Below Deck Down Under Season 3, Episode 12 Sees New Deckhand Nicolas Learning His Fate After Breaking An Important Boat Rule

Below Deck Down Under Season 3 sees Captain Jason Chambers at the helm of the Katina as he and his crew are chartering the mega yacht around the beautiful island of the Seychelles. But with three firings already in the books, it's been far from smooth sailing for this reality TV crew.

The first firing was sous chef, Anthony Bird, who was let go after butting heads with returning chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph. Things didn’t get any calmer from there. Later in the season, Captain Jason cuts ties with deckhand Johnny Arvanitis for aggressive behavior, and on the very same day, fires bosun Wihan du Toit for poor leadership.

Captain Jason quickly found both Johnny and Wihan's replacements. He introduced the crew to new bosun Nate Salmon and new deckhand Nicolas Cattelan. However, Nicolas made a very fatal mistake of drinking while on work duty, and he chose to confront Jason about his wrongdoings.

Below Deck Down Under Season 12's New Deckhand Nicolas Cattelan Is Full Of Nerves After Breaking An Important Rule

Nicolas Cattelan Takes A Shot While Working The Late Shift

Captain Jason Chambers was swift to find replacements for both deckhand Johnny Arvanitis and bosun Wihan du Toit following their firings, which were shown in Episode 11. Jason hired new bosun, Nate Salmon, who had been a bosun for four years and came with an impressive resume. Joining him is Nicolas Cattelan, the new deckhand taking over for Johnny. Though with only six months of yachting under his belt, he’s definitely the greener of the two.

It seems Captain Jason may have put a little too much faith in Nicolas too soon. On his very first day aboard the Katina, Nico broke a major rule by drinking on the job. That’s a serious line-crossing move for Jason, and honestly, for any captain. It’s a clear-cut deal breaker in the yachting world, and not exactly the impression you want to make on day one.

Both Nate and Nico were thrust into a new charter before they really got to settle in. In Episode 11, Nico was given the late shift, tasked with looking after a lively group of beautiful women enjoying a fun night aboard the Katina. While the group played a game of beer pong, a guest told Nico that if she put the ball into the cup, he had to take a shot of alcohol. When she got the ball in, she ordered Nico to take a shot, and he did. It seemed that Nico might have felt pressured by all these stunning ladies to not say no.

With stewardess Brianna Duffield also working the night shift, she quickly took Nico aside and told him drinking was not permitted. In a confessional he states, "Oh, God, I can’t believe I just did that. Captain Jason runs a dry boat. This could get me fired. That was so stupid."

Nicolas Admits His Wrongdoings To Captain Jason Chambers

The Deckhand Eventually Came Clean To Captain Jason

In Episode 12, Nico is a nervous wreck and terrified of confronting Captain Jason about drinking during work the other night. He contemplates whether he should even tell his superior about what happened, as only Bri was present. However, Nico knows that honesty is the best policy.

Before he decides to tell his captain about what went down, Nico is seen pacing in his cabin. He tries to figure out how to approach the situation as he could be fired for what he did. Getting fired after merely a day aboard? That's certainly not a good look.

“I’ve kinda been going back and forth. I know that with Captain Jason, drinking on charter is an absolute no-go. There’s a reality where I just don’t bring it up. I leave it in the past. I try to do better. But it’s not the right way to go about things.”

Nico heads for the bridge deck later in the episode to meet with Captain Jason. He details what happened while on duty:

“Last night, on entertainment duty, girls were having a good time. But I do have to report something. One of them came over and said, ‘You have a drink?’ I guess I got very carried away and I wasn’t insistent enough, and I f***ed up and I took the shot. I just wanted to let you know.'"

Jason replies by telling Nico that what he did is "not acceptable." He adds, "Obviously, that’s an issue. First charter and all that." The deckhand apologized and seemed to be genuinely regretful of his actions. "I know. I understand the impression that makes, and I am genuinely really sorry," he tells Jason.

Captain Jason decides to give Nico a pass. He admired Nico manning up and admitting his mistake. "Obviously, coming to me about that is exactly what I’d want out of someone. So, I think we can probably put this to bed. It sounds like you’ve learned a lesson already."

“Nic. Nic. I can see the fear in his eyes. And I don’t think he’ll be making any mistakes like that again," Nate shares.

Although Nico seemed to get a slap on the wrist for his actions, after the charter guests left, Captain Jason rightfully gave Nico the disco ball helmet that was given to the crew members who did not meet expectations. Nico gladly accepted the helmet and had to wear it during his first night out with his crew.

Everything We Know About BDDU's New Deckhand Nicolas

Stew Marina Marcones Del Barros And Nico Shared A Kiss

Nicolas joins a fun-filled crew in Season 3 of BDDU, but he does have the least yachting experience. However, that shouldn't be a major issue because his deck team is pretty solid, especially with returning deckhand Harry Van Vliet back for a second season.

Nico also gives off a bit of an oddball vibe—in a charming way, like when he compared the massive yacht to "the Starship Enterprise," a reference to a fictional ship on Star Trek. "I actually got into yachting pretty recently. Katina is by far the biggest boat I’ve ever worked on. Super complicated layout. Almost like the Starship Enterprise."

Giving some insight into his life, he shared that he wasn't the popular kid in school. "I was always a nerd about all sorts of things. Movies. Science. Being here makes me feel like I’m part of the Starship Enterprise crew. I feel like I’m discovering strange new worlds, and new cultures and planets and boldly going where no one has gone before," he said.

Before he joined the Katina crew, stewardess Marina Marcondes de Barros appeared to have an eye for him after seeing his C.V. Chief stew Lara Rigby tells her, "Maybe there’s somebody for you!”

After the charter guests disembarked, the Katina crew enjoyed a well-earned night off with dinner and dancing. It was pretty clear Marina had a crush on Nico, and as the two danced, she leaned in for a kiss and he didn’t exactly shy away. The crew cheered both of them on. It's going to be interesting to see how these two end up as the rest of the season unfolds.

New episodes of Below Deck Down Under Season 3 air on Mondays at 8/7c on Bravo, and they are available to stream on Peacock the next day.