When it comes to Bravo’s Below Deck franchise, we’re used to seeing the on-camera drama play out between those among the bottom of the food chain. And don’t get me wrong – it certainly gets juicy. One fan-favorite alum even thinks yachties should be getting paid as much as the Real Housewives, if not more, given the “goods” they deliver for the network. But surprisingly, now it looks like there might be some drama among the upper echelons of Bravo leadership, because I think Captain Sandy kinda sorta shaded Captain Glenn (of the Sailing Yacht spinoff) in Season 7 of the Mediterranean spinoff.
In the July 18 episode of Below Deck Med (available to stream early for Peacock Premium subscribers), the first charter of the season was winding down, which meant one of the first big tests for the crew: docking the superyacht. Captain Sandy, who has headlined the reality series for the last five years, admitted that she was “concerned” about maneuvering with the wind, current and tight fit at the marina docks where they needed to lay anchor off the coast of Malta. However, she was seemingly not worried altogether too much because she then pointedly said in a confessional:
After all, I don’t hit things.
Though she didn’t use his name directly, the casual quip appeared to be a dig aimed at relative newbie captain to the franchise, Glenn Shephard. During his second season stint on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, the 61-year-old famously hit the marina while docking not once, but twice. No one was actually hurt. Yet, it was still deemed “the biggest boat crash in Below Deck history” and a major flub. Technically, the snafu wasn’t really his fault, as it turned out that something was amiss with the throttle, but nevertheless, it didn’t stop the online jokes at his expense in the aftermath. One thinks now, it also didn’t stop Captain Sandy for getting in a punchline that basically writes itself.
This is just what it looks like on the face of things, though. In reality, it’s possible that Captain Sandy wasn’t thinking of Captain Glenn in the slightest when she said what she said. After all, in that same episode, she herself had some mechanical trouble with the fenders that made the boat almost capsize. In addition, she’s known to be a rather straight-shooter too in her dealings with crew, so likely, she would want to extend that courtesy to fellow captains. All I’m saying is that it’s interesting timing on her part. That’s all…
The lone female captain of the franchise doesn’t exactly shy away from Below Deck Med drama, either, truth be told. Last season, she came under hefty criticism from the fanbase for her handling of the Lexi Wilson situation onboard. Not to mention, the TV personality continues to feud with her former chief stew Hannah Ferrier, even after firing her in Season 5. Ferrier, who has been making a sort of TV comeback, has even reignited the feud of late, with the suggestion that Captain Sandy only wanted more “screen time” regarding the controversial ouster.
Regardless, Captain Sandy might want to watch her words more carefully in the future because even the lovely and mild-tempered Captain Glenn is known to throw shade at charter guests himself. Stay tuned for what more Season 7 of Below Deck Mediterranean has in store as regular episodes air on Monday nights at 8 p.m. EST on Bravo!
