If you ever wished the cast of Below Deck got to party more than they already do, then Bravo's new show Unanchored is for you. The series premieres Dec. 3 at 10 p.m. and follows eight best friends sailing on the high seas led only by their fearless Captain Jack Royds. Along the way they'll encounter swimming pigs, non-stop partying, and "hidden jealousies and buried secrets," per the show's website. Sounds thrilling.
Technically, according to his Bravo bio, Captain Jack is actually the skipper of the ship. There seems to be some argument in the sailing world about who can and cannot be a Captain. Morgan's Cloud, a sailing site, reported that the difference is that Captain is a rank in the military or the title of someone with a master mariner's license for commercial sailing — which requires years of schooling.
Meanwhile a skipper is just in command of a ship. So, Captain Jack is still high ranking among his party-going friends — but probably not an official Captain. He is, however, from a pretty fancy lineage according to his Bravo bio, which lists him as "a descendant of lords and ladies" and from a prestigious family in Britain. He's made his life on the sea, however, going to skipper school, and sailing around the world. His Instagram indicates he's been to Greece, Spain, and more.
On Unanchored, the cast are all friends looking for a good time on the high seas. But because this is a sailing ship and not a chartered yacht, the cast is also the crew. The show's "about" page says that they all have to care for the ship, clean, and cook while searching out a good time. Captain Jack, with his skipper ranking, is basically in charge of all of that. His bio says he met one of the other cast members Max Craddock at skipper school, but doesn't seem to know the others — yet. His bio hints that their personalities may clash.
Not only is Jack the youngest, but he is also very serious about his ship duties, having done this kind of thing for years. Bravo teases that "his strong personality and domineering nature don’t always go over well with his crew," so be on the lookout for some Captain Jack drama.
You can catch a sneak peek of just that in the trailer below:
Speaking of Captain Jack, it's funny that his name is similar to Johnny Depp's Pirates of the Caribbean character, but he actually looks sort of like the movie's other star, Orlando Bloom.
Do you see the resemblance, or is it just me?
Pictured above is also a woman who seems to be Jack's girlfriend. They were last pictured together on his Instagram in June, but on her Instagram in November, so they seem to still be together. Having a long-distance relationship while on this ship could have potentially been a challenge for Captain Jack, but it appears that it's all smooth sailing for the duo even after the show.
In any case, and whatever drama or conflicts he has to confront, Captain Jack is doing what he loves when he sets sail. He explained in a video highlighting a sailing company that sailing "really has to be experienced to be believed." He added, "I guess I'm addicted to it," while staring longingly out at the water and smoking an e-cigarette. He may not necessarily be an authentic Captain, but he sure is an authentic sailor. Meet him and the rest of the cast when Unanchored premieres Dec. 3 on Bravo.
