below deck sailing yacht recap season 3 episode 9 gary king injured finger first officer

Below Deck Sailing Yacht Recap: Finger-Banged On The High Seas

On some shows within the Bravoverse, the term “finger-banged” comes with a certain connotation. But in the world of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, it should be taken at face value. Like when Gary King‘s finger got slammed in the sliding glass doors at the end of last week’s episode. So at the top of this week, the first mate’s finger has quite literally been banged. And he’s in excruciating pain. We’re talking swearing, shouting, screaming into your pillow kind of pain. Daisy Kelliher claims stubbing your toes, fingers and various other body parts just comes with the life of a yachtie. All the same, you can’t help but feel bad for the guy as he writhes around his cabin in agony. But at least the sliding glass doors didn’t shatter?

The residual pain of his injury, however, makes Gary‘s patience run thin. To the point that, once they’re out of the rolling waves that caused the chaos in the first place, he starts snapping at Kelsie Goglia over menial tasks, like detangling whatever a captive winch is. Careful there, Gare Bear, Kelsie’s the only deckhand you have around these days. You’re both working 12-hour shifts on deck with no one else to shoulder any of the burden. So maybe treat her with a little more kindness…

Meanwhile, Gabriela Barragan‘s off day just continues to get worse. A stilted attempt at conversation with Chef Marcos Spaziani goes absolutely nowhere. Mostly because neither is willing to put aside their pride and apologize for sniping at the other during their last crew night out. But either way, the second stew is starting to feel not only like she’s failing at her job, but that she’s completely isolated from her co-workers. But maybe that’s for the best when they’re all crowded around the table in the crew mess stabbing a red-hot needle into Gary‘s nail to drain it of blood…

below deck sailing yacht recap season 3 episode 9 chef marcos spaziani vegan food gary king first officer

During dinner, Chef Marcos once again shows off by transforming a butternut squash into a beef tenderloin for the vegan primary. And as the night shift begins, Gary and his freshly blood-letted nail apologize to Kelsie for being short with her. Blame it on the finger bang, right? One thing that can’t be blamed on Gary’s injury, though, is the tension among interior department, which is palpable basically every time Gabriela so much as walks into the room. No matter what she does, Ashley Marti will always resent Gabriela for being one rung above her in the stew hierarchy. Even a simple task like thanking the third stew for washing the dishes without being asked gets attitude. At this point, the relationship between Daisy‘s underlings seems to be a bit of a lost cause.

The next morning, pretty much everyone on board is hoping for a clean slate of a day. Gary‘s finger may be oozing pus, but things are looking up, OK? Re-anchoring in Port Mahon, the crew tries to make up for the previous day’s choppy water by offering the guests an afternoon of swimming and water sports on the beach. But left to organize service for the excursion, Gabriela is forced to coordinate with Chef Marcos, resulting in nothing but passive-aggressive awkwardness between the two.

below deck sailing yacht recap season 3 episode 9 ashley marti third stew

With Gabriela off the boat tending to the guests, Ashley decides it’s the perfect time to throw her nemesis under the bus to Daisy. Toying with a Reese’s, the third stew breaks Gabriela’s confidence. And promptly snitches to Daisy that she was thinking of quitting just a few days ago. To her credit, the chief stew refuses to simply take Ashley’s word for it, and promises she’ll get Gabriela’s side of the story as well. Via confessional, Daisy even has the foresight to blame Ashley for much of the cold war happening between the two. Even though most of it’s happening behind her back. Of course, the moment Gabriela’s back on board, Ashley reverts to giving her the bratty cold shoulder.

Dinner is yet another vegan magic trick, with Chef Marcos somehow turning tofu, vegetable broth and cornflakes into the equivalent of friend chicken. But even while she’s on service, Ashley can’t resist badmouthing Gabriela to Chef Marcos and Colin Macrae. After everyone’s gone to bed, Gabriela pulls Kelsie aside for a heart-to-heart. And lays out all the reasons she’s feeling uncomfortable around Ashley, Chef Marcos and even Daisy to a certain extent. Ever sensible, the female deckhand acts as an impartial third party, both validating Gabriela’s emotions and giving her some sound advice about how to co-exist peacefully on a boat with people who don’t really like you all that much.

below deck sailing yacht recap season 3 episode 9 captain glenn shephard daisy kelliher chief stew

The next morning is departure day. And much to Daisy‘s annoyance, Captain Glenn Shephard is bound and determined to get a sail in for the guests. Even if it means rushing breakfast service to just 15 minutes. Leaving Daisy virtually no time to clear the table. Or put things away before the boat starts heeling. But there’s no talking Captain Glenn out of it. So the chief stew just has to make do, the risk of broken flatware be damned. The captain even pitches the idea in front of the guests as Daisy’s trying to hurriedly take breakfast orders.

Captain Glenn‘s already telling Colin to raise the genoa as the guests are wolfing down breakfast. And the entire boat quickly becomes a jumbled mess with things flying everywhere below deck. But hey, the guests get what they were promised. And even with a steep heel! By the time they’re ready to depart, they’re most satisfied than ever. They don’t even mind having to repack some of their luggage that was probably tossed around their cabins!

below deck sailing yacht recap season 3 episode 9 gabriela barragan second stew

As far as charters go, this one was pretty low-key. Plus, with charter number five under their belts, the crew have officially bypassed the halfway point of the season. And their good work is reflected in the tip of $20,000. I’ve lost count, but that may be a high water mark for this season? It also equals out to a not-terrible $2,500 per person thanks to the crew being short-handed. And in that department, Captain Glenn also breaks the news that the replacement deckhand should be arriving before they pick up the next charter. Oh, and one more thing? He or she will also be arriving after the crew gets their much-deserved day off. Hallelujah!

Following through what she told Ashley, Daisy finally sits down with Gabriela for a check-in. The second stew admits she’s feeling defeated. And Daisy is quick to lift her spirits, validating that she really is great at every aspect of her job. But she also puts the onus on her second to have a desire to be part of the team. She has to want to show up every day with her best foot forward. It’s not exactly a cheerleader pep talk, but it does seem to help Gabriela pull out of her downward spiral. Even just a bit. The episode ends with Daisy and Gabriela hugging it out. But the second stew is still on the verge of tears. So let’s just wait and see how the next charter goes…

TELL US – HOW PAINFUL DID GARY’S INJURY LOOK? IS ASHLEY TRYING TO POISON DAISY AGAINST GABRIELA? DO YOU THINK GABRIELA’S TALK WITH DAISY ACTUALLY FIXED ANYTHING?

[Photo Credit: Bravo]

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