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Running Against the Tide: True Tales from the Stud of the Sea

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From the star of Bravo’s hit reality show Below Deck comes Running Against the Tide, the “Stud of the Sea’s” first-ever memoir recounting his journey from landlocked Saginaw, Michigan to the high seas, where he has spent more than twenty-five years as a superyacht captain.

The cast members of Below Deck are known for their catfights, scheming, personal attacks, and long-held grudges, but what keeps viewers coming back week after week is resident hero Captain Lee, the only cast member to appear in all five seasons.

But you don’t have to be one of Below Deck’s 1.5 million weekly viewers to appreciate Captain Lee’s story, which offers a glimpse behind-the-scenes at the luxury yachting industry and one of Bravo’s biggest franchises. From having to reclaim his drunk captain's lost papers in the Dominican Republic to unwittingly crewing a drug boat out of Turks and Caicos to navigating the outrageous demands of the super-rich in New York City, Captain Lee's tales from the high seas run the gamut, proving time and time again why he’s a fan he’s occasionally profane, he’s often surprising, but he’s never dull and, for the first time, he’s here to tell all.

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First published September 18, 2018

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Captain Lee

2 books13 followers

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5 stars
611 (34%)
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667 (38%)
3 stars
403 (23%)
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62 (3%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
Profile Image for Rachael Nichols Brown.
22 reviews5 followers
October 8, 2018
I’ve read a lot of books by ‘bravolebrities’. Some were really good (Kate Chastain’s Lucky Charming) and some were unreadable (Erika Jayne’s Pretty Mess). This was by far the best. Even if I wasn’t a fan of Below Deck I would’ve still enjoyed this book immensely. Full of funny, interesting tales of a career at sea, this book starts with explaining how Captain Lee got there. I never found myself bored or my attention wandering and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Below Deck or who would just enjoy hearing some interesting, well-written anecdotes from a fascinating 25 year long career.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Jorgensen.
Author 4 books169 followers
May 6, 2021
This was one of the best Bravolebrity books I've ready. Michael Shohl did a fantastic job telling Captain Lee's stories. Each one was entertaining and compelling--including tidbits of island life, shady characters and barracudas. It was well written and explains how to be a sea captain -- well beyond what Below Deck could ever begin to cover. If you're looking for something about Below Deck, just watch the show; he doesn't get to until page 227/253.
Profile Image for Sarah.
785 reviews41 followers
November 23, 2021
Love the audio for this one x a million. Captain Lee is such a wonderful storyteller and I loved getting to hear about more of his adventures.
Profile Image for Aaron.
348 reviews
January 7, 2019
With a sea captain on the front cover, I guess one should expect a bit of sailor's cursing. Captain Lee did not disappoint. Along with tales of debauchery, drugs and drunkenness, this book should stay safely on the adult shelf. However, do not let that keep you from reading about an average guy thrust into the spotlight of television.
Expecting stories from the show, I was surprised to find this as more of a life lessons book that doesn't even hint at the show until the last chapter. Following along Captain Lee's life from before he fell in love with the sea, he imparts his wisdom and experiences.
Overall, an enjoyable and quick read that may give you a little perspective into the lives of people you wouldn't normally glimpse.

* I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads giveaways *

Profile Image for Randal White.
1,029 reviews92 followers
April 17, 2019
I love watching Below Deck! I enjoy the cast and crew, from the Third Stew's to the Captain's. It was interesting to read Captain Lee's historical background. I think I now understand why he acts the way he does on the show. A ton of experience, mixed with a large ego, and a sarcastic, cutting wit. Makes for great television.
A really easy, fast read.
I wish the book had been more about the Below Deck series (it was only covered in the very end of the book). Maybe he will write a sequel someday. THAT I would really like to read!
Profile Image for Jen Hunt.
663 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2022
I love Captain Lee.

Obviously, I wasn’t expecting this to be a ground breaking literary memoir. I wasn’t a fan of the format, the chapters seemed a bit run on. That being said, it’s what I expected and I enjoyed it.

It was fun to get to know how Captain Lee found his love for the ocean. The ghost writer did a great job capturing Captain Lee’s tone and demeanor. Loved that they did his funny one liners as titles for chapters.

Captain Lee is one in a million!
1,359 reviews89 followers
January 18, 2019
I love Captain Lee but this was a pretty disappointing book. Only 15 out of 244 pages are about Below Deck--the rest are mostly dull stories about his years working in low-level positions on boats. It is way too detailed about his monotonous life on the sea and not anywhere near enough interesting stories about owners, guests, and his private life.

The main problem is that there is only one of two reasons we're buying this book (which, by the way had the binding come apart so it was cheaply produced): to hear his stories about Below Deck or learn about his private life. You'll be extremely disappointed about both. We learn virtually nothing about his personal life other than that he has a wife and kid. In terms of the TV show, he had five years on Bravo before writing this book and all he comes up with is a couple of minor behind-the-scenes stories of how he got the job and had to get the first chief stew in line. No details, nothing beyond a few pages of trivia.

Another major problem with the book is how the stories are told. The "co-author" Michael Shohl chooses a really annoying storytelling style. He starts a story in each chapter, then goes off on tangents multiple times before getting to the rest of the original story. In one case, a 17-page chapter only has three actual pages of the original story woven throughout, with FIVE side stories tied in that have nothing to do with the original story! It makes no sense

In the chapter on Below Deck, some story about an owner's little kid plugging up toilets is tossed in for no reason and detracts from the original story--it happened long before the TV show! Why was it stuck there? My guess is that Captain Lee gave the book's real writer so little detailed solid story information that each chapter had to be padded with short other stories just to fill it out. The problem is that it actually weakens the book.

I ended the book not knowing much more about Captain Lee than when I started. There are four or five really good stories in it that give insight into life on the sea (if you want a great book filled with better stories read Kate Chastain's), otherwise it's just a lot of normal working-class grunt work. And the fact that Lee constantly tells us how he gets seasick makes one wonder why he loves the job so much. It's hard to tell since he doesn't state any emotions in the book or reveal anything personal.
Profile Image for Taylor Wilkins.
67 reviews17 followers
January 31, 2021
When I got this book for Christmas, I guffawed. Captain Lee from Below Deck WROTE A BOOK?! It was almost a gag gift, for its shock value. I did not have high expectations, but let me say, it was hella entertaining. His salty old sea captain persona carries through into his writing. And who knew he was a badass? If you’re a fan of the show, it’s totally worth a read!
Profile Image for Ania&#x1f430;&#x1f4da;&#x1f344;&#x1f41b;.
44 reviews1 follower
July 8, 2019
I was expecting so much more! Book seemed rushed and highly scaled back from the “real” stories and excitement and adventures this man experienced.
I’m still a fan of the Captain but I was expecting some real sea stories.
Profile Image for Katherine.
11 reviews4 followers
December 1, 2018
Below Deck is my guilty pleasure. Captain Lee only covers the show in one small chapter but his life is so interesting it didn't matter. Plus it was a really quick read, when I had time to read. :-)
Profile Image for Shoshanna Ford.
377 reviews19 followers
May 28, 2021
Listening to this short little audio book felt like sitting in rocking chairs on a front porch with Captain Lee, and listening to his life stories. Captain Lee is certainly my favorite part of Below Deck, but he is also a fascinating person with a ton of great stories and pithy one liners. This book is all about his life, from welding to yachting. It is fascinating stuff. 

The very last chapter of the book explains a bit about how Captain Lee ended up on the Bravo show, and some of the misadventures they had with figuring out how to make a show on a yacht. The book is not about the show, and you won't find a bunch of good gossip about your favorite (or least favorite) characters here. This book is all about what made Captain Lee, Captain Lee. Which is exactly what I was hoping for. I really enjoyed this book. I think Maryanne must be an actual saint. 

This has been my favorite audible purchase of the year so far. I finished it in two days. It's a total of about 6 hours. I love a good memoir, and this one does not disappoint. I highly recommend it. Especially the audible version. 
Profile Image for David.
399 reviews
November 28, 2018
A quick, fun read with interesting stories of Captain Lee's life. Yet, the book was also somewhat disappointing. Captain mentioned he had 5 children in the beginning, but it would have been nice to learn how his career affected his family. It would have also been nice to learn how Captain grew up, and how fame has changed his life (financially, socially, etc). Finally, there was an article in the newspaper how Captain Lee declared bankruptcy at one point-it would have been interesting to read about this.
Profile Image for Noelle.
3 reviews
March 14, 2019
Captain Lee has so many great stories, and his turns of phrase are delightfully colorful.
Profile Image for Nikki.
632 reviews10 followers
August 1, 2023
I feel like my rating is probably more like 3.5 stars and it's making me realize my whole rating system is garbage. I usually rate books I don't like a 3 because writing a book seems hard (and 2 is reserved for just the worst, almost no one gets 1). I didn't dislike this book but it also doesn't seem worthy of 4 stars.

It's pretty short at 250 pages. It's mostly a collection of tales from Lee's adventures as and journey to becoming a captain. He interrupts his own stories a lot to tell other stories which gets pretty clunky.

Again, it's not bad but it left me wanting more. I know he has 5 kids but he only ever mentions 1 in the book. I was always curious how he balanced being a captain with family life as he travels so much and absolutely none of that was mentioned. He brings up his wife a bit but it still feels really dismissive of the family related labor she must have put in to support a career that had him gone for weeks or months at a time. On the show he has also frequently mentioned that she worked with him on boats and was a chief stew for some time but this also doesn't come up at all in the book.

So the stories weren't bad but it felt like he just told some of the more outrageous stuff and left out any depth . I didn't dislike it and it wasn't bad book but it wasn't great either. It doesn't feel like 4 stars.
Profile Image for Onceinabluemoon.
2,824 reviews71 followers
December 18, 2019
Sadly I must admit I am a bravo fun, my guilty pleasure, I found his book interesting, I thought he got in the captain biz via the service, but he was totally self made. Only a brief mention of bravo and very little homelife, a very surface exposure, but insightful.
Profile Image for Mark Bao.
29 reviews238 followers
January 1, 2020
Fun, breezy read. Lee is a badass. While I would have loved more sea stories and fewer stories about rich boat owners, those stories were pretty cool too and they’re probably what people want to hear.
Profile Image for Megan.
568 reviews5 followers
December 3, 2019
Captain Lee is a stand up guy who worked hard to get where he is today and I enjoyed his voice. Wish there was more stories and info on Below Deck and the crew members through the years.
Profile Image for Lisa-Marie.
60 reviews
July 24, 2022
Lack of depth. Thought it would be more autobiographical and maybe talk about the show that actually made him famous!
Profile Image for Billy.
8 reviews
November 2, 2024
A very jimmy buffetesque tale of the seas, and a seedy behind the scenes type of episode of below deck. Captain lee has had an interesting life, but most of this book revolves around his island and boating career with very little in the way of his personal life. Which is fine. Plenty of captain lee-isms like “i’d rather drag my dick through two miles of broken bottles” etc.
Profile Image for Chelsea Dulieu.
37 reviews
February 19, 2019
A good binge on reality tv is my secret shame. My blissful treat when I get a rare few hours to myself and one of my absolute favourite shows to watch is Below Deck. Not only has it not gotten to that stage of utter ridiculousness that most reality shows tend to get to after a few seasons, but every episode I am bound to hear at least one ‘Captain Lee-ism‘.

If you have watched the show you would definitely know what I am referring to – if not, a couple that stand out on my memory are; “We’ve gone through more deckhands than a condom salesman in a whorehouse” and “I’d rather drag my d*** through 10 miles of broken whiskey bottles”. Yes, they are a little brash but always hilarious. I mean hey, the guys is a Captain after all!

So with this in mind, of course when C. Lee came our with his book I grabbed it straight away and prepared myself for a good giggle. If you are looking for the same thing, you won't be disappointed.

The book tells the story of how he came to be a Captain in the first place. How he went from tradie to restauranteur to sailor and all the ups and downs in between. Of course, it is all told in his very upfront and direct manner which is amazing. The stories all have a way of leading in to each other, the way they would if you were having a long conversation with a good friends over a few frosty beers. Exactly the kind of feel you would want to get from this book.

It is a light-hearted book but also a story about hard work and how money does not just grow on trees. About putting in the work and paying your dues before rising up to the 'glamour' roles. A lesson not well enough learnt these days.

For people who are prior fans of Captain Lee it is definitely worth a quick read (and that's what it is, you could honestly finish it in a day). Don't go in expecting it to be about the show though because apart from one small chapter at the end, it definitely is not. I have read a few reviewed complaints on that front but to be honest, no where does it promise that is what this book was going to be. It is a much more interesting story of the events in Rosbach's life that landed him where he is now..... You can binge watch the rest from there!

Have you read a copy of Captain Lee's story yet? What did you think?
Profile Image for Sally.
737 reviews17 followers
November 2, 2018
4.5 Stud of the Sea Stars

Running Against the Tide: True Tales from the Stud of the Sea was a very fun and enjoyable read by Captain Lee. You don't have to be a fan of the show Below Deck to read and appreciate this book.

This memoir tells the story of how Captain Lee became a Captain. His life starts out in Indiana and with an unexpected change of events, he and his wife, end up in Turks and Caicos. He is ready for a change from the Midwest and he talks his wife into a big move to paradise. What do they have to lose? Who wouldn't want to move to paradise? What can go wrong? Or does it all go right?

This book is full of interesting and funny stories about his life and those around him. Readers will get to read about how he unexpectedly fell in love with boats and wanted to become a Captain out on the sea.

I found this to be an entertaining and quick read, where you can escape and laugh about his escapades and anecdotes. Captain Lee charms you while reading about his life and how he got to the point that he's at now. I will admit that I wanted a bit more of the Below Deck scoop but I do understand that this book is more about how he became the famous Captain Lee and made it onto the show.

A big thank you to Gallery Books and Simon & Schuster for the review copy of this great book.
Profile Image for John.
447 reviews67 followers
February 27, 2019
I love Below Deck. I love Captain Lee. I'm happy this book exists, even though it doesn't need to.

What I thought would be a fun, fast read full of absurd stories of life on the high seas, demanding yacht guests, and delusional rich people was actually... pretty dull. The first chapter is mostly about welding. There's next to nothing about his personal life, despite how often we hear on Watch What Happens Live about his endless love for his wife. The stories of his time earning his captain's hours are pretty routine (what is intended to be the most outrageous, a story of potentially accidental drug-smuggling, resolves itself with little fanfare), and the tales of drunken locals from his years living in the Caribbean are about what you'd expect. There's nothing surprising and little that's exciting here. Maybe I'm spoiled by Below Deck (which gets about the last 15 pages and that's it in this book) and having watched White Squall a hundred times, but I wanted more adventure and more drama.
Profile Image for Snem.
993 reviews9 followers
March 27, 2019
I love how I can hear Captain Lee’s voice in this through and through. Very entertaining sea stories and I enjoyed learning a little more about a dude I like watching on TV. He’s awesome and I wouldn’t mind hanging out with him, Kate and Josiah. He seems fun!

Let’s be real here. The reason Captain Lee came onto my radar is because of the “Below Deck” tv show. Chapters about that show comprise literally 10% of the book. I wanted, NEEDED, more “Below Deck” stories. It also bugged me that having 5 kids before the age of 25 means your wife was dealing with those kids at home while you were getting your sea hours and adventure on. He seems to genuinely love and appreciate his wife, but I was annoyed for her.

Give the people what they want! More “Below Deck” stories! Only recommended for fans of the Captain and sea tales.
62 reviews2 followers
January 14, 2019
Everything you want to know about maintaining a yacht.

I loved the television series Below Deck. However if you are looking for any correlations between the show and this book think again. This read like and introduction to sailing manual. It's also just about Captain Lee.
Can't help but wonder how his wife fended for herself being on foreign ground. It seems that Captain Lee would pull up anchor and be on some fairly lengthy trips. Lee and his wife have four boys and he only mentions
one in a couple of sentences. Book would have been much better if he had shared some of his family life, some stories about his television show.
His ego pretty much sums it up as he refers to himself as Stud of the Sea.
Profile Image for Shannon CJ.
189 reviews2 followers
January 15, 2019
Integrity on the high seas

Captain Lee has more character and integrity in his pinky finger than most people I’ve met. This book should be mandatory reading for those who feel entitled to anything good in this life. Hard work and integrity are the keys to living your dream, at least in my opinion. It is so refreshing to read about a successful man with integrity. I watch the Bravo show, Below Deck and I’m grateful to learn about yachting as that’s as close as I’ll probably ever get to a yacht. I loved all the Captain Lee analogies too. He’s a straight shooter and this book was an enjoyable read.
118 reviews1 follower
October 13, 2020
Fun Read

I love the show Below Deck so couldn't wait to read Captain Lee's story because he is one of my all time favorites. Most of book was about his start with his wife of owning restaurants then turning to the sea when he discovers his love for it. It was written the way Captain Lee talks so I could hear him in my head telling me the story. LOTS of crazy adventures. Last 30-35 pages are about starting to do the TV show Below Deck. Quick, easy read that was also entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews

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