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The Below Deck franchise has featured many “boatmances” over the years. Bravo‘s reality TV series Below Deck debuted on the screens on July 1, 2013. It chronicles the lives of a group of young people living and working on a yacht. Throughout the season, the crewmates, also known as yachties, work around the clock to meet the ever-changing needs of their clients. Much drama is involved, with each episode bringing a different set of clients. When you throw in the complicated relationship dynamics between the crew members, it is no wonder Below Deck has enjoyed tremendous success over the last decade.
That success has led to the creation of several spin-offs over the years, including Below Deck Mediterranean, Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Below Deck Down Under, and Below Deck Adventure. For most of the Below Deck fans, the yachting romance is one of the most exciting parts of the series. Sadly, many of these romances do not stand the test of time. Below we look at 5 Below Deck “boatmances” that fans were sad to see wither out.
Chef Ben Robinson and Kate Chastain’s Boatmance (Below Deck)
Recently, fans on Reddit started a conversation about some of the best Below Deck “boatmances” they wished survived. Fans cherished Chef Ben and Kate’s relationship, wishing it could have endured as one of the show’s iconic romances. Ben and Kate sparked dating rumors when the former arrived to save the Below Deck season 2 charter season after Chef Leon Walker. The speculations continued to trail the duo into the next season. While they kept their relationship status ambiguous, undeniable evidence indicated they were deeply infatuated with each other.
Although their romance fizzled after they left the series, dating rumors continued to trail the two. They maintained a close friendship through the years. When Kate welcomed her baby boy earlier this month, several viral reports suggested Ben was the child’s father. However, Kate quickly debunked those rumors, and Ben announced his engagement to his girlfriend of four years, Kiara Cabral, three days later, finally putting those rumors to rest.
Aesha Scott and Jack Stirrup (Below Deck Med)
This is another boatman that filled fans with a lot of optimism. Unlike Ben and Kate, Aesha Scott and Jack Stirrup never left anyone guessing about what they felt for each other when they crossed paths during season 4 of Below Deck Mediterranean. From the moment they met, there were noticeable sparks between them. It didn’t take long before they made their relationship official and moved in together. Although the two finished the Below Deck season, still engrossed in their “boatmance,” their romance quickly ended amidst some controversy once they returned to the real world. After the show, Jack returned to his home in the UK and rekindled his romance with his ex-girlfriend Kelly Hidge. The two welcomed their first child together in April 2020.
At the time, Jack’s betrayal did cause a significant rift between him and Aesha, which played out in the media. However, the two can bury the hatchet after Jack calls Aesha and apologizes for how things ended. Aesha has clarified in past interviews that she harbors no grudges but asserts they haven’t communicated since the apology. She has since moved on from all that drama and is currently dating Scotty Dobbo — whom she has known since high school. The two went public with their relationship in the summer of 2020.
Chef Ben Robinson and Emily Warburton-Adams (Below Deck)
Chef Ben Robinson has undoubtedly proved himself to be something of a ladies’ man while appearing in the Below Deck franchise. After wrapping up his romance with Kate, Ben began dating Emily Warburton-Adams when she joined the Below Deck crew as second stewardess during the show’s fourth installment. There was no hide and seek about their romance as the two thrilled the viewers with their genuine connection, which continued even after filming for season 4 of Below Deck. Subsequently, Emily moved to Florida to be with Ben, and they lived together for over a year.
However, Emily’s strong attachment to her home in London affected their relationship. Ben’s inability to relocate to London spelled doom for their relationship, even before they officially started dating. After over a year, the pair decided it was best to separate. But they have maintained a close friendship through the years. Emily has since left her days working in the yachting industry behind, and in 2017, she co-founded POWFood — a catering service based in the UK which offers wellness services and healthy food delivery. She also maintains a solid social media presence through her Instagram page, which has over 110k followers.
Hannah Ferrier and Jason Ziegler’s Boatmance (Below Deck Med)
Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier faced challenges with the crew, particularly Christine “Bugsy” Drake, during Season 2 of Below Deck Mediterranean. When charter guest Jason Ziegler took an interest in her, it provided a welcomed distraction from the ship’s ongoing drama. The two began exchanging flirtatious glances, and even though it went against the rules of engagement, Hannah couldn’t resist the attraction she felt toward Jason. After intense flirting that thrilled fans, the two finally shared a sweet, private kiss, igniting further excitement. During a confessional, Hannah said,
“It was definitely a case of the angel on one shoulder and devil on the other. Despite the obvious chemistry and flirting, once he actually kissed me, I had a realization that this needed to wait until after he had left the boat. So, in short – a very quick kiss!”
After Jason left the boat, he continued communicating with Hannah through text messages. Meanwhile, Hannah’s closeness with Jason had already gotten her in trouble with her crewmates. When Christine saw their messages on the yacht’s iPad, she didn’t hesitate to show them to the other crew members. This caused a significant rift, but Captain Sandy Yawn quickly intervened. Nothing came out of Hannah and Jason’s fling beyond their brief friendship, although fans would have loved them to take it further. Hannah has since welcomed a daughter, Ava, with her partner Josh, at the end of 2020.
EJ Jansen and Baker Manning (Below Deck)
Although Bosun EJ Jansen only appeared on a few episodes of season 5 of Below Deck, he left quite an impression on the crew. Besides his fractious relationship with lead deckhand Nico Scholly, EJ instantly connected with deckhand Baker Manning. Fans were excited by the apparent chemistry between the two. But quickly got frustrated by the lack of movement from EJ in securing a relationship with Baker. The bosun hesitated to pursue a relationship with Baker due to prior bad experiences with romance on boats.
During an episode of After Deck with Kate Chastain, Baker explained how she eventually had to seize the initiative and ask EJ on a date after he failed to make a move. Baker stated she was motivated to move after some crew members mistakenly believed they had kissed. That assumption placed the idea into her head.
For many Below Deck fans, this perhaps was one of the most painful “boatmances” on the franchise. Even though it held so much promise, it failed to materialize into anything substantial. The two quickly moved on after their time on the show. Although several other “boatmances” have featured in the Below Deck franchise, only a few have left fans feeling what could have been more than these five romances discussed above.