Highlights
- Captain Jason Chambers' popularity doesn't guarantee success; competence matters.
- There's no proof Captain Jason Chambers crashed a yacht leading to a $9 million lawsuit.
- Captain Jason Chambers may not have caused the yacht crash; assumptions based on circumstantial evidence are unreliable.
Since two seasons of Below Deck Down Under have aired, Captain Jason Chambers has a lot of fans. While popularity with charter guests and fans can make cast members richer because of tips, that doesn't ensure Below Deck stars will enjoy success. After all, Kate Chastain left despite her popularity.
Instead, competence matters a lot since charter guests don't like it when their experiences are different than expected. According to some fans, that could be a problem for Captain Jason, since they think that he has crashed yachts, which may have led to a $9 million lawsuit.
There Is No Proof That Below Deck Down Under's Captain Jason Chambers Crashing A Yacht Led To A $9 Million Lawsuit.
In March 2022, Starcasm revealed that a lawsuit related to Below Deck Down Under had been filed. That lawsuit focused on a 55-meter yacht that was named the Thalassa, which Trevor Lee and Keri Craig-Lee owned.
The couple, a beef company owner and a fashion designer, were seeking $9 million from the lawsuit. According to Starcasm's report, the couple believed they were owed that sum because they alleged that the yacht was damaged during the filming of Below Deck Down Under.
Based on some of the reported details of the lawsuit, there were compelling reasons to think that Captain Jason Chambers may have crashed the Thalassa. Despite that, there is no proof that Captain Jason crashed a yacht or caused the lawsuit.
Based on Starcasm's report, it is easy to understand why some fans assumed that Captain Jason crashing a yacht caused the lawsuit. After all, circumstantial evidence points to Captain Jason likely being responsible.
However, making assumptions based on circumstantial evidence can lead to the wrong outcome. That is especially true when the assumptions result in the kind of juicy gossip that fans love to learn about, as is the case here.
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There Is No Way For Fans To Know If Below Deck Down Under Was Sued For $9 Million Because Captain Jason Chambers Crashed A Yacht
According to Starcasm's aforementioned reporting on the lawsuit, the Thalassa suffered millions of dollars in damage. That damage was reportedly done during a charter that took place in May 2021. According to reports, Below Deck Down Under was filmed in May and June 2021.
It is also very clear that Captain Jason was in charge of the Thalassa at one point. After all, the image below from Below Deck Down Under shows Captain Jason wearing a shirt with the name Thalassa on it.
On top of all that, the couple's lawsuit was filed against Below Deck Down Under's producers. Based on all that, there were a lot of reasons to believe that the couple may have blamed Captain Jason for the damage done to their yacht.
It also has to be noted that the couple seeking $9 million certainly paints a picture.
After all, even though Starcasm didn't report that the couple's lawsuit alleged there was a crash, that seems like the obvious assumption. While yachts are often worth a lot of money, most of them would have to be crashed to suffer $9 million in damages.
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While all that evidence may seem compelling at first glance, it is far from proof that Captain Jason Chambers crashed the Thalassa. At this point, it is time to look at the reasons to believe that Captain Jason may not have crashed the Thalassa.
First off, even if the Thalassa was crashed while Below Deck Down Under was being filmed, that doesn't inherently mean Captain Jason was responsible. After all, the yacht could have been damaged as it was traveling to where Captain Jason boarded.
It also has to be noted that viewers have no way of knowing if other people take control of the yachts during the filming process. For example, if the producers take control for moments to get the shots they want, they could be responsible.
According to Captain Jason Chambers, he isn't as in charge as he seems to be on Below Deck Down Under . While talking to In Touch Weekly , Captain Jason spoke about how little he knows going into a season. “They leave me very much out of it. That’s the way they operate. I like that when the location’s picked, I’ll turn up to a boat, I’ll meet the crew and then I’ll get on with it."
By far the most compelling reason not to assume that Captain Jason crashed the Thalassa and caused a lawsuit is that everything is simply based on accusations. Since nobody was arrested because the Thalassa crashed, there hasn't been a criminal trial. Instead, the reports are based on nothing but the allegations made in a lawsuit.
In theory, the Thalassa may not have been damaged at all, since there is no publicly available proof the crash even happened. To be clear, there is no reason to discredit the litigants, but it also has to be pointed out that fans have no idea if they can prove their claims.
In Starcasm's report, they revealed that the lawsuit was set to go to arbitration, so the results wouldn't be revealed. As a result, unless something changes in the future, the public will never know for sure what the truth was behind the lawsuit. With that in mind, there is no good reason to discredit any of the parties involved.
Captain Jason Chambers Has A History Of Crashing Yachts
In February 2022, The Daily Mail revealed that Captain Jason Chambers crashed a yacht into a marina in 2019. According to the outlet, Captain Jason crashed the yacht in the Australian city of Cairns, Queensland.
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While this incident may make it seem more like Captain Jason has a history of being dangerous while being in charge of yachts, the real story paints the opposite picture. According to the details about what has been reported about the 2019 crash, Captain Jason actually was a hero during the crash.
According to a report from 7News that The Daily Mail cited, the yacht in 2019 suffered a mechanical issue. To make matters worse, the yacht was sailing toward a seafood restaurant full of people who were in danger.
At the time, Captain Jason spoke to 7News about the crash. While that interview is no longer available, The Daily Mail quoted Captain Jason's comments. Based on those comments, Captain Jason's quick thinking saved the day.
"We took control in the wheelhouse to see if it was a control fault, it was still going ahead so we did what we're trained to in collisions. We shut down all engines, dropped an anchor and thank God we selected a nice spot where there was no personnel."
The Daily Mail revealed that it was later discovered that a jammed gear caused the malfunction. The outlet also reported that only superficial damage was done thanks to how responsibly Captain Jason reacted to the emergency.
