by Gina Scarpa

 

Tonight, Bravo will unveil its latest reality show, Below Deck. Set aboard Honor, a 164 foot mega yacht, the show follows the lives of the crew members who take care of wealthy guests. Among them is Aleks Taldykin, who came aboard Honor as a first officer, despite having been a captain since the age of 19. Driven and focused, Aleks takes his time on the yacht very seriously but knows how to relax and have fun when the boat is docked as well. We took some time to get to know Aleks today is our exclusive interview with him about Bravo's exciting new show.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You mention in the season premiere that you became a captain at the age of 19, which is very young! Tell us a little more about you and your career.
A. Aleks: Basically, I started on boats when i was 11. In a nutshell, I started on fishing boats, did a lot of sport fishing, deep sea fishing. At 16, I turned the tables and got involved in a high speed ferry from Catalina to Los Angeles. One of my best friends, who worked with me at Catalina Flyer out of Marina del Ray, said he needed a second captain. I got my license, my backpack, met him in Cabo, hopped on the yacht, and loved the lifestyle. You get to live on a yacht, make people happy, and from then on, I started a company called Elite Yacht Management and what we do is manage yachts for people. There's a lot of wealthy clientele and I do everything for them.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What did you think when Bravo approached you about putting your life and career on television?
A. Aleks: You know, I was really hesitant at first. I thought about it for months and months. Reality shows ruin people's lives but they also advance their lives. I'm happy I did it, it was worth the risk. It's gonna be a great show. There's nothing like it on television, it's beautiful, and everyone's fun.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Are there certain crew members that we will see you work with more than others this season, or do you interact with everyone?
A. Aleks: I interact with everybody. I wanna say I'm kind of the therapist of the group, I bring everyone together. You'll see that towards the middle and the end of the season. I go more with the boys than the girls because I work with them more. We have two different departments. The girls take care of the inside, and us boys take care of the outside. We can go hours without seeing each other.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Adrienne, the chief stewardess, seems to be quite opposite of you in terms of leadership style. What's the biggest difference between you two?
A. Aleks: Well for starters, I'm not a micro-manager and she is. She's never been a chief stew and never worked on a yacht that size. To be thrown into that was stressful for her, I'm sure. I tend to manage my crew with respect and dignity. If I have something to say about their work, I pull them aside and not embarrass them in front of other people. She lost respect from the girls from the beginning.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Samantha doesn't have as much experience as the rest of the crew and doesn't seem to take well to Adrienne. What do you make of her?
A. Aleks: It's hard to say cause we're all such good friends now but I love Sam. In the casting special, she's one of those girls that's alpha male per se and it's hard to have her do something, you know what I mean? I can see that being a frustrating factor for Adrienne.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: There are a lot of rules aboard a yacht! Did the rules this season live up to the norm or were they more strict?
A. Aleks: I would say we were sub-par and equal. It's very strict on yachts. I take it seriously when we're on charter but I take time off. It's important not to mix both into one.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Speaking of mixing, some crew members definitely seem to do exactly that. Without giving anything away, what can you tell us?
A. Aleks: Well, I mean, there's definitely some romance going on out there. I didn't partake on any of the romantic excursions but there's definitely gonna be sparks flying.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What will Bravo viewers get out of tuning into Below Deck?
A. Aleks: I think they're gonna get a mix of both worlds. I don't think 80% of America even knows what that lifestyle is like. Not our lifestyle, but these very wealthy people who go on these vacations. I don't think people see the caliber of service that they'll get. You'll see the average people, like us, and then the uber-wealthy having this amazing time. It opens a huge door in terms of boating, yachting, and the luxury lifestyle.

 

Below Deck airs Mondays at 10/9c on Bravo.

 

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

 

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