Kiwi Colin MacRae is making waves on this season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, along with fellow returning cast members Captain Glenn Shephard, Daisy Kelliher and Gary King. As the group sets sail in Sardinia, Italy, there are the usual personality clashes and power struggles, but this time around, two overlapping love triangles cause mayhem.
We chat to Colin, 33, about what to expect from the hit show…
We hear there are a lot of hook-ups this season. How do you feel about on-board romances?
I’ve always said they are a horrible idea, but I may have broken my own rules this season!
It’s so great seeing you representing us Kiwis so well. Do you feel that responsibility?
I try to just go in there and do a good job as chief engineer. I’ve been working on superyachts for 16 years, so I’m pretty confident in the work side. It’s the social aspect that can be a challenge with so many hooligans on board!
What can you tell us about the new fourth season?
It’s different for me because they actually feature the engineering side quite a lot, especially at the start of the season, so it’s airtime that I wasn’t expecting at all! I don’t think they have ever shown as much of this side of yachting on any of the Bravo franchises, so it’s pretty interesting to watch it back and see how stressful it was.
What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve witnessed while working on the show?
Well, last season we dragged anchor overnight and ended up stuck on a sandbank. For a yacht that size to be beached like that was absolutely insane and for a while there it was looking like we would never get off the sand. It was the craziest experience I have ever had at sea. Luckily, we managed to get off, but it was seriously touch and go there for a while.
What has been the most exciting thing?
The most exciting thing is always getting to know the crew for the season. This is my third season, and you never know who you are going to get until you are all living and working on top of each other. But Captain Glenn is honestly amazing – he’s absolutely hilarious and we have a similar sense of humour, so we just sit there cracking up at ourselves for ages. Obviously, that doesn’t make the cut on TV, but it’s always great working with Glenn.
If you were to be stuck on a deserted island with one of your co-stars, who would you most want to be stuck there with?
It would have to be Captain Glenn. He’s honestly so smart and resourceful. We had some serious engine issues this season, and he and I were constantly bouncing ideas off each other. We were looking at a season-ending catastrophe, so the way we worked together to overcome it was pretty special. He’s definitely deserted-island material!
Sorry, castaways! Colin only wants to be lost at sea with Captain Glenn.
How has being a New Zealander shaped you?
My dad is a pretty hard-headed Kiwi bloke who taught us how to work hard with minimal complaining! We never had computer games or anything at home, so we were always out riding motorbikes on farms or building and fixing things. We had a really hands-on childhood, so that has made me pretty practical later in life.
How often do you come back home?
Before I went home last year, it had been six years before I was in New Zealand because my plan was always to sail my catamaran home instead of flying, which is actually happening now as we speak! We are 1000 miles [1600km] off the coast of Mexico, heading for French Polynesia, then we are sailing all the way to New Zealand by November before the cyclone season starts.
What do you miss most about Aotearoa?
I miss Vogel’s bread and Marmite, with Tasty cheese! I have that every day when I’m home. I’ve been travelling the world since I was 22 and have never tasted anything that compares to that combo!
Reunited with his Below Deck castmates in LA.
We did a gorgeous shoot with Aesha Scott at her parents’ home in Tauranga recently – do you guys know each other from the Below Deck universe?
We hung out a bit in New York after BravoCon last year. She’s a hoot! I’ve got a lot of respect for how she gives zero f**ks about what people think of her and is just herself. I met her other half, Scott, who is also a down-to-earth Kiwi dude, so it was fun getting together with some fellow Kiwis in the Big Apple!
Below Deck Sailing Yacht screens 8.30pm Thursdays on Bravo.
