The glamour of working on a superyacht—sun, sea, and celebrity encounters—has a darker side, as highlighted by the reality show Below Deck Down Under. Two cast members were recently fired for making unwanted sexual advances, prompting a broader conversation about safety in the industry.
Former crew member Leah Tennant, 27, from Dorset, spent five years on superyachts in the South of France, Italy, and the Caribbean. She described a high-pressure environment where crew live and work together, making it hard to escape. Leah recounted an incident where a captain walked in on her in the shower, but she felt unable to report it as there was no one above him.
Jenny Matthews, 34, a chief officer and founder of She of the Sea, a community for women in yachting, says the organisation receives frequent reports of misconduct, from micro-aggressions to assaults and rape. She mentioned appalling incidents including hidden cameras, drugging of crew, and a sex trafficking ring exposed last year.
Both Leah and Jenny believe Below Deck has helped expose these issues. Jenny said: 'It's exposing things that our industry would like to pretend don't happen.' Former cast member Conrad Empson, 29, from Southampton, who starred in Below Deck Mediterranean, attributes many problems to the industry's secretive nature, where crew are often forbidden from sharing details about their work.
Conrad is also working to reform the 'broken' recruitment system, which he says contributes to the lack of accountability. He noted that while change is slow, platforms like Facebook groups are helping crew share experiences and push for better protections.
