Deckhand Tessa Budd’s fiery reaction to Captain Sandy Yawn firing her on Below Deck Mediterranean Season 10 really rocked the boat.
After consulting with first-time bosun Nathan Gallagher during Episode 5, Captain Sandy revealed their “very difficult” decision to Tessa that she was letting both her and fellow deckhand Christian Trimino go, before also offering some friendly yachting career advice.
“I have to make a change. I’m really sorry, but I gotta let you go,” Sandy told Tessa during their meeting. “I know you come from a big boat, which is a different type of experience, but if I may, get on small boats, because [on] small boats, you learn everything.”
Though Tessa kept her cool in the moment, she didn’t hold back while venting about Captain Sandy and Nathan to a producer afterwards.
RELATED:Â Sandy Hits Nathan With a Damning Question After Chaotic Charter: “Who Are You Going To Let Go?”
“Honestly, like, f–k her; I don’t need her help,” Tessa fumed. “I feel like Nathan’s leadership style is pretty s–t. I feel like I also didn’t get the opportunity to, like, show my skills. Good luck. It’s their loss.”
Referring to her dismissal as “sad,” she continued in a separate confessional, “I maybe could have had more confidence on deck, but I was just so weary of, like, where I stood on the deck team. I hope on my next boat that my bosun believes in me and has half a brain cell.”
Prior to her departure, Tessa did have one positive message for Nathan — even if saying it caused her eye to start “twitching.”
“I really do wish Nathan all the best,” she concluded in her producer exit interview. “I’m sure he’ll do great.”
Why Tessa Budd got fired on Below Deck Med Season 10
From day one, Nathan’s green deck team — comprised of Tessa, Christian, and Max Salvador — had both ignored his instructions and made several critical errors, leading to such incidents as one charter guest floating away on an eFoil and another slipping and falling into the sea while attempting to take a night swim.
Before sitting down with Tessa, Captain Sandy noted in a confessional that she’d witnessed Nathan’s constant efforts to “educate his team,” to no avail.
“We need some people who can understand direction and then take action,” she elaborated. “That’s not happening with [Tessa] and Christian.”
As Nathan described to Captain Sandy, Max, whom he’d chosen to serve as his unofficial lead deckhand, had been “getting frustrated with” the duo as well.
RELATED:Â Captain Sandy Yawn Slams “Ridiculous” Mistake with a Charter Guest: “He’s Floating Away” (VIDEO)
“And then I’m getting frustrated as well, because it’s just not good enough,” he continued. “If I had time to train them up, I would, but I feel like they’re miles off it.”
That could account for why Tessa said she was “scared” when Captain Sandy radioed for her to join them on the bridge.Â
“From what I’ve observed and speaking with Nathan, it’s completely chaotic on deck. It’s not safe,” Captain Sandy told Tessa during her firing.
As Nathan chimed in, “There’s been a few incidents where guests have gone missing or they’ve gone too far; they’ve jumped on an eFoil without an [introduction].”
Who replaced Tessa Budd on Below Deck Med?
Down two deckhands, Captain Sandy desperately scrambled to find replacements for Tessa and Christian but was able to secure only one new crew member before the next charter: Below Deck Med Season 9’s Joe Bradley.
Sandy also tapped eager stew Victoria SanJuan to split interior and deckhand duties, for the time being.
As Below Deck Season 10 continues without Tessa and Christian, get details on why Nathan said his crew’s performance was “beyond a joke.”
