Below Deck’s Ben defends controversial Lead Deckhand decision

Ben Willoughby justified his choice of Sunny Marquis as the new Lead Deckhand on Below Deck Season 11 by sharing a post explaining his decision.

Captain Kerry Titheradge requested that Ben Willoughby select a crew member to serve as the Lead Deckhand for Below Deck Season 11. Ben had to decide between three options: Sunny Marquis, Kyle Stillie, and Dylan Piérre De Villiers.

Dylan was discontented with the Bosun’s decision to choose Sunny, citing their boatmance as a controversial factor.

Despite facing criticism from the crew for promoting Sunny to Lead Deckhand, Ben stood up for himself by sharing a post on Instagram.

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A post shared by Ben Willoughby (@wanderingwilloughby)

Ben emphasized that the Golden Deck Brush holds a special significance for those in the know. He values character over qualifications and believes that skills can be learned. He awarded this prestigious honor to someone he trusts and can count on to remain composed during high-pressure situations, particularly when in charge of managing the bow during mooring operations.

Ben emphasized the importance of having someone who could provide Captain Kerry with “clear signals”and “judgment”to ensure accurate decision-making on the boat.

Kyle was encouraged by his boss’s positive evaluation of Sunny’s development as a deckhand. Her advancement, from being unfamiliar with anchoring to confidently operating it independently and teaching Kyle to do the same without supervision, was commended.

The Below Deck star apologized to Dylan and acknowledged that his reaction to not receiving the promotion was the reason for not choosing him.

In his post, Ben aimed to demonstrate that a crew member’s promotion should be based on their character rather than solely on their years of experience, as he observed in Sunny.

Bravo airs Below Deck on Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET.