Captain Lee Rosbach, the longtime captain on Bravo’s Below Deck, is officially heading ashore. The TV personality—who has starred on the nautical reality series since its premiere in 2013—shared the news during the Monday, Dec. 12 episode of Below Deck, revealing his departure as a result of ongoing health issues. Rosbach, 73, will be leaving the boat in the midst of Season 10 aboard motor yacht St. David, which premiered just last month. He credited his unexpected exit to persistent nerve issues that seem to be presenting worsening symptoms, despite his hope that they would subside enough for him to finish out the charter season. “My injury, it’s getting worse,” he told the cameras in a confessional interview on Monday’s show. “The left side of my body, I don’t feel anything.” “I expected a lot more progress than I’m experiencing,” he continued. “And the most frustrating part about it is, I can’t do a god damn thing about it, and it’s hard.” Later in the episode, Rosbach said, “The pain’s getting worse, not better. I owe it to my crew to do right by them. They expect that our of me.” “There comes a point if a captain is really being objective, he should be putting the best interests of his crew first because that’s your primary responsibility,” he added. “As soon as you step on the board, check your f—ing ego at the dock. That’s where you leave it.” The longtime Captain—nicknamed “The Stud of the Sea”—also broke the news to his crew during the episode, explaining, “As you guys know, I’ve been struggling with my mobility, and it’s been hard. And I’ve let you guys down, and for that I apologize. So I’ve made a decision to leave the boat.” The end of the episode left off with Rosbach getting in touch with an unnamed fellow captain, although viewers will have to wait until next week to learn who will be taking over the role. Below Deck airs Mondays at 8pm ET/PT on Bravo.
