Cooper Dawson said he had only a month of experience working aboard a yacht before he was invited to audition for the Bravo reality series “Below Deck Mediterranean.”
“I went through a couple of interviews, just like you would with any other boat, and ended up out in Croatia,” said Dawson, who is from Charleston.
Cooper Dawson is a cast member on Season 11 of Bravo’s “Below Deck Mediterranean.”
Fred Jagueneau/Bravo/Provided
The show is a spinoff of Bravo’s original “Below Deck” series and follows the crew and captain of a luxury charter yacht as they navigate difficult guests, the demands of high-end hospitality and interpersonal relationships. Filming locations have included Greece, Italy, France and Malta. Season 11, which premiered June 8, takes place in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
When he first joined the cast, Dawson said he didn’t even know how to tie a knot. By the time he had finished filming the season, he’d gained the skills and experience needed to be a deckhand on any boat, he said.
Dawson said being on the show was a surreal experience and nothing like he’d expected.
“It takes a little while to adjust,” he said. “But ultimately you’re just doing your job, and you end up learning how to ignore the cameras (and) the microphone.”
He added that one of his favorite parts of being on the show was spending time with fellow cast member Joe Bradley. They became good friends over the course of the season and traveled to Thailand together after filming wrapped.
Cooper Dawson (left) lounges with fellow “Below Deck Mediterranean” cast member Joe Bradley.
Fred Jagueneau/Bravo/Provided
Dawson said he would be open to being on another reality TV show, but for now, he plans to travel to Florida to work on another boat, this time offscreen. He hopes to work on boats for the foreseeable future and eventually get his captain’s license, he said.
“It’d be really cool to run a boat out of my hometown in Charleston and have some guests in the area,” he said.
Fans can tune in to Bravo at 8 p.m. each Monday to watch Dawson’s exploits aboard the yacht. Episodes are available to stream on Peacock the following day, and the finale is set to air Aug. 10.