Below Deck Sailing Yacht Recap: Floatopia

As a seasoned mariner with decades of sailing under my belt, I must say that this motley crew aboard the Wellington seems to be navigating through more than just choppy waters. Emma, a woman of many talents and ambitions, is struggling to find her sea legs as a deckhand – but who among us hasn’t felt the weight of the waves when learning something new? Her background in personal training, EMT studies, and real estate ventures show that she’s no stranger to challenges. Perhaps if she were to win the lottery, she could afford a yacht of her own, with a captain who knows how to tie knots properly!

This week, Cloyce continues to deliver, not through impressive food or fashionable attire, but by providing plenty of drama as a cast member. The story then picks up during a group dinner, where Daisy and Gary engage in an argument while taking a smoke break. Daisy expresses her feelings that Gary isn’t fully supporting her, but he assures her otherwise. They use the analogy of a train to illustrate their issue: is Gary hopping on board? In an interview, Daisy acknowledges this as the part of their relationship where apologies are typically given, yet in practice, she continues to affectionately kiss him on the cheek and ear. Yuck.

Returning to the table, it’s Cloyce’s moment in the spotlight. He queries a server about dividing the bill, but Daisy steps in, explaining that they rotate who pays for dinner throughout the season. This little glimpse behind the scenes leaves me pondering: Does spending increase when someone else is picking up the tab? Has anyone ever conveniently dropped out just before it was their turn to cover the costs? Cloyce finds this arrangement unfair because he doesn’t drink much, but Daisy and others disagree. In truth, I find myself siding with Cloyce on this point. After all, he’s saving to help his family purchase a home and wants to be more mindful with his finances. Displeased, he mutters: “Spending my money on alcohol doesn’t bring me joy.” It’s remarkable wisdom coming from someone only 22 years old.

Less wise is how he lets his mood kill the vibe back on the boat. Cloyce feels like an outsider, which brings up feelings from high school, so he channels his frustration into some late-night cooking. While everyone else goes to bed, Gary joins Cloyce in the galley for some wine and oysters. Unless there’s an oyster shortage later, this is the clearest evidence yet that Gary isn’t having his screen time cut down as he claims (although he famously also claims not to watch the show). Later, Keith joins the guys outside, and the hang cures Cloyce’s mood. He says he didn’t expect to make friends because he considers himself a lone wolf, but is happy that may not be the case on Parsifal III. Unfortunately, this newfound confidence and friendship with the deck team may be to blame for his poor decision making to come.

For Amy’s 60th birthday celebration in Ibiza with her daughters and friends, they want a boho-themed party with an underwater theme, food like paella, music from a DJ, and so on. However, Glenn, one of the group members, has an unusual request – he wants a real mermaid to make an appearance! While everyone else was having dinner, he researched about Es Vedra, an island they’ll be near, and its mythology involving mermaids. Daisy then calls to arrange for a mermaid visit, leaving the poor person on the other end of the call to figure out how to make this unusual request a reality.

Danni and Diana are feeling content with their current friendship, although it seems tranquil now, it might only be a lull before a storm. When Daisy proposes who will handle dinner service, Diana volunteers first, causing Danni to feel resentful since she must then take on cabin duties, which she sees as a form of punishment. Her fellow stews find her constant complaining about the job roles less than appealing; cabins are part and parcel of their responsibilities. Additionally, Danni is assigned table decoration – an assignment that should make her happy, right? However, this isn’t the case. She’s concerned about it appearing garish, even when Daisy encourages a garish style. Danni takes issue with the idea of being associated with boho chic decor, as she views it as a reflection on her professional career.

Similarly to us spectators, Daisy finds herself puzzled by Danni’s emotional response. To calm her, the chief stew takes her aside and explains that when Daisy uses the term ‘tacky’, she means something is excessively showy, like American Fourth of July celebrations. Amusingly, the video editors intermix this with footage of the Texan guests preparing themselves with vibrant lipstick and glowing flower crowns. Daisy appreciates Danni’s emotional investment but also understands that she needs to be mindful of her words because Danni is sensitive. By the way, the table is quite sparse, but the incense seems out of place there, and the dreamcatcher might be considered tacky. However, considering the guests and their elaborate decor, this setup could be seen as subdued, especially when compared to the guests who seem to have brought EDC-like extravagance to a Boca Raton event.

On the outside team, Gary is showing the boat helpers (deckhands) how to navigate the tender so he won’t be the only one capable. Emma seems to find it harder than Keith. She confesses that she becomes irritated when she can’t excel at things quickly, and we discover she was a personal fitness trainer, considered becoming an EMT, dabbled in real estate, and has occasionally tried her hand at it. Since being a deckhand doesn’t seem to be working out for her, she’s secretly dreaming of winning the lottery. She might find help from a financial advisor, but until then, Cloyce is always ready to offer advice.

Later, Emma takes a brief respite for smoking or using her phone when the tender begins to clash against their boat, an unpleasant sound. One might expect fenders between them, yet none are in place. Gary also notices this, as the tender has floated away from where Emma had moored it, causing damage and scratches. He demonstrates proper tying methods, but their connection seems to be straining. Additionally, an incident occurs inside: While sailing, a cabinet fails to stay shut, causing several bottles of liquor and plates to roll and shatter. The spilled liquid creates quite a mess, which they manage to clean up before the guests notice.

During dinner, Cloyce serves a “paella-style saffron risotto” instead of simply calling it paella, which leaves me puzzled. The meal goes smoothly until guests inquire about dessert – a sign of trouble, I think. Cloyce’s bread pudding needs eight minutes to heat up, a fact communicated only to Emma, not the other staff members. The table is cleared, and dessert isn’t even in the oven yet, but Cloyce remains calm… until he learns that the plates have been cleared for some time. He expected Daisy, his radio operator, to inform him, not Emma. I share Daisy’s sentiment: Where did he think the dishes in the sink came from? Upstairs, guests are even joking about not receiving dessert. Glenn is taking note of everything, but doesn’t want to undermine Cloyce’s confidence yet. Confident as ever, Cloyce concentrates on a guest’s compliment about his bread pudding being the best she’d ever had, oblivious to Daisy’s feeling that he’s betrayed her by not backing her up earlier.

The following day, Gary ventures to survey a spot for “Floatopia“, an assembly of interconnected rafts intended for guests’ leisure. Meanwhile, Emma focuses on inflating all the rafts. Upon his return, Gary subtly expresses frustration by placing an arm around her and remarks, “If I ask you to do something, could you please see it through?” This behavior is unprofessional, and Emma is puzzled about what he’s referring to. He clarifies that she failed to tie the floats together as instructed. He assumes she isn’t attentive, yet she recognizes his growing irritation. Effective managers adapt their communication styles to suit their team members. However, Gary lacks this skill.

Amy’s sunglasses read “blinded by love” in French. Cloyce, enticed by the prospect of Floatopia, finds himself blinded by fun. He believes he has the free time since he’s already prepared lunch. Daisy delegates Diana to serve drinks to guests, but she’s irritated as Cloyce is encroaching on her duties. Gary considers taking Cloyce back, but Cloyce insists it’s unnecessary. It appears quite unbecoming for the chef to socialize with guests in the water instead of performing his duties. The situation worsens when Cloyce doesn’t inform Glenn about his plans, causing the captain to search for him on the boat. Glenn is taken aback and demands that Cloyce return, a development we’ll have to wait until the next episode to unfold.

2024-10-22 17:54

Below Deck Sailing Yacht Recap: Floatopia

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