‘Below Deck Mediterranean’ Recap: The Boss of No One

Two episodes into the season, the deck team finds itself in a chicken-or-egg situation: What came first, the deckhands’ inability to do their jobs or Nathan’s poor, clumsy leadership? He seems to have lost track of what his job even is . At one point, he tells Aesha that he wishes he had last season’s crew because Gael and Joe “took initiative.” To Sandy, somewhat amazingly, he says that he “doesn’t have time” to train his crew. Was Nathan clear on the responsibilities of a head of department before taking the job? Yes, he’s supposed to make the schedules and delegate tasks; yes, he calls the distances and doesn’t have to drive the tender for beach excursions. But he’s also supposed to lead a team — and that has as much to do with communication as it does with ropes and checklists.

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