For the past 10 years, Capt. Sandy Yawn has navigated the calm and sometimes choppy waters of the Mediterranean while managing her crews on Bravo’s popular travel reality series “Below Deck Mediterranean.”
As the sole female captain of the “Below Deck” television franchise, since it began in 2013, she has become a fan favorite, known for her calm but firm, tell-it-like-it-is manner on the superyachts where she and her crew cater to wealthy — and often rude — guests.
While the crew members stir up drama below deck, Captain Yawn, 61, better known to viewers and her crew as Captain Sandy, has been a steady leader who mentors them and solves problems above deck. The show is also streamed on Peacock.
She has also used the platform to promote careers in yachting through her nonprofit organization, “Captain Sandy’s Charities.”
A Florida native, Captain Yawn has been in the boating industry for nearly 40 years. She began in her 20s by washing boats in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and by age 30, she had earned her captain’s license from Maritime Professional Training, a school in Fort Lauderdale for mariners and yachting professionals.
As the 11th season of “Below Deck Mediterranean” began this week, aboard the 170-foot-long Motor Yacht Akira One, we caught up with the affable captain known for her one-liners to crew members, such as, “Keep it moving” and “Do the next right thing.”
The following is an edited and condensed version of the conversation.
Why did you want to be part of the wild world of reality TV?
It was offered to me. I didn’t seek it. I didn’t cast for it. I really loved my career. I was a Mediterranean captain for years. Someone who knew the showrunner said, “I have a woman. Why don’t you have a woman captain?” and that’s how it came about.
So the door of the opportunity opens, why not walk through it, right?
What are some things you have learned in navigating the crew’s drama while providing five-star service to guests?
I think that’s in any business, to be honest. The difference is that we are at sea. We live and work together.
So when you think about restaurant business, they do the same thing. The majority of the focus is the food. That’s always the big one. Obviously, the service side is No. 2 and then the water toys and activities are No. 3.
So you want to make sure the chef can produce the food of the expectation from the client, right? Secondly, you want to make sure the service is impeccable. Third, you want to make sure the deck team, you know, has the right equipment out, is educated on the equipment, so that’s a training process.
So how I navigate the drama is, it doesn’t happen in front of my eyeballs. They’re on their best behavior. I learn everything about them when I watch the season back, just like the viewers.
Viewers have commented on how calm you are in disciplining staff and solving problems. What’s your philosophy?
Listen, I’ve lost my temper a couple of times. I am a human being. However, it’s rare. It takes something really big for me to lose my temper.
So, for me, it’s about staying calm, being kind, finding out the problem. Let’s figure out a solution because I never want to fire anyone. I want to turn them around. Because if you fired everyone, you’re not going to have anybody working for you because they’re not going to have the perfect person every time. So it’s just spending the time with them and saying, “Hey, this isn’t OK.” Giving them reasons why.
So my approach is with kindness until such time, if they’re so insubordinate, like I have had in the past. I just say, “Listen, I tried. You kind of fired yourself, you know.”
You have mentored your crew, especially women, and encouraged them in careers in yachting. Why is that important to you?
Giving back is important to me and when you have people who work under you, I think every leader should do that.
Generations have responsibilities to younger generations, like you just have that. Like you want to carry it forward to say, “Hey, do you like this career? I’ll help you get there. I’ll help you navigate some obstacles.” That’s just, in my opinion, human nature.
You’ve shared insights about maintaining your sobriety. Any advice for people trying to stay sober or looking to drink less?
I can only speak to sobriety because I don’t comprehend drinking less, because I’m an alcoholic, so I think for people who are sober, getting sober, abstinence is everything. Change your people, places and things for now, even if it’s your family, like I really didn’t hang out with my family for a long time because I used to party with my family.
I worked the 12 steps. I got a sponsor and it took me a long time to get there. I was in and out for a long time, and then, I finally got it and I wouldn’t trade that for anything, because I do live a life beyond my wildest dreams.
What can viewers expect from the new season in Croatia?
We are in Dubrovnik, which is, the history there is really incredible. And if you are a “Game of Thrones” fan, sure, a lot of these viewers will be, you are going to see a lot of those sites where they filmed “Game of Thrones” and it’s really incredible. The scenery is beautiful. The islands that we go to are spectacular.
When you’re not behind the wheel of a superyacht, how do you spend your downtime with your wife, Leah Rae Yawn? (The couple, who have a dog named Little Bear, married in 2024.)
Leah and I have a nice swimming pool. We live near the beach. I love being in the water, so we are always constantly in the water. We go out for nice dinners. We play pickleball. We ride bikes. We play a lot. We have fun.
When you look back on your decade on the show, what are you most proud of?
What I’m most proud of is to see the evolution of the crew. Let’s look at Malia [White, a former deckhand on the show]. I am going to use her because she wanted to be a captain. She became a captain. She got pregnant and now she had a baby. She’s with her person in the U.K. She is a charter broker now. She is still in this industry.
You have these people, which is wonderful that the show brings in, very little experience, and then pursue this career and it’s very lucrative and it’s fun and it has the cool factor. That’s what I am most proud of, those people and what they are doing.
