Captain Jason & ‘Below Deck’ Stars React to Crew Member’s Firing

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The 13th episode of “Below Deck Down Under” saw a heartbreaking firing take place as Captain Jason Chambers made the difficult decision to let Adam Kodra go following a security issue with an anchoring.

After the episode aired, a lot of the season’s cast members and Chambers himself spoke about the firing. The Australian captain was ripped by many fans on his Instagram page and he replied to several commenters explaining that he had to take that decision because he needed someone who could be a lead deckhand and Kodra’s certifications didn’t match his experience level on deck.

“Lots of empathy for my crew and that’s my best qualities is being aware,” he wrote in reply to one critic. “I still need to be the captain and these decisions are based off my experience and safety. He is a very good lad and will go well in the commercial world and will definitely be an asset. However from a deck point of view we need a more experienced lad and Culver does have that and Joao can now get it out of him.”

Chambers wrote that it was a “tough decision” and he would definitely hire Kodra again in the future if he had “time and man power” to train him as a deckhand. “We have 6 weeks and his employment per certification did not match the requirements and the safety was a big issue for him and then for us,” he wrote in another comment.

“If I was running a 60m yacht he would be perfect as a second officer in the bridge with me with his certification Any other opportunity I would employ the gentleman he is but with the limited manpower and long hours and work we do in these 6 weeks we needed the knowledge to match the experience,” he wrote. Chambers told another person that the Brooklyn native is a “true gentleman” and it was really hard to let him go but the boat needed a lead deckhand.

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The ‘Below Deck Down Under’ Season 2 Cast Showed Their Support for Adam Kodra

All of the “Below Deck Down Under” crew members shared their love of Kodra in Instagram posts and Stories after he was let go. Margot Sisson, Tzarina Mace-Ralph and Culver Bradbury all posted touching tributes to their former crew member and said they loved the time they spent with him. Jaimee Neale wrote in an Instagram Story, “He really is the most beautiful, kind, caring, inspiring human.”

João Franco posted a photo with Kodra on Instagram and wrote a long caption explaining that his conversations with Chambers lasted a lot longer than what viewers saw and he really pushed for Kodra to stay. However, Franco acknowledged that he completely respected Chambers’ decision.

“Adam, my boy you are scholar and gentleman. You held your own and took away only the positives of this! Just incredible! These qualities did not escape Jason and he didn’t let it go unnoticed right until the end and that in itself speaks miles,” Franco wrote in part.

Harry van Vliet also shared a tribute post on Instagram and told his fellow deckhand that he’d be missed. He urged him not to feel down at what had transpired and encouraged him to keep working on superyachts.

The Episode Saw Adam Kodra Make a Major Mistake With the Anchor

The episode was a tough one as Kodra was let go due to a serious safety issue at sea when he accidentally dropped the anchor when they were underway. Chambers pointed out that it was a major risk and that he’d seen it cause a deckhand’s death in the past.

He debated for some time about what to do, especially as Franco claimed that he’d rather teach Kodra and lose Bradbury instead. Franco said Bradbury hadn’t been working hard and had a bad attitude. In the end, however, Chambers decided he couldn’t look past the safety violation and had to let Kodra go, who had a poised and emotional farewell with the entire crew.

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