Captain Lee Rosbach has officially left the building…or should we say boat.
The longtime star of Bravo's Below Deck bid farewell to his boat and crew on the show's Dec. 19 episode due to ongoing medical issues with his nerves. But until he makes a (hopefully) speedy recovery, he revealed his replacement will be none other than Below Deck Mediterranean's Captain Sandy Yawn.
"Capt Sandy came in an bailed me out in a tough situation," he wrote on Twitter during the episode, "and I appreciate her efforts."
His sentiment means a lot to Captain Sandy, who tweeted in response, "It's what we do. So glad to see you in much better health now. Stay Well my friend."
As exciting as it is to see Captain Sandy step in to take charge of the crew's St. Lucia charter, fans are just as sad to say goodbye to Captain Lee. But he promised his time on Bravo isn't over just yet, as he tweeted after the episode, "So you know the drill, hope to see you all in a couple of weeks if all goes well, and I feel it will."
"Thanks so much for all the support," his tweet continued. "You know the drill, gym in the am and catch all I missed on the flip side."
During the episode, Captain Lee gathered his crew together to announce his departure, prompting emotional reactions from stars like Chef Rachel Hargrove, Deck/Stew Camille Lamb and more.
"My mind's there, my heart's there, my body just won't cooperate," he announced. "I've never quit, and this time I have to."
After returning to the U.S. to receive medical treatment, Captain Lee joked that he will return to the boat to "tell whoever is on board to get the f--k off."
With Below Deck Med's season seven having just wrapped up in November, Captain Sandy was more than happy to step in for her fellow Bravo star. "My hope is that Captain Lee feels supported," she said. "I'm here to take care of his boat and his crew until he comes back."
Below Deck airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)