Below Deck season 11 sets sail with Captain Kerry: Watch the first few minutes of the explosive premiere

A new captain is taking the helm for the first time in Below Deck history — and it's clear that Captain Kerry Titheradge has his work cut out for him.

Bravo shared the first few minutes of season 11 exclusively with EW, and if the cold open is any indication of what's in store, buckle up and grab a disco ball helmet because this season looks lit.

Below Deck season 11 rips off the Band-Aid immediately and introduces Captain Kerry, who replaced beloved Captain Lee Rosbach (a.k.a. the Stud of the Sea) after 10 consecutive seasons of the series.

Not entirely new to the franchise, Captain Kerry led Below Deck Adventure through the icy waters of Norway. He reveals in the season opener that he was "born for this life" and "growing up in the Australian Outback I had to be tough."

Could his comments tease how Captain Kerry plans to manage his crew? "You wanna know a little secret?" he says. "Part of being a captain is driving the boat. The hard part is the crew."

Cue the crew, which includes returning chief stew Fraser Olender. Fraser promises that he's learned the brutal lessons from last season. "I didn't realize that becoming a chief stew meant I had to be a therapist, a maid, a garbage disposal," he shares in a confessional that also features Jill Zarin from The Real Housewives of New York City as an upcoming charter guest.

"But I'm coming back with an iron fist," Fraser insists. "And I'm gonna fist the s--- out of this season."

Well, then!

Joining Fraser in the interior is Barbie Pascual, a self-proclaimed daddy's girl who is a "bitch" to Fraser.

Then there's stew Xandi Olivier. She immediately reveals that she's a "witch and a vampire," who gets blackout drunk on crew nights and does not like "human contact" — huge red flags for Fraser.

Rounding out the interior is Cat Baugh, a sunny stew who admits she would much rather "chill" than scrub toilets.

Bosun Jared Woodin is in charge of the exterior, putting his 11 years of yachting to work. There's a familiar face on his team — lead deckhand Ben Willoughby, who refers to himself as "Ben the stew slayer." He's single and ready to mingle, but the sneak preview teases that Ben could end up in hot water when he gets involved with deckhand Marie "Sunny" Marquis... and, apparently, other women on the boat. "It's not okay. You can't f---ing f--- two girls in the same boat!" she tells Ben.

Completing the deck crew is Kyle Stillie, who makes it clear that his Scottish heritage means that there will be plenty of kilt wearing — sans underwear. The kilt flashing seems to work, as it looks like Fraser and Kyle share a smooch at some point in the season.

Last but not least is chef Anthony Iracane, who is cooking up more than French cuisine in the galley. "It's not French cuisine, it's Anthony cuisine," he explains. And while he claims that he can work well under pressure, he's seen sobbing in the galley, saying, "I'm not good enough."

In typical Below Deck fashion, the preview of episode 1 hints at loads of tears, a crew member who is seen angrily packing and screaming about being driven "bats--- crazy," Fraser insisting he's experiencing the "worst day" of his life and Captain Kerry acknowledging he has some "big shoes to fill."

And all of that is packed into the first few minutes of the season opener. Watch it for yourself above.

Below Deck season 11 premieres Monday, Feb. 5, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.

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