred and sixteen foot fed ship and they would spend the night. It was one of their executives, and he came rolling in about six thirty or so in the morning. Of course, our crew was all up and took a shower and promptly passed out. But while he was in the shower, he left something behind that he

Wait, but you got fired for that. Wait a minute, Okay, I'll get better.

It's better. Okay, the chiefs do come, do comes upstairs? And she goes kat. She said, you have to come downstairs with me, and I told I said, I have no I have no wish to even join you downstairs. I said, that's just She said, no, you have to because won't believe this. So I went downstairs and bigger than life there it was, so I uh. I took a picture of it and I sent it to the owner and I said, really that was it? One word text? Really uh. I was terminated the next day.

Wow, wow, wow, the reason being, what the way they had to give you some reason for that?

Well, it's funny because like on a boat, I am hr M right, So if you're gonna if you're gonna get on a boat as a steward, as a deckhand, and you're gonna go, well, I'm gonna take this hr. Well you're looking at HR literally because my first names here, my last name's rossback, I am HR. What's your problem?

I was not expecting that story was that was a new one.

So I was so glad I got fired.

Yeah. I mean, hindsight sometimes is well twenty twenty right, you learn as you go.

Do you know, keptain Lee, do you have a rolling count? Do you know how many people you have fired in the seasons of below.

Deck everyone that deserved it.

Okay, so not too few, not too many, the exact right number now.

I think there. I think the most I'd fired I think was four in one season, but I don't There's only one person that I actually I fired him, and I did regret it, but not for the reasons you might think. He he had embellished his resume, which is another word for lying, and he was such a nice kid, and he tried so hard, but in a million years, he was never going to get it. And to me, you have to get it in order to function on a on on Omega yacht.

I think I remember this. Who was this?

That was Andrew Sturby.

Yeah we have, we have and young blond.

Haired kid left the porthole in his stateroom open, almost saying.

Yes, yes, remember that?

So oh you could tell heart.

He did, and I said, Andrew, I said, I mean, this is really breaking my heart. I hate to do this to you. I said, but you're just too much of a risk and I don't have the time to to really train you. When what I really meant is, if I had a million years, you're never going to.

Get it, I do.

I told you you know he was, and he was so good with the guests. They loved him, and I just said, you know, you're going to have to go. And I think that's the only one that I actually regret. There were quite a few that I enjoyed. I really did. I mean, there's something gratifying about being able to dish out to some people who desperately deserves it what they have coming.

I think I think everyone can relate to that when you and I.

Just I don't feel bad about it one iota.

Maybe you two are related, no, but I get that.

I mean, like, if you feel like no one's ever told this person no.

Before, actually and you get to be the one to do it, and maybe that will be the thing that makes them wake up to how they act.

There is something satisfying about that. I totally. I get that you and I are on the same paper. Who was the most enjoyable to fire?

Do you know?

The most enjoyable to fire was Dane. Dane was a deckhand and I'd sent the crew out to a private resort and they had to resort all to themselves, overnight, rooms, open bar, They had everything that they wanted, so two o'clock in the morning, I get a call from Meddie and he said cat. He said, Dane's out of control. He said he can't stay here. So two o'clock in the morning, I'm scraunging around trying to find somebody to hop on a boat go to this other island and pick up Dane.

Even just the name Dane, you keep saying it such a way, it's annoying.

We had we had Dane down in the if we have film with him down in the crew mess. He's got a bottle of Crown Royal in one hand and a Budweiser in the other, and he's alternating hugs and he's talking to himself and we can't understand what he's saying, so we slow the tape down to try and figure out what he's saying. We still can't understand. We had it to damn near stop and we're still so we had to just use subtitles of all the special characters that you're.

Supposed to Oh, I love when you do that, yes.

Because we had no idea what he said, garble drunk. He gets he gets back to the bug. This is like three o'clock in the morning, and now there's a knock on my door. It's one of the producers. They go, cat, we've got a problem, and I looked at him. I thought, oh, do you ever have a problem. You know, it's three o'clock in the morning. I've got to be up in

Wait did this play out in the season for people to see. I don't remember that.

Oh yeah, well you didn't see that.

I see that.

Because there were certain things they transferred there you probably didn't want to see anyhow, I said, all right, I'll get his tip money for him. So I gave the producer his tip money. I got back into bed. Fifteen minutes later, there's another knock on the door. Now it's twenty after three or so in the morning, and he said, Dane's really really getting out of control and he won't leave, and now he's starting to verbally assault, you know, like

Amazing.

So he said, okay, he says, I'll go down and pack. I said no, no, I said, you won't go down and pack. You're not packing anything. Our people will pack for you, will ship it to wherever it is you want to go. You're going straight from this office to the airport and you're getting on a plane and you're leaving you guys, any questions.

Yeah, Kevin, you have to tell us you've been doing this for so long before cameras ever became a part of it. Have you always had debt crews that were like this, even before we were able to see what life was like on a boat.

Yes.

Wow.

I remember I had an engineer one time, and this was on Nick Cage's boat and I was bringing it back from the Hampton's somewhere up in Connecticut back down to Lauderdale. And I didn't know it at the time because I didn't know the guy well enough. But the engineer he passed out well I should have said, he looked like he fell asleep during a team meeting, staff meeting in a sleep. He faced drunk and I took his class and it was like a tumbler. It was straight vodka.

Yeah, the engineer, the engineer, a lot of people's lives at seek.

So yeah, there's I mean, it does happen, not just on television. So that's why it cracks me up sometimes when people say it's all scripted, and I said, trust me when I tell you, if it was scripted, my life would have been so much easier. I would have known what was coming. I could have you know, just read my lines and everything would have been great. But the stuff that happened it just like straight out of the box and you get hit right between the eyes with it.

How about the guests on the show, I we from the very beginning, we're curious about how you picked them and what the incentives were for them to be on the boat, because obviously a lot of them some of them act just fine, but many of them don't, and were like, who would put themselves out there to be talked about, ridiculed?

And you know for folks who are on the outside looking in, just they look like general.

FLEs like we were just curious about that process.

Well, there's there's two things. When we first started the series, it was so unknown and I'm not going to say nobody knew what they were doing, but nobody had filmed charter guests on a moving boat with all of the crew and then all the camera crew and all the audio techts and everything that we had to have on

Oh wow.

So then I'm you know, myself and the production crew were sitting there. Now we got four days to fill with no guests.

Then think about that.

So we started charging, and they did get a heavily discounted rate, and it was really a great deal for them. You know, generally they got like I remember a couple of seasons we'd charter. We would rent a mansion, a

So that's a really good deal.

That's a great deal.

It was a really good deal for them. And you know, unless they wanted a case of Louis tray, then you know, they stayed within limits. Then they were okay, But what used to amaze me tremendously was when you talk to people like crew, they you entered them and you want this is why you want them, because they're an interesting personality. They seem like they're fun to hang out with, they're

Wow, that's crazy.

Camera comes on and they're just totally different, and you're going like, no, what the hell just happened here?

Why? But why wouldn't you want to look bad? I mean, that makes them look worse. Why wouldn't they be on their best behavior and telling the crew so well?

With the cameras rolling, they would get together and conspire, the guests would to think of difficult situations to make for the crew.

Kidding me, Wow, I'm shocked by that.

Why wow?

And it was just you know, and we dealt with it.

Wow, I know we watched it. Was there a group that shocked you the most.

Didn't happen a lot, but you know, because there were so many really really great charters that I had throughout my career and below deck the Two's, for example, LeAnn Dewey and Shawnee her husband from the blind Side. Yep, they were just great and you just loved hanging around with them and cameras on or not, they didn't change who they were or what they were. I remember having some housewives on board and I thought, oh my god, talk about high maintenance. I'm an overload here, and when

Cynthia her mom and daughter, and we.

Just had a great time with them. They weren't high maintenance. They were a lot of fun. And then there were some other guys. I mean, you just you take. It's kind of like the luck of the draw.

Kem Lea advise folks who maybe if they're not even maybe they will be a charter guest somewhere on some boat some day. But there's something we see it a lot with airline travel to where people who you feel entitled, that that flight attendant or that deckhand or that stewards or whatever. It's like your servants. They people feel for whatever reason in those like you're there to serve them

The people that behave that way with that sense of entitlement. Generally it's new money. It's not old money, because old money is a product of class culture and breeding. The new money they have that sense of entitlement about them for no reason whatsoever, and they should the people my crew, and I've told some charter guests on charter, no, my crew are not your slaves period. You will treat them with respect or I'll turn this boat around and head

You've kicked a guest before, we've seen it.

It was awesome.

I have no problem doing that.

Yes, yes, yes, And you kicked her off the lorus.

That was amazing. And now and now.

Season one, I kicked Johnny.

Eyelash yes, yes, oh yes, And he's the.

Guy that came rolling down the dock a group of photographers and he's wearing this nasty, dirty, old bathrobe. Do you remember that, teacher?

I do? I do?

I do I do?

That's that's a sight you can unsea.

And then we've seen guests behave badly, like horribly, and then come back the next season trying to redeem themselves like we were like, oh my god, they came back for more. Like they they're.

Trying to be more outrageous than they were the season before. That was like Charlie Wallers crazy. That was the way he was. He he had try and outdo it every time, and some people just really wanted to be as memorable, good or bad as they could possibly be.

Which is wild.

And now you have the I'm curious what your perspective is now because you're at home watching and you've got a podcast you recently met made headlines talking about Speaking of Housewives Jill Zarin and how she acted on this latest season. What is it like for you to watch it now like the rest of us on television knowing what you know.

Well, you know it's TJ. It's like I said before, I haven't changed anything and the way I operate my boat. My attitude toward the guests is the same as it is. Everybody comes on lights clean, Let's do what we can to keep it that way. But some people are just hell bent. And when I watch people go out of their way, it's a conscious effort that they're doing what they're doing. This is no mistake, it's no accident. So don't hand me that bullsh because I'm not buying it,

And Kevinly, you said earlier while we were discussing issues in our past, that we've been fired from jobs before, and you were telling the story about being fired from a from a job before. Were you fired from this one? From below deck? That they brought in another captain, But what is the right way to put their transition from you as captain to the new guy as captain?

I guess that's subject to interpretation. Ah, I'm a pretty cut and dried character, And to me, if you have a job one minute and the next minute you don't have a job, and you haven't been given a verifiable reason, Uh, there's only one conclusion I can draw.

Which is your fire. Well wait a minute. You made it sound as if there's no There had to be some conversation or explanation for Hey, we're going in a new direction. We wanted to do something.

Yeah, that that new direction. That's boy, that one's about ben worn out, hasn't it.

I don't know. That's all I had in the moment.

VI.

I think that's the same one everybody on TV that loses their job has been told, is we're going in a new direction.

We were a distraction. We were told we were a distraction. That was I.

Didn't think so I wasn't. I wasn't following because I guess I don't know. Maybe I was naive. But the situation between you two, to me, didn't even constitute a speed bump.

We appreciate that.

No, it didn't as far as I was concerned, because you were still doing your jobs and doing them well. Amy. I've always loved all of your work that you've done, and I just like seems a little petty to me. But what the hell do I know. I'm just a boat captain. Well, that's where you have to be cautious with me. If you if you really don't want the the answer to that question, then I may not be the one you want to ask because it may be more than you bargained for.

You know, that's a that's a good point, but go ahead, I'm sorry. Ahead.

Well, I've always been of the belief that you do the right thing, and the right thing is what's what's right in your mind. You know what the right thing is, and you know when you're not doing it. And if I've done the right thing, I sleep really good at night. I feel pretty good because I've always strived to do the right thing, period and I don't think you can

But for us, though, Captain Lee, for like, I mean, I don't want to go overboard with it. But for I know fans are fans of the show for different reasons. We are fans because it really did cap'n Lee. Yeah, she wasn't exaggerating what you said. You kind of were a steady voice that carried us through and we streamed and streamed and streamed when we were essentially on lockdown. But to thank you. But the thing that there was a breakup between you and the show, that there should

I was willing to come back. I did have some health issues which I worked through, and if somebody had said to me, that's why this is why you're not coming back, I could have accepted that. I don't. You know, the truth is kind of like the right thing right. It may not be easy to swallow, but it doesn't

And we watched you come back, and it was everybody was so excited to see you come back.

Away with a totally clear conscience.

Yeah you did. And so where are you health wise now, Captain Lee.

I'm doing pretty good. I still have a little bit of a limp. I'm not going to run the Boston Marathon that year, But hell, I can't think of a year I was ever going to run the Boston. But I'm doing well and I'm still having a lot of fun. The wife and I are traveling a little bit, and I still go to the gym every day without unless there's something really profitable or something I can't get out of happening. But yeah, I'm still a gym rat.

And perfectly physically capable of running a chart of season on a boat right now. Absolutely you want to.

I've I've had offers to go back to work, but it's like anything else, you know. I interview the owners as much as the owner interviews me, because I'm going to have to spend a lot of time with this individual. And if he just wants somebody to sit there and go, yeah, you're right, Yeah, you're right. I'm not your guy.

What about your wife though, Does she want you to go back to work.

No, she wanted me to retire three four years ago.

How long have you all been married now?

April twelfth, we hung out year number forty nine.

Congratulations, thank you. What's the secret to your marriage?

Well, I'm just trying to figure out what we're going to do with the next forty nine.

I love that. I love that we have to ask everybody. Does anybody in a relationship, here's that somebody's been together fifty years of a marriage, Like, what is it that worked for you? Guys? What? So? What can you can you give advice?

I I get up every day and I think, what can I do to put a smile on her face? What can I do to make her world better? And I will if there's something that I want to do and something she wants to do. What she wants to do comes first. Always.

Do you think she she wakes up and has those same thoughts about you?

Yes, I think they're reciprocal.

Now that's awesome, that's all.

And she she and I know she has I know she's acquiesced a numerous god too many to count, where she knew something really meant a lot to me, and it was like to her, it was like, but she would do it anyhow, And she would put herself out there, and she would put herself sometimes in some uncomfortable situations, especially like if we were you know, doing something like when they had a tribute to me when I left, and she wasn't really comfortable, you know, being there but

That's sweet. I love that.

What did what did it do, if anything, to your marriage for you suddenly to become the stud of the Seas, to become Captain Lee on television? Did that change anything in your marriage?

Yeah? You have no idea how much mileage. My wife has gotten out of that Stud of the Sea.

I like her. I like her.

She's going like, yes, study to see my ass.

But it didn't change anything.

It did, and there was there was a long time where I I had a lot of trouble in soby she just getting used to the celebrity aspect of it, because I've never considered myself a celebrity. I still don't. I was always just a captain that got filmed doing his job the best that he could, period. And now to have people you know, fawning over you, for lack

It's like a book signing, fawning of you. What are some of the weirder things or even shocking things we hear about rock stars get the letters in the mail and you know, undergarments and stuff like that. What is the weirdest kind of thing you've gotten.

I've received some pictures that you're probably never going to be able to unsee in your life. That's amazing, amazing, And you just go, really.

It's flattering kind of though, kevinly, isn't it? No?

Okay, sorry, it's just like I mean, there's some pictures that I've gotten where you go like, y'all have been better off keeping your clothes.

Definitely, that's great.

Well, TJ, come on, now, there's just some there's some things you just can't unsee.

Well, it's still just to think that someone thinks the stranger thinks enough of you, or thinks you're so adorable that it's worth taking the clothes off and sending a stranger a picture. I mean, that's I don't know.

Think about what you just said.

Yeah, as it was coming out, it sounded dumber and dumber.

Yes, Captain Lee, you mentioned just it kind of sparks because I wanted to ask you this. You said Thailand was one of your favorite places. You've been all over the world. I think so many of us love traveling and want to know what is Do you have a favorite place you've ever been, you've ever sailed? Just I want to know from a man who's seen almost everything, what's your favorite place.

I'm not sure I've been there yet, but of the places I've been, Tahiti probably ranks up there at the top because it was so nice. Here we are, we're on a one hundred and eighty five foot vote. It's just dropped dead gorgeous. And you know when you travel by yacht throughout the you know, like go up to the Hamptons, try and get a dog spot. It's not going to happen in the high season. Go to France. You're just another billionaire with a big boat, nobody really cares.

Okay, that's nice. We got to go to Tahiti. Tell me this guy and lead met Mediterranean Sailing yacht down under Adventure. Which of those below deck spinoffs is your favorite?

Not going there?

Oh?

Or isn't?

Yeah, I know you've seen them all. There's what I have? Why not go there? I thought that was an easy question.

I I don't think it's it's right because I have I have a certain way that I prefer doing things, and of course I think everybody else is wrong, but I have a certain way that I use and I have certain things that I I try to stay away from, and judging someone else's whether especially a peer of mine, judging their performance or how they handle something is not something that I'm willing to do in a public form.

Well to that point, well, I was just kind of not as a criticism of any other. But to your point, it seemed like, I mean, Robot and I here have watched.

Well, it seems like if I don't, if I go ahead and I say, okay below deck Shaling is my favorite.

Then everybody else will be mad?

What's what's wrong with the other three?

Yeah? There it is. No, Yeah, I'm just I'm.

Proud of the fact that I was the first one and then we had four more spin offs.

Well, yeah, got there. He's been he's figuring this whole thing out years. But to your point there, it seemed like a lot of people. Again, Robot and I watched all of your seasons, and we saw when Captain Sandy came in so to read that people were trying to make like a beef between the two of you. They seemed to want to cause some kind of controversy. We didn't see it necessarily watched it. So about your relationship

Wrote about it.

Yeah, we do things differently and there are certain things that we don't see eye to eye on. But I think that's true in any profession. That's why you get a second opinion when you go to the doctor.

Bottom line, how is your relationship with Captain Sandy?

That's fine. Like I said, we don't see the eye to eye and a lot of things, but she has a job to do. I commend her for for, you know, her achievements, because there's not a lot of female captains in the in the Meggiat world, and most people don't understand how rigorous and how difficult it is not only to achieve it, but to keep it right.

So it sounds like there's professional respect. Is there a friendship? No, and that's okay, but I'm fine with that.

There's there's a lot of people I don't like, but I respect them.

He's freaking out because you and I sound so much alike.

I don't. I've had people on board that I don't like that have worked with me, and I don't have to like you. If you're doing a good job, and I like your performance. What you're doing. Your personal life is your business.

Can we ask you about the new guy, Keptain Carrie? Carrie? All right? Can we ask you?

I've met Carrie a time or two, We've had a discussion or two, and I really don't have an opinion one way or the other as far as Carrie goes.

After watching him on the show, after watching how he works, or just after your personal one on one interaction both.

You know, you're always going to look at at somebody that doing your job in a fashion where you go like, I wouldn't have done that that way. I had handle that differently.

Yeah, And it.

Doesn't mean that somebody's wrong, It just means you're different.

So, Captain Lee, if you were going to set sail on a new season, who would be your dream team cast?

Oh?

That's question, And that's another area I won't all right, I will give you I would have Eddie and Kate.

Okay and Eddie, Eddie and Kate. I get that, that's totally.

There's so many that were so much fun and were such hard workers. Connie was one. Yeah, she was a great deckhand, fun to be around. Ah, love to play jokes, you know. I mean, who brings a sewing machine board a yacht.

With them, Connie, Yeah.

And you know what she did with it. She would watch the deck through how they put their shorts on in the morning because doors are open all over the place. Nobody there's no modesty whatsoever, So they're putting their shorts on in the morning. And then when she got the opportunity, she would take the opposite leg and sow it shut so they'd get the one leg in, then they go to put the other one in and it wouldn't go through, and they'd fall on their rasps and she'd start laughing.

Keeping everybody home.

There have been so many people on board that were just, you know, just really great to work with, a lot of fun and that I would love to work with again given the opportunity. But I mean, way too many to mention. And it's pretty rare that you had anybody back for a second season. I think Eddie and Kate were the only two outside of Frasier that actually made the cut to come back for more than one season.

Please please tell us we like Fraser? Is he good? People? Because we really liked him. Surprisingly, he snuck up on us and we're like, wow, we really like this guy.

Yes he is.

He's a real deal.

Okay, good, He's very sincere. I used to die laughing when he'd start talking to himself.

He's such a perfectionist.

Yeah, he would come. He would come back from a conversation with somebody that would just like jerk his chain and he would be talking to himself under his breath.

We get that.

I and I and I keep going crazier. You're on a hot mic.

So kem leeh Is there any chance or what are the chances we will see you on TV at the helm of a boat on Bravo or wherever it may be, or back on below deck where we would like to see you. But is there is that in the car.

I don't know how much chance there is that I'll be back on TV at the helm of a boat, but I think I can feel pretty safe in saying that there is a distinct chance that I will be back on TV in the not too distant future.

That's very exciting, and that's.

About as much as I'm without really getting my hands slapped.

Well, we can't wait.

That I can say about it there.

It's not the same without you, So I know you've thank you so much.

You're very kind from.

So many people, but you are one of the main reasons why we kept watching. So thank you for helping us us truly get through last year with some levity and some lessons and some wanderlust because we actually made a vacation around one of the destinations. So thank you for all that you have done, and just thank you for being yourself. Just to see somebody in this world of reality TV actually be real is awesome and you embody that.

So thank you, Captain Lee.

It's my pleasure and thank you. I can't tell you what it means to be on your show. I'm honored and it's been very enjoyable. And I can't say that about a lot of podcasts. I can't say that about a lot of podcasts and appearances that I've made over the years that I actually enjoyed it and had a good time coming from you. This is definitely one of them.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Kaviie we'll see on the seas, brother, all.

Right, catch it. Everybody on the flip side by bye bye bye