Below Deck Down Under Season 3 sees Captain Jason Chambers and his crew aboard the Katina as it sails around the Seychelles. With demanding guests, department heads at odds, and multiple firings, this season is shaping up to be one of the franchise’s most dramatic and exciting yet.

As the season nears its end, deckhand Harry Van Vliet, who returned to the reality TV show after Season 2, gets a chance to prove himself after the new bosun, Nate Salmon, makes him lead deckhand. This new position comes with a lot of responsibilities, but Captain Jason believes Nate made the right call. However, did he speak too soon after Harry made a crucial mistake with the anchor? Will he get to redeem himself before the charter season is over?

Below Deck Down Under’s Harry Van Vliet Made A Critical Error During His First Day As Lead Deckhand

Harry Made A Serious Mistake While Teaching New Deckhand Nicolas Cattelan How To Drop Anchor in Season 3, Episode 13

Below Deck Down Under Season 3, Episode 13 saw new bosun Nate Salmon decide to give Harry Van Vliet the lead deckhand role. The deck team appeared to be in much better spirits after Captain Jason Chambers decided to fire bosun Wihan du Toit for his lack of leadership. Harry also got along great with his new bosun.

Harry was extremely proud to become the Katina’s lead deckhand which obviously came with a lot more responsibilities. “I’m excited. Finally, I can prove to myself, to Jason, that I’ve got what it takes, that I can do this job,” he shares in a confessional.

Meanwhile, Captain Jason was glad to see Nate bestowing the new position on Harry as the two had worked together aboard the Northern Sun in Season 2. “Harry’s worked very hard to be a Lead Deckhand, but the work is not over,” Jason shared. “Up until now, he’s only had to worry about himself. Now he’s got to worry about a whole team. I’m excited to see where this is going.”

After the new charter guests boarded the Katina, Harry had to teach new deckhand Nicolas Cattelan, who replaced Johnny Arvanitis, how to drop the anchor. Nicolas was extremely nervous, sharing, “I’ve never been shy to take on a new challenge, but every anchor on every boat is different. I’m pretty nervous about this one; there’s a lot of quirks, and when you’re a deer in headlights, there’s a risk of getting hit by a car.”

Harry was by Nicolas’s side, guiding him step-by-step through the crucial process of dropping anchor, including the key task of radioing Captain Jason about every move he made. However, Harry may have been too focused on making sure Nicolas got everything right, because he completely missed Captain Jason’s radio calls. “Whoever’s up forward should be telling me where the anchor is and how much it’s out,” Jason shared.

But that wasn’t Harry’s only mistake. When both Harry and Nicolas had their backs to the anchor, it loosened, sending both men running towards the wheel to secure the anchor chains. Nic had not tightened the anchor, and it was a big mistake on Harry’s part.

What Did Captain Jason Say About Harry’s Radio Silence And Anchor Mishap?

Both Men Sat Down Together In A Confessional First

Captain Jason radioed Harry to come up to the bridge so he could discuss why he wasn’t communicating with him while lowering the anchor. “You did drop the ball,” Captain Jason told him. In a Below Deck first, both Jason and Harry share a confessional together so that the latter could share what exactly happened.

“Now my hands are full-on on deck,” Harry told Captain Jason as they sat next to one another. “I’m not just worrying about myself; I’m worrying about other people, making sure the whole thing is operational and working.” Jason then responded, “Is that why you didn’t have the radio in your hand, ’cause it’s full?”

“Cause my hands are full, yeah,” Harry states. He then laughs and adds, “I had Nic in my hands.”

Captain Jason did not decide to strip Harry of his lead deckhand position. Instead, he believed that Harry would do better the next time he needed to step in as a leader. In a confessional, Harry hoped that he could show his Captain that he would make him proud before the charter season was up.

“I’ve just become lead deckhand, and I bungled it up. Hopefully Jason’s still got a bit of faith in me, and I’m definitely gonna redeem myself for this,” he shared.

Harry Nearly Lost His Thumb After It Got Crushed On A Jet Ski Earlier In The Season

Harry Had A Nasty Accident In Episode 3

Earlier on in the season, Harry experienced a gruesome injury when he narrowly lost his thumb trying to secure a jet ski. The incident was captured in Episode 3. Sitting on the jet ski, Harry could be heard screaming in pain and lifts up a very bloody thumb.

Captain Jason is seen calling production and getting on their boat to see what had happened to his deckhand. “Production, we have an issue with Harry on the jet ski at the moment.” When Harry got back on board the mega yacht he urgently called for a medic. “I f****** crushed my thumb,” he tearfully tells stew Marina Marcones de Barros who wraps his finger in paper towels. Captain Jason immediately called for a doctor who rushed to the vessel.

When Dr. Laura made it on the Katina, Harry described what had happened and how he nearly lost his thumb.

The camera then pans to Harry’s thumb, and it doesn’t look good as his thumb nail looked to be completely torn off. It was a serious injury with the doctor telling him, “Well, you don’t have a fingernail. You can get staph infection from the water. I will do my best to cover it, but you have to be very mindful about using it. If your symptoms don’t subside, if you feel pain, if your movement is limited, then I would suggest an X-ray, in case you have any kind of fracture. But you have to really keep an eye on it.”

Harry’s future aboard the Katina was also up in the air as he continued to experience severe pain the following day. However, after getting checked out at the hospital, he was able to keep his job.