6 Times Captain Jason Chambers Proved He Was The Hero & Not The Villain Amid Firing Two Cast Members

Below Deck Down Under has become one of the most buzzed-about shows in the Below Deck franchise, and a lot of that comes from discussion of fan favorite Captain Jason Chambers. While Jason has a lot to prove being the youngest captain in the franchise, he’s become one of the most popular among Below Deck fans. Jason quickly captured Below Deck fans’ attention with his hands-on leadership style, calm demeanor, and striking good looks. Though his charm is undeniable, his unwavering sense of responsibility and courage in high-pressure situations have defined his legacy, especially moving through the current charter season.

Although Captain Jason has been a superyacht captain for years, he wasn’t recognizable until he burst onto the scene when Below Deck Down Under premiered in 2022. The long-time captain was ready to take on the reality TV juggernaut with a new show exploring the yachting world in his native Australia, and viewers quickly found Captain Jason to be one of the most interesting captains in the franchise, as he was more relaxed and easygoing than others. While Captain Jason knows when to get down to business, he also manages to have fun with his crew members each charter season.

Despite Captain Jason being one of the most easygoing Below Deck captains in the franchise, he’s dealt with some of the most difficult situations in Below Deck history. During Below Deck Down Under season 2, Captain Jason found himself struggling with a tense situation when deckhand Luke Jones crawled in the bed of unconscious stew Margot Sisson with sexual intentions, regardless of her ability to consent. While the sexual assault itself was thwarted, Captain Jason took the situation incredibly seriously, firing Luke and another crew member, Laura Bileskalne, who tried to justify his actions to the rest of the crew.

Now, with Captain Jason facing more issues on Below Deck Down Under season 3, it’s been clear that he feels confident and prepared to take action when needed. Dealing with the most recent issues he’s faced with bosun Wihan Du Toit, where he quickly took action and fired both Wihan and deckhand Johnny Arvanitis for their behavior, Captain Jason made his stance on issues within the crew dynamics clear. Taking no nonsense from anyone on Below Deck’s crew to heart, Captain Jason has proven that he’s able to lead a crew through even the most difficult and tense times aboard.

6

Captain Jason Has To Let Johnny Go Due To His Aggression

He Made A Tough Decision Based On Safety Protocols

Captain Jason’s early moments on Below Deck Down Under season 3 weren’t easy, and it felt like he may have been getting the villain edit this season in the first episodes after becoming more heroic at the end of the previous season. Prior to Below Deck Down Under season 3’s start, Captain Jason spoke out about the new policies and procedures that were being put in place to ensure that the crew members were not only comfortable, but safe aboard Katina. From a production standpoint, the show worked hard to mitigate issues, and Captain Jason held firm on that promise.

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As Below Deck Down Under season 3’s crew continued working hard throughout the season, some fell into similar patterns as previous crews within the franchise. Johnny, the new deckhand who was in a boatmance with sous-chef Alesia Harris, had a tough moment after discovering Alesia in bed with the now-fired bosun Wihan, who she thought was Johnny in the dark. Though Alesia had mistaken Wihan for Johnny, Johnny didn’t know that at first and reacted in violence, punching a wall. In the aftermath, Captain Jason made the tough choice to let Johnny go, keeping the rest of the crew safe.

5

Captain Jason Finally Realized Wihan Was The Problem On Deck

He Took The Crew’s Concerns Into Consideration

Although Below Deck Down Under’s Wihan has been a difficult part of the crew throughout the season, Captain Jason hasn’t seemed to understand quite how problematic his exterior team lead’s been. Wihan’s behavior throughout the charter season has been tough on the rest of the crew, making it abundantly clear that he needed to be moved out of the position for the sake of the charter guests’ time aboard Katina. With the crew unable to trust in Wihan or follow his non-existent orders, it was a struggle for the crew at the beginning of Below Deck Down Under season 3.

While Captain Jason was quick to let go of Johnny for his violent behavior, he wasn’t as certain about Wihan being terminated from the crew. Getting rid of a bosun and a deckhand at the same time is tough on a crew, and Captain Jason knew that he would be down two pivotal crew members if he got rid of both of them. Even so, after hearing out the rest of the crew and realizing what a poor job Wihan had been doing throughout the season, he chose to let go of Wihan in a major moment of the season.

4

Captain Jason Checked On Alesia Right Away After Wihan & Johnny’s Altercation

He Wanted To Make Sure She Was Okay

As a good captain, Jason is always doing his best to take care of the crew’s needs and anticipate what issues he’ll have to deal with from a managerial perspective at any given time. While the Below Deck Down Under season 3 crew is fairly good at handling their issues on their own, Captain Jason has been very proactive in recent episodes about checking in with his crew and interacting with them more consistently. In the first episodes this season, he seemed to have an issue about keeping up with the cast, but the tides have turned throughout the season.

After the altercation between Johnny and Wihan, Captain Jason was quick to pull Alesia to the side and talk to her about what had happened, knowing that checking in on her was important. Though Captain Jason wasn’t entirely sure what the situation had been or how he was going to resolve it, he knew that checking in on Alesia and ensuring that she was okay was a big deal. After the drama of Below Deck Down Under season 2, Captain Jason seems to have learned more about the need to ensure his crew members are doing okay after tough moments.

3

Captain Jason’s Learned From His Past Experiences

He Knows How To Handle Tough Situations

Throughout Below Deck Down Under’s most recent stretch of episodes, it’s become more clear than ever that Captain Jason has learned from his experiences and the challenges he’s had in the past. Becoming an even more compassionate leader than before, Captain Jason has done a great job learning from the difficult times he’s faced on Below Deck Down Under season 2. After experiencing major hardships with his last crew, it was clear that Captain Jason was going to try his best to be a generous leader, but he wasn’t going to allow the crew to get away with bad behavior.

After navigating the intense and emotional decision to fire Luke and Laura for their inappropriate and non-consensual behavior last season, Jason didn’t shy away from the discomfort of the moment. He acknowledged the gravity of the situation, communicated transparently with the crew, and reinforced a standard of safety and respect on board. Moving into the current season of the series, Jason made it clear that he wasn’t going to change the way he dealt with tough situations, and when he was faced with one, he held firm. Captain Jason ensured he had a firm sense of leadership through tough times.

2

Captain Jason Gave Marina Great Advice

He Looks Out For The Crew Members

In recent episodes, Below Deck Down Under saw Captain Jason make the decision to chat with one of the stews aboard Katina, Marina Marcondes de Barros, in a moment of tough love. Captain Jason is often someone that the crew feels comfortable turning to about their performance on the crew, even if it isn’t in the best of moments. Understanding and fair, Captain Jason is known to give second chances to crew members who make honest mistakes so that they can learn from what they’ve done. Speaking to Marina about her performance as a stew, Captain Jason was kind-hearted.

Instead of scolding Marina about her performance, he stayed honest with her about what she needed to do to improve her relationship with Chief Stew Lara Rigby, and made it clear that he understood her positive qualities as well as the negatives. Jason encouraged Marina to stay grounded and improve in her performance, but made it clear that there were areas that she could improve upon. In their conversation, it was clear that the Below Deck Down Under captain knew that he was speaking to someone in the beginning stages of their career and hoped to be able to be impactful.

1

Captain Jason Continually Gives The Crew Props

He Makes Sure They Know He Cares

As a longtime leader, Below Deck Down Under’s Captain Jason does his best to share the wins that his crew has throughout the charter season. Jason understands that the best way to keep the crew’s morale high and move through the season with ease is to give props to those who do a great job, and make sure that they feel recognized. Even though he does the opposite at times with his disco ball helmet, which typically feels more like a dunce cap for the crew member who’s chosen to wear it, he’s generally positive about the crew’s big moments.

Throughout Below Deck Down Under season 3, Jason has made it clear that he’s happy to have the crew he does aboard Katina. Even with the issues he faced with Wihan and Johnny, Captain Jason made it known that he’s thrilled to be working with the crew he has aboard this season, and makes sure they know when he’s happy about their performance. As a fair, even-keeled leader, Jason does a great job at rewarding the crew when they do well, and talking to them about changes when they’re needed. Below Deck Down Under’s captain should stay on the show.

Below Deck Down Under airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on Bravo.

Source: Below Deck/Instagram