How to Watch
Watch Below Deck Down Under on Mondays at 8/7c and next day on Peacock. Catch up Bravo.
When things reached a boiling point between bosun Wihan Du Toit and the other crew members on Below Deck Down Under, Captain Jason Chambers was forced to make a change, letting Wihan and deckhand Johnny Arvanitis go from Katina in Season 3’s Episode 11, citing Wihan’s negativity.
“That’s gotta stop,” he warned Wihan earlier in the season. “That infection will spread like a wildfire.”
When new bosun Nate Salmon stepped on board just hours after Wihan’s departure, Jason was expecting a big change from his new leader.
“I just want a happy environment. But, we’re gonna work,” Jason told Nate. “I lead by example. I expect you to lead by example.”
“Fantastic,” Nate replied. “That’s what I always do.”
The other crew members were impressed with Nate’s CV, with stewardess Marina Marcondes de Barros commenting, “This bosun is really experienced.”
The 29-year-old has been a bosun for four years, with seven years in the yachting industry (while also working for two years as a kids’ party entertainer). His hometown of Sydney, Australia also excited others on the crew, as sous chef Alesia Harris remarked, “I love Aussie people! They’re such fun!”
Before joining Katina, Nate noted to Jason that he “took a break" from his job back in Sydney and had
"just been traveling, backpacking a little bit."
But Nate was forced to go from vacation to work quickly, as Jason told Nate he’d have to, “hit the ground running” with the first charter just hours away.
“Holy s—t, I’ve just got off the plane, right into charter. Absolute chaos,” he said in his confessional. “But it’s the way I like it.”
In Nate's official BravoTV.com bio, he noted he missed his mother, whom he called "his rock," most while on charter, and he shared more about his family during the episode.
“As a child, I had two older sisters,” he said in Episode 11. “I grew up getting dressed like a princess. I grew up getting makeup put on me. I grew up getting water polo balls pegged at my head. I was raised by strong women. Surrounded by strong women. And I’m so grateful because it taught me how to listen. How to be positive, fair and easy going.”
According to his bio, his special skills include: “Terrible (amazing) dad jokes and puns, lock-picking, and ski instructing.”
The Below Deck Down Under Crew reacts to new bosun Nate Salmon
Katina is a record-sized yacht in the Below Deck universe, which contributed to Nate’s first impression of the vessel.
“What an absolute monster of a ship and thank you to whomever kept the exterior spaces tiny,” he reflected in his official BravoTV.com bio.
Still, he was up to the challenge. Nate led the deck team in its first dock departure with no issues.
“I cannot believe how smooth it went,” Captain Jason said in his confessional during the episode. “Nate, straight away, I can see he understands. Yeah, he’s a good bloke.”
Chief stew Lara Rigby was also relieved to have a new bosun, and Jason commented to her, “I think we’re on the right path here. We got you a little bit of help.”
After deckhand Harry Van Vliet had his own clashes with Wihan on the yacht, head chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph asked Harry how it was going with his new deck team, including new deckhand Nicolas Cattelan.
“Good," Harry commented. "Nick’s keen to learn. Nate’s keen to teach. Seems really good."
Don’t miss Lara sounding off on Marina’s “cranky” comment to Captain Jason.
