Below Deck Season 12’s workplace turbulence reached a breaking point in Episode 5, 'Rainbeau Kisses, Friendship Wishes,' which premiered on June 25 on Bravo. The installment followed Captain Kerry Titheradge as he weighed mounting missteps on deck and ultimately executed the series’ second crew shake‑up of the season.
Fans had watched Bosun Caio struggle with communication and docking drills for four straight charters. This week, the tension spilled over amid another chaotic approach to Sint Maarten, forcing a decisive call at the top of the hierarchy.
“I’m losing faith in you,”
Captain Kerry told Caio in the wheelhouse, sealing the bosun’s fate and signaling that Below Deck’s no‑nonsense standard had been breached once too often. The firing sent ripples through both departments and set up the next leadership shuffle on the hit yachting franchise.
Below Deck: Why did the captain fire Caio? Details explored
Below Deck viewers had seen warning signs since the premiere, but Episode 5 chronicled the final straw. Early in the hour, Caio missed the captain’s directive to “watch his swing” while clearing the infamous bridge, prompting Kerry to mutter “f**king idiot” under his breath. Minutes later, Jess — a deckhand praised for her calm communication — told Kerry during a tender ride that
“Caio is clearly not used to managing a lot of people and seems scatterbrained.”
When the captain asked if the bosun was “out of his depth,” she agreed.
Kerry still offered another chance, but the second docking of the day unraveled. Caio failed to prep lines, ignored radio etiquette, and blamed his own errors on breaks Jess had requested for Kyle.
In a motivational huddle afterward, Caio urged the team to “use their brains,” yet took no accountability. By the charter’s end, Kerry’s patience was gone.
Handing over Caio’s plane ticket, the skipper repeated that he could no longer trust the bosun’s judgment — a critical requirement on Below Deck, where safety and timing drive guest satisfaction. Jess’ poised feedback and her earlier willingness to question Caio’s scheduling decisions positioned her as the likely interim lead.
What else happened in the Below Deck episode
Caio’s dismissal wasn’t the only storyline rocking Below Deck this week. The interior crew juggled demanding guests, a Havana‑themed dinner, and First Stew Fraser Olender’s personal heartbreak.
Early in the episode, Fraser stepped off the yacht to call his long‑distance boyfriend; the pair broke up, a moment Fraser described as the result of “distance (and Damo’s lips).” The breakup fueled an emotional undercurrent even as he guided Chef Anthony onto a successful Cuban menu that earned rave reviews and a hefty tip.
On the social front, Rainbeau continued to struggle for acceptance among the other stews. She confessed,
“I’ve always had a problem connecting with other girls,”
and her attempts to bond with Solène felt forced, prompting eye‑rolls from the deck/engineering crossover crew. Meanwhile, the hot‑tub flirtation between Kyle and Solène escalated into an overnight cabin rendezvous, drawing playful gibes at the next‑morning brunch game where Fraser asked everyone to name “one thing you hate” about another crewmate.
The guest itinerary also brought a beach volleyball match that the charter guests handily won. Chef Anthony’s beach‑barbecue fare softened the sting, but back aboard, Jess again confronted Caio about Kyle’s missed break, sparking the exchange that foreshadowed his termination.
Later, a rainy off‑boat date between Kyle and Solène mirrored the emotional weather inside the vessel, where interpersonal lines blurred and loyalties shifted. When the guests disembarked, they left a generous envelope, but Captain Kerry’s mind remained on deck performance.
After reviewing Caio’s latest slip‑up during the final docking maneuver, he summoned the bosun to the bridge and delivered the show’s most pivotal line: “I’m losing faith in you.” With that, Caio became Season 12’s second major departure after Chef Lawrence resigned due to stress and anxiety earlier in the run.
The episode closed without naming a new bosun, leaving Below Deck fans to speculate whether Kerry will promote from within — most likely Jess, whose composure impressed both captain and audience — or call in an external replacement. Either way, the yacht’s dynamics have shifted dramatically.
Below Deck airs every Monday at 8 pm EST on Bravo.