Summary

• Captain Lee was a pillar of strength for the crew, but his health issues pushed him to consider stepping back from Below Deck.
• Tragedy struck Captain Lee's family when he lost his son to a drug overdose, leading him to re-prioritize his life with his wife.
• After a long career in the yachting industry, Captain Lee, nearing 75 years old, decided it was time to retire and be with his family.

Below Deck crew are thankful Captain Lee was their Captain.

For Captain Lee, who began his time on Below Deck at 64 years old, his work aboard the St. David was something he’d been preparing for throughout his career. Having worked in the yachting industry for over 30 years, Captain Lee knew he was capable of leading and handling the crew, and the added pressure of being on a reality TV series didn’t seem to make a difference for the Captain over the years. As the king of one-liners, Captain Lee offered levity during his time on the series, which made it shocking when he chose to leave Below Deck.

Captain Lee's Ongoing Health Issues

He Needed To Prioritize His Health

Throughout Below Deck, various crew have chosen to leave to prioritize their health after getting injured aboard the St. David, or finding themselves dealing with a past injury. While Captain Lee isn't just another crew member, the taxing nature of captaining a superyacht has become too much on his body from time to time. As an older man, Captain Lee had already been dealing with some issues from the physically demanding work he chose before Below Deck season 2. His time as the Captain of the superyacht simply added stress to his painful injuries, which made things infinitely difficult.

Captain Lee had to address what he was dealing with to his crew during Below Deck season 10, as it was obvious he was struggling. The Captain explained that he was having difficulties with his mobility due to a nerve issue in his leg, causing him to limp. Painful and irritating, Captain Lee suffered nerve damage after having back surgery in 2021, but he wasn't aware of the depth of the problem until he began working again. While Captain Lee had been injured after a fall in 2020, his nerve injury pushed him to genuinely consider taking a step back.

Captain Lee Seemed Less Excited To Be There

He Was Struggling To Stay Motivated

As an older man, Captain Lee has spent the majority of his adult life working aboard a boat. Though the circumstances have always been more in his control than out, the fact that he's been aboard a vessel on and off for over 30 years has to be majorly taxing. Working in such a similar environment for a long time would be draining for anyone, but knowing he was having physical issues while working in similar spaces throughout his career made things tough on Captain Lee. He struggled to remain motivated and engaged during his final seasons of Below Deck.

Captain Lee Went Through A Tragedy

He Tragically Lost His Son

While Captain Lee has been a fixture on Below Deck for years, things have sometimes been challenging for the leader of the St. David. Leaving his family behind for weeks and months at a time has never been easy for Captain Lee, but things became difficult in 2019 when tragedy struck the Rosbach family. Captain Lee and his wife, Mary Ann Lee, share five children who were all fully grown before he began appearing on Below Deck. Captain Lee was proud of his children, but they were only mentioned a few times on the series, which focused on his work.

In 2019, Captain Lee learned that his son, Joshua Lee Rosbach, had died of a drug overdose. Joshua, who had taken after his father and worked aboard yachts for a living, was 42 years old when he died from fentanyl poisoning. Heartbroken, Captain Lee and Mary Ann mourned the loss of their son with the rest of their family, but things changed forever after losing their beloved son. While Captain Lee returned to Below Deck after the tragedy, something had changed within him and many felt a shift in his presence, which could've pushed him to leave the St. David.

Captain Lee Missed His Wife

He Wanted To Spend His Golden Years With His Partner

After losing their son, Captain Lee and Mary Ann likely began to re-prioritize their lives as a couple. Though they had a family to consider, their children were all adults and Captain Lee leaving Mary Ann behind during charter seasons was no longer something either of them felt was necessary. Financially, it was probably easier for the couple to manage with the success of Below Deck. Captain Lee was a beloved figure on the series, being invited to do other shows like Watch What Happens Live to discuss his experiences. Other appearances were exciting, but likely demanding for the Captain.

Though Captain Lee and Mary Ann often share what's going on in their lives with their followers, they keep quiet about how tough it has likely been for them to be apart so frequently. While Captain Lee's lifestyle has made it so the couple has probably gotten used to him traveling around, his time on Below Deck was likely becoming more taxing to their relationship as they both got older. For Captain Lee, who has been open about how much he enjoys being with Mary Ann, deciding to spend his golden years with his wife was probably an easy choice.

Captain Lee Is Getting Older

He Is Nearly 75 Years Old

Though Captain Lee has been able to navigate his way through life aboard the St. David for many years, his career has been far longer than his time on Below Deck. After nearly 40 years in the yachting industry, Captain Lee deserved a break. While he was still able to work, his injury was beginning to flare up and cause issues, and his family wanted him back at home again. Captain Lee's age wasn't a detriment to his work, but he may have finally wanted to retire and spend time at home relaxing, away from the pressures of Below Deck.

Below Deck airs Mondays on Bravo at 9 p.m. EDT, then streams the following day on Peacock.

Source: Captain Lee Rosbach/Instagram