How Long Are the Below Deck Charters? Here's a little-known secret about Below Deck: The “charter season” on the show is just a few weeks. In fact, the yachts are actually booked for about six weeks, and their regular crews are sent home.
Each season is put together from around-the-clock footage of the cast members shot over the course of six weeks.
The show is filmed for only six weeks because of the high-cost of chartering the yacht. Unfortunately, crew have said the seven or eight week mark of working a charter is when yachties really let loose.
Typically, there are two yacht charter seasons. That includes the summer season and the winter season. The summer season runs from the beginning of May until the end of October, while the winter one commences in November to April. However, there are a few exceptions to these time zones, depending on where you are.
The charter guests you see on the show are genuine charter guests. They pay their own money to secure a space within the six weeks of filming time each season. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars to charter any of the superyachts featured in the series.
How much does it cost to charter a yacht from Below Deck? The cheaper yachts from Below Deck can be chartered for $140,000 a week. The most expensive ones have charter costs close to $300,000 per week.
Do Yachties Earn Tips? Yes, yachties can earn quite a lot from tipping. However, a yachtie who works onboard a charter yacht will end up working with limited time off and for longer periods.
During off-season, yachts can schedule yard periods, haul-outs, and major projects.
The Below Deck Crew Makes A Salary & An Appearance Fee
The deckhands usually make around $3,500-$4,500 a month, while a bosun would make a little more at approximately $5,000 monthly.
Many jobs after yachting include working for UHNWIs, in a role such as personal assistant, housekeeper, estate manager, butler, or private chef. Ex-crew are ideally suited to these positions as they uniquely understand the needs, desires, and exacting standards required by UHNWIs.
While the show isn't scripted, it is dramatised. This is the bedrock of reality TV; it's how producers and editors ensure their show is entertaining and ultimately keeps fans tuning in.
The cast earns money working on the boat, which is supplemented by tips from guests and their involvement in the reality series. In May 2022, Eddie Lucas sparked a conversation about paychecks when he revealed that he won't be coming back for season 10 of Below Deck after appearing in six seasons.
A bosun salary generally ranges between $3,500-5,000 per month, starting at $3,500 for those with minimal experience. Factors that might lead to a higher bosun salary include watersport certification, such as those all-important diving or kitesurfing credentials, and engineering experience or qualifications.
But the mega bucks go to the top dogs, Captain Lee and Captain Sandy, who on a 185-foot superyacht make between $150-$210,000 a year.
With a team so large (and only so much room on the yacht), the entire Below Deck production crew sleeps in hotels. When the yacht is docked, they walk to the yacht. When the yacht is anchored, they take a water taxi.
Captain Lee demystified the tipping process further on Twitter, sharing that every member of the crew gets an equal cut of the tip, including the captain, as well as the couple of Below Deck crew members who have typically not appeared on camera, such as the first officer and engineer.
As for the chef, such as Below Deck alum Chef Ben Robinson, they make about $7,000 to $10,000 a month, depending on experience and training. The Captain of the boat is the highest earner, making between $150,000 to $210,000 a year working on a 185-foot superyacht like Captain Lee's My Seanna.
But the mega bucks go to the top dogs, Captain Lee and Captain Sandy, who on a 185-foot superyacht make between $150-$210,000 a year. Then you have to add on the tips, reportedly average at around $15,000 per person for about six weeks of work.
I promise production covers a meal and a drink per person." This confirms that production pays for their meal and one drink only and that certain elements are played up for TV.
In reality there is no set finish time so you should expect 12 – 14 hour days. It has been known for yacht crew to work weeks without a day off however, the perks do outweigh the long hours and hard work, which is why working in the Superyacht industry is so attractive.
What is a typical yacht deckhand salary? Starting out as a junior, a yacht deckhand salary can be anywhere from $3,000 to $3,5000 per month, with very rare cases reporting to earn over $4,000 per month.
You may be required to work some holidays, and in that case you should receive special pay or compensatory days off. Other benefits include room and board, basic living essentials, crew uniform, access to email, performance-based bonuses, and possibly life insurance.
Is there a tipping etiquette? Yes, all tips should be given directly to the captain so that they can divide the amount out between all the crew. It is important to remember that there may be crew that have worked just as hard as others but have been less visible during your trip.
Worst Tip on 'Below Deck': $5,000
Captain Lee previously said that the worst tip that the crew has ever gotten was $5,000, with each cast member receiving only $500 per person. What's worse, the Season 1 charter guests were insufferable.
The amount of money the crew gets in tips is not realistic.
“On a yacht of that size, [a good tip] would be $5,000 a person for seven days of work,” she explained. “Our charters are a little bit shorter, just so we can make the show. But everything else is the same… we usually get around $2,500, $2,000.