Calm under pressure: How a UF engineer found purpose ‘Below Deck’

Lights. Camera. Anchor Drop.

On the most recent season of Bravo’s “Below Deck,” Hugo Ortega stood at the helm of the St. David as cameras captured his every move. The task at hand? Dropping an anchor from a 45-meter superyacht as a captain watched closely amid nervous whispers from the crew.

Only hours earlier, Ortega had made a critical mistake that could have ended his season. Now, this was his chance to prove himself.

When the anchor hit the seafloor and the captain’s approval came through the radio, the pressure lifted. For Ortega, a University of Florida engineering-alumnus-turned-yacht-captain and reality star, it wasn’t just TV drama. This was a real-time test of the systems thinking and problem-solving skills he learned as a materials science major.

That is to say, this 2013 Gator engineering graduate is a reality TV star on “Below Deck,” and his success — on TV and in his yacht-school business — is firmly anchored by the foundation he built at UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.

Born in the Bronx and raised in Orlando, Ortega grew up in a household with roots in the Dominican Republic and Honduras. His parents, who immigrated to the United States in search of opportunity, instilled in him the importance of education and hard work.

Drawn to math, science and problem-solving, Ortega chose UF’s top-ranked engineering program without hesitation.

“My parents always emphasized how important it was to go to college,” Ortega said. “I knew UF would offer me a high-quality education, so it was the only school I applied to.”

Between scholarships and working part-time jobs at a restaurant and as a lab assistant, Ortega paid his way through school. He spent long nights in Marston Library, joined friends for football

tailgates and dove into hands-on engineering projects. His senior design project analyzed the failure of a race-car engine — a study that foreshadowed a career defined by curiosity and problem-solving.

“UF showed me how to juggle it all,” Ortega said. “From working to studying and hanging out with friends, I learned how to manage it all.”

To his college friend and fellow Gator engineer, Abhi Seeth, Ortega was always the one dreaming up the next big thing.

“Hugo and I became friends instantly, and it’s easy to see why,” said Seeth. “Whether it was a philosophical debate or talking through the next billion-dollar startup idea, Hugo always had a strong point of view and was never afraid to engage. That determination and self-belief is no doubt why he’s been so successful in every environment, from materials research labs to sailing the high seas.”

After graduation, Ortega took a job in the oil and gas industry in Houston. But when the company was acquired, he found himself unemployed and unfulfilled.

So he bought a one-way ticket to Eastern Europe and set off on a yearlong backpacking trip. Months later, while staying at a hostel in Thailand, he met someone who worked on a superyacht. Intrigued, Ortega began researching the industry. He soon completed his certifications and joined his first vessel.

As he climbed the ranks from deckhand to captain, Ortega found the long days, complex systems and teamwork of superyachting reminded him of his UF days.

“Captains aren’t always mechanically inclined,” he said. “But my background helped me have those technical conversations with the boat engineers and understand the systems beneath the surface.”

When the show’s producers called in 2024, Ortega didn’t think twice. After first applying during the pandemic, he was tapped mid-season to fill a bosun role. Thirty-six hours later, he was on a plane to join the cast.

“I’d always wanted to be on TV as a kid,” he said. “When I got the call, I jumped at the chance.”

Since premiering in 2013, “Below Deck” has become one of Bravo’s highest-rated franchises, drawing more than 1 million viewers per episode and inspiring multiple spin-offs. Joining the show thrust Ortega into a high-pressure crew dynamic in front of an audience of millions.

In one episode, he clashed with a deckhand over teamwork; in another, a mechanical failure stranded the yacht at dock, forcing him to troubleshoot alongside engineers as guests grew restless. Then came Episode 15—the night of the tenuous anchor drop—when he forgot to record his watch log, a serious oversight on a vessel that size.

His recovery was swift and steady. By the end of the episode, Capt. Kerry praised his resilience and leadership. Ortega’s real mission is Superyacht Sunday School, a mentorship platform he founded during the pandemic to make yachting more accessible to people without maritime backgrounds. The program has helped more than 300 aspiring “yachties” launch their own global careers, he said.

“When I started, I didn’t even know how to swim, so I know how intimidating this all can be,” Ortega said. “If people knew how to do something, they’d do it better. I just want to make the learning curve easier.”

He designed the program as an engineer: identify inefficiencies, standardize the process and create clear steps for certification and recruitment. Through social media, word of mouth and his “Below Deck” visibility, Ortega’s mentorship network has grown into an international community.

In the end, the same mindset that helped him master materials now helps him master the tides. Guided by his UF education, Ortega proves that the tools of engineering can chart a course anywhere, even across the open sea.