Below Deck’s Captain Glenn Shephard has dished on the challenges and memorable moments he’s faced with guests and crew while taking a breather from the hit Bravo reality TV series. During a Croatian getaway with his girlfriend, he reminisced about some tough but intriguing sea adventures.
In an exclusive chat with Express.co.uk, he revealed that navigating the Bahamas was particularly tricky while aboard a shallow boat. He explained: “Especially as you are going in between the island groups, it’s eyeball navigation.”
“The reefs and the rocks are not chartered, you have to see them. You have to see them and steer around them which is a bit of a challenge as you can only do it when the sun is over your shoulder.”
“If the sun is ahead of you, you don’t go in those areas, it will end in tears for sure.”
He remembered steering the Parsifal, as seen on Below Deck, through a similar area known as Silver Bank.
“There are no islands there, we went there to see whales and we were in a similar situation,” he elaborated. “Luckily we had a boat meet us at the edge of it because it’s very deep water and it comes up to shallow water.”
“That’s why the whales like it. They go there for breeding and it’s safe for the small whales.”
“But it’s 80 miles from the closest land. It’s quite challenging but a beautiful area. We had humpback whales two metres away, you could step onto them.”
Glenn first dipped his toes into sailing when he was just 24 years old.
“I was backpacking around Europe, ended up on a boat and was blown away and loved it,” he confessed, although he acknowledged the challenges of managing a large crew for extended periods.
“Boats in general whether it’s a super yacht or a small boat, it is confined spaces so you get used to that pretty quick.”
“It’s not for everybody but doing it for work is different. When you do it for pleasure you know it’s not so bad.”
“When you are doing it for work and you are working hard and have guests on board it takes a very special kind of person to be able to handle that pressure.”
“It’s in the back of your mind all of the time, where can I just go and get away from people? It’s not easy.”
“Maybe on the show you see people hanging out way up at the bow, it’s not that easy to get away from people.”
He suggested that those who thrive in the industry are those who can balance the pros and cons.
“Most of us, not everyone loves the job they do. Some people are just there for the money and the money can be quite good.”
“But we accept that your home and your environment is pretty confined, but you have the whole world out there and every day the view changes.”
“I think of my boat as a two-bedroom apartment with a sea view, and the sea view is constantly changing. So it’s a trade-off.”
He is currently preparing to inaugurate the 55th Southampton International Boat Show, Britain’s biggest marine festival, later this month.
Devotees can catch him live during a special Q&A session on the Foredeck Stage at 3.30pm.
Additionally, 20 fortunate superfans will get the opportunity to meet Captain Glenn at an exclusive VIP meet-and-greet in TheYachtmarket.com sparkling wine bar.
Tickets are available for purchase here.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht can be streamed on Peacock and Netflix.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
