Below Deck Captain Sandy questions Luka Brunton’s leadership on deck
Captain Sandy, Luka Brunton.
Fred Jagueneau/Bravo (2)Luka BruntonHis mistakes bothered him Below deck Mediterranean when Captain Sandy Yawn called him out for not properly planning his team’s schedule.
During a new episode of the Bravo series, which aired on Monday, December 4, Captain Sandy questioned Luka’s abilities as a leader after noting that he was the only one working from the deck crew.
‘Do we only have you on deck? That’s not okay. We need help with the operation. There are always two people on deck. This is not okay,” Sandy told Luka after sending sailors Lara Du Preez, Haleigh Gorman And Max Salvador during their respective breaks.
Earlier in the episode, Luka stayed on board while Lara, Haleigh and Max joined the guests on an excursion. The boatswain sent his fellow crews to their cabins after their return, which then caused a problem Tumi Mhlongo needed help serving dinner and Luka was the only one still awake but not there.
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Luka got off the boat to take a mentalist – who had been hired as entertainment for the guests – back to shore. As a result, Captain Sandy was not happy with Luka, as he had not thought about what his absence meant for the indoor team.
“It is important to have at least two sailors on board in an emergency. I need to be able to maneuver [and] I have to anchor. Not only is it safe, but we also have guests on board. It’s about service,” she explained to the cameras. “The deck team is there to support the interior, because now it’s all about the food and service [since] there are no water sports. We can’t have just one person. I need two. I am not content.”
When Luka returned, Sandy expressed her frustration, adding, “I’m not very happy. The priority is the food. Put Max on. These are the things that make me angry. You have to set your schedule.”
Luka tried to defend himself by pointing out that his team “didn’t get a break” earlier in the day and that’s why they all left at the same time. However, Sandy expected that Luka would be able to manage the situation better.
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“When [Tumi] shouted and rang, the deck crew had to answer f-king. I’m fucking crazy,” she told Luka as the episode came to a close.
During season 8 of Below Deck Med, Luka has spoken candidly about the lessons he still has to learn as a boatswain. He was originally appointed as a sailor to the Mustique before temporarily becoming a boatswain Ruan Irving‘s paperwork was questioned. Luka, who appeared in season 2 of Below Deck Down Under as leading deckhand, then was offered the boatswain position by Sandy after Ruan quit his job.
“I’m normally an engineer, so in the past I’ve never had to do any paperwork. But I focus the work schedule more on Max and Haleigh,” Luka admitted on Monday’s episode. “I can always trust Lara not to give up if she is late and that is certainly why she was given the lead deckhand position. Because she is happy to just keep going.
In a confessional, Lara admitted that she wasn’t really happy with her schedule because Luka wasn’t taking her into account. For Lara, being the crew member Luka relied on the most meant she had less time to rest, which didn’t seem fair to her.
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Sandy didn’t just remind Luka to better organize his team’s schedule. The captain also used Monday’s episode to bring up Luka’s other responsibilities slipping through the cracks. While the group was out for the evening, Sandy noticed that the deck team wasn’t keeping the crew’s mess as clean as she expected.
‘Even though this is Luka’s first time as a boatswain, it is not his first, second or third charter. He knows my expectations,” she noted. “Being a sailor on a charter yacht is not just about throwing lines and covering distances. It’s about making sure your planning works well.”
Sandy concluded: “Although Luka is doing great, I don’t want him to get complacent and take his eyes off the ball.”
Below deck Mediterranean airs on Bravo Mondays at 9pm ET.