Summary

• Lara Du Preez's promotion to lead deckhand on Below Deck Mediterranean is not uncommon, as crew often get promoted while on board.
• Being a lead deckhand is typically a role assigned by the bosun to someone they trust and can rely on to lead the other deckhands.
• Lara's promotion was well-deserved, as she demonstrated initiative, a strong work ethic, and the ability to handle tasks and delegate responsibilities effectively.

Lara Du Preez was promoted to lead deckhand on Monday night's brand-new episode from Below Deck Mediterranean season 8; however, other deckhands like Lara have been promoted as well. After Ruan Irving left his bosun job and Luka Brunton received the new title, Lara and fellow deckhand Haleigh Gorman, immediately stepped up to the plate to help Luka out, especially Lara. Not only did she work well with Haleigh, but she was able to delegate tasks to new deckhand Max Salvador when Luka wasn't around. After seeing all the hard work she puts in on board, it only made sense for Luka to promote her.

It is not unheard of for Below Deck crew to get promoted while on board. This has happened several times in the 10-plus years the franchise has been around. However, it's more common to happen on the deck team than in the interior. Most of the time, when a deckhand is promoted, it's because the bosun needs someone they can trust to lead the other deckhands. Bosuns have a lot on their plate, and having a lead deckhand helps elevate some of that stress. Having a lead helps keep the deck team in check and, overall, allows the boat to run smoothly.

Luka Promoted Lara To Lead Deckhand

From the moment Ruan left the boat and Luka was promoted to bosun, Luka saw how Lara took initiative on deck. She has a very fast-paced way of working that not only helps Luka out but also allows the other deckhands on board to see what it takes to be a proper deckhand. Since this was Luka's first time working as a bosun, he appreciated having someone like Lara on board who was able to take on any task he threw her way. After seeing how hard Lara was working, Luke consulted Captain Sandy Yawn about the promotion, and she trusted Luka enough to make the decision himself.

During Monday night's new episode, Luka pulled breakout Below Deck Med star Lara aside to tell her the good news. As soon as he told her, Lara started to get emotional, clearly shocked by the sudden promotion. "I was really taken aback. Like, it's always been my dream," she explained.

Lara then added, "I even have a goal board, or whatever you want to call it, and on it was like, 'I want to be lead deckhand.'" Lara also said that working on boats has always been her dream, so to become lead deckhand is a huge step in her career. "I've lived a very rocky life; I'm a f***ing crazy horse, but something clicked in me as soon as I started yachting, and I can't believe that my dreams are literally just coming true," she said.

Alex Radcliffe Was Promoted To Lead Deckhand During Below Deck Med Season 5

While Lara's promotion to lead deckhand was a shock to her, this type of promotion happens quite a lot in the Below Deck franchise. During Below Deck Med season 5, Alex Radcliffe was promoted to lead deckhand by Bosun Malia White after Peter Hunziker was demoted due to his inappropriate behavior on board. Malia not only liked Alex as a person, but he also proved to Malia that he has what it takes to be her right-hand man. Just like Lara, Alex took initiative on board and was always there to help his bosun. Unlike Peter, Malia never needed to worry about him, plus there was no clash of egos.

Alex, just like Lara, got along with his bosun. They not only developed a good working relationship, but they connected on a personal level. Malia and Alex were close for a while, even after filming for Below Deck Med season 5 came to an end. Lara and Luka seem to have a similar working relationship to Malia and Alex. The two deck team crew understood each other's work ethic right away and were able to work together seamlessly from the beginning, just like Malia and Alex. By the end of Alex's season, Malia was very proud of what he brought to the team, despite him not returning for Below Deck Med season 6.

Several Below Deck Stars Became Lead Deckhand During Their Seasons

Other than Alex and Lara being promoted on Below Deck Med, several deck team from the regular Below Deck series have been promoted during their season. During Below Deck season 4, Nico Scholly was promoted from regular deckhand to senior deckhand, which is basically a lead deckhand. However, he was promoted at the end of the season and was only in the senior role for two episodes. Nonetheless, Nico returned the next season as the lead deckhand and was promoted later as the bosun. The next deckhand to get promoted was Izzy Wouters from Below Deck season 8. She started as a steward and made the switch to deckhand during episode 3.

Izzy worked alongside Bosun Eddie Lucas at the time, and he was very impressed with the new deckhand. After a few episodes of Izzy working as a regular deckhand, Eddie decided to promote her to lead deckhand towards the end of the season. Izzy was ecstatic about the promotion as she was never too thrilled about working as a stew in the beginning. Like Lara, Izzy also took initiative on board and was always someone Eddie could count on while working on deck. Izzy also took pride in her job, like Lara, and enjoyed working in a fast-paced environment.

Overall, Lara deserved her lead deckhand promotion. Usually, when a deck team member receives this promotion, they are dedicated to their work on deck and act almost like a bosun, even before their promotion. Lara took on this role long before Luka promoted her, and she will likely continue to make him proud.

Below Deck Mediterranean airs Mondays at 9 p.m. EST on Bravo.