Working on a superyacht or sailing yacht, especiallyBelow Deck Sailing Yacht, requires a lot: physical prowess and capability, a willingness to put ego aside and learn from those above you, attention to detail, showing initiative, and the ability to do it all while living and working in close quarters with your colleagues on the high seas. Oh, and it’s also all being filmed for a reality show. It’s not for everyone, and it wasn’t for season 5deckhand Emma Crouch.
Emma arrived at the Parsifal III full of wide-eyed wonder. At 34 years old, the London native was admittedly green in the yachting world, and she said she wanted to live her life “gallivanting the seas” instead of settling down. But, after struggling with her duties onboard and failing to show initiative in improving,Emma was fired mid-way through the seasonby Captain Glenn Shephard andFirst Officer Gary King.
Emma Spoke Out After Firing
Emma Apologized For Her Behavior
Like a lot of firings that take place onBelow Deck, Emma’s was brutal. Being let go from a job that requires you to deboard a boat and take a plane elsewhere heightens the stakes. Emma wasn’t just losing a job, she was losing her home for the season.She did not handle her firing well, as she burst into tears andrefused to speak to Captain Glenn and Gary, or to say goodbye tofellow deckhand Keith Allen, instead retreating back to her quarters.
“I’m not going to embarrass myself even more than I already have.”
Emma must have done some self-reflection because she spoke out on Instagram to address her firing. On Jul 16, 2025,Emmashared an album of photos on her Instagram depicting her with crew members Keith and Gary. In the caption, Emma wrote about her experiences and took ownership of how she left the boat, and she said thatshe’s cool with Gary and Keith now. She also teased that there was more anger towards Gary, which wasn’t shown on the show.
“After my departure from Parsifal III, after time to reflect, it became very apparent that I did not handle the situation well. Thankfully, my full outburst directed at Gary wasn’t show but some of the things I said still remain unacceptable. Not saying a proper goodbye as well as projecting my frustration toward to Gary and Keith remains a disappointment for me, thankfully this was something that we have since had great conversations about and they remain great friends and pillars of support to me. Those on the show and fans of the show who have shown me support though out, thank you so much, and here’s to new adventures.”
Emma’s emotions got the better of her during her firing, which is understandable. Gary and Captain Glenn did their best to try and encourage her not to quit, telling her she had potential, but this wasn’t the right role for her. Emma managed to compose herself and say goodbye to the rest of the crew, who sadly watched her leave.
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In another post,Emmaaddressed her time onBelow Deck Sailing Yacht,writing:
“A TV show will only show so much, my work ethic how far I’ve come in the past year is something I’m so proud of and is one of the many things that hasn’t being show. Yes, I have (and do continue to) make mistakes, and yes I do take criticism personally but that’s just a part of who I am and that part of me has enabled me to grow more than ever in the past year. The parts of me that are being shown are not my finest hour, everyone has them; mine are being shown for viewers entertainment, I get it, I signed up for it. I am so grateful for every part of my Below Deck experience.”
Emma then said that she’d signed up for a course to improve her skills and confidence after leaving Parsifal, which is a positive step for her and a silver lining of the firing.
Emma Showed Love For Below Deck Fam
Emma Has No Hard Feelings
In hindsight, Emma valued her time on the sailing yacht and made friends who would last a lifetime. In the wake of her firing, she continued to share photos of her experience on the boat on her social media, showing off some of the lighter moments with Daisy Kelliher, Diana Cruz, and Danni Warren.Emmaalso thanked them all for their support.
I was spoiled with the crew I was given during my time on BD, each person taught me something that I hold close. I’m so lucky to have had such a special group of people by my side who continue to support me. Special mention to the girls, you were always there for me… (that isn’t a dig at the guys, I should have spoken to them also )
Emma Has A New Gig
Emma’s Firing Led To New Job
Emma’s life has rebounded since getting fired on national television. Emma mentioned in one of her posts that she’d taken a course to improve her yachtie skills, and turned into a job. When she left the boat, Emma signed up for courses with Paper Boat Yacht Academy, which is described as a “superyacht boot camp” and mentorship program. Emma made a good impression on them because, after her course,she was offered a job teaching yachties how to survive the rigors of yacht life.
Today, Emma appears to be thriving and living, at least part-time, in the Dominican Republic, where Paper Boat Yacht Academy is based. She still follows many of the crew from herBelow Deckadventure and seems to be on good terms with them. Emma has a positive attitude towards her future and seems to have made peace with her time onBelow Deck Sailing Yacht.
