Will Troubled Waters Delay 'Below Deck Sailing Yacht' Season 5?

As one of the many franchises in the Below Deck universe, Below Deck Sailing Yacht is unique. Instead of the glamourous super yachts featured in the other series, Below Deck Sailing Yacht takes place on a more aesthetically pleasing vessel. Below Deck Sailing Yacht's vessel is known as the Parcival III and is helmed by Captain Glenn Shephard. While the franchise is known for having cast members come and go, fans assumed that the new season would air in Summer 2024, but there's been no news yet.

Season 4 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht was rife with romantic tension. Chief Engineer Colin Macrae and Chief Stewardess Daisy Kelliher were in a relationship at the beginning of the season that was off and on throughout the season. The strain on their relationship came from a few places, but the man at the heart of it was First Officer Gary King, who is, in and of himself, an agent of chaos. Season five of Below Deck Sailing Yacht is cloaked in mystery, and fans are wondering when it will return.

While there have been no official announcements regarding the fifth season, many are theorizing what the issue could be that's holding the season back. It's a unique scenario because the full season has already been filmed but is still sitting on the shelf. One major issue that people believe is at the heart of it surrounds the behavior of Gary King, and it has nothing to do with the love triangle he found himself in on camera. Rather, it's his off-camera behavior that is most likely to blame.

A report in Rolling Stone came out in August 2023 detailing a case of Gary's alleged sexual misconduct during Season 4 filming. They state that a member of the hair and makeup department of the production crew, Samantha Suarez, said that Gary attempted to force himself onto her one evening before official filming began. She reported the incident immediately but filming still progressed as usual. Samantha, however, was left traumatized by the incident and questioned the producer's actions.

According to several production crew members of Below Deck Sailing Yacht who wished to remain anonymous, Samantha is not the only woman who Gary has allegedly harassed on set. They purport that he has, on several occasions, approached female crew members and either grabbed them inappropriately or said something inappropriate to them, all against their consent. Despite being caught on film, the production crew members say his behaviors were never addressed by higher-ups.