‘Below Deck Mediterranean’ Captain Sandy Yawn Wants “Big Personalities” On Board

Can you believe tonight marks the 100th episode of Below Deck Mediterranean? It’s all smooth sailing ahead as the show embarks on Season 7. In addition to holding the honor of being Bravo‘s first Below Deck spinoff series, Below Deck Med just received two 2022 Emmy nominations in the Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program and Outstanding Picture Editing For An Unstructured Reality Program categories. Starting with Season 2, Captain Sandy Yawn has been at the helm of the Below Deck Med franchise, guiding her charters through various luxurious settings like Greece, Croatia, Italy and the South of France while keeping her capable but rambunctious crew in line.

This season brings Yawn and an all-new crew of yachties (plus returning fan favorite Mzi “Zee” Dempers) to the gorgeous Malta coast aboard the 163-foot hybrid motor yacht “Home.” While the new setting will no doubt take a few episodes for the crew to get used to, Yawn takes pride in being a steady hand on deck. Whether she’s helping lug the floating deck aboard while some deckhands finish quarantine or calming down an unhappy guest, Yawn does anything to support her team and to ensure a great charter. Given all her yachting and life experiences (Yawn has been sober for more than 30 years), it’s a wonder that she hasn’t written a book. The wait is over, however. Below Deck Med fans will be able to read Yawn’s first book “Be the Calm or Be the Storm: Leadership Lessons from a Woman at the Helm,” which comes out on October 4. No doubt it will be helpful to anyone looking for help navigating their life.

Before the Season 7 premiere, we got a chance to speak to Yawn about the new setting for Season 7, the ins and outs of the “Home”, and why she wishes fans got a chance to see more of her “child’s spirit.”

DECIDER: We’re in Malta for Below Deck Mediterranean Season 7! Were you excited about this new setting?

CAPTAIN SANDY YAWN: I have never been to Malta before, though I had heard many cautions about Malta throughout the yachting industry. There are so many laws you have to abide by while driving through that port. Because of the VTS (Vessel Traffic Services), you always have to call in on the VHF radio for permission to enter the harbor. Other harbors are like that, but this one was very strict and its entrance was so tight. By the end of the season, the VTS guy knew me by name, and it was always “No problem, Captain Sandy.”

Plus, Malta’s gorgeous.

Yes, the view of the ancient village from the harbor is just incredible. You can see all the different influences– Arabic, Italian, Spanish—all around. Over the years, it’s been occupied by so many different peoples.

We’ve seen those metal dolphins giving you and the deck crew some trouble in the super trailer. Was dealing with those the biggest obstacle you faced this season?

Let me answer with a comparison. When you watched our season in Sibenik, Croatia, you saw tenders tied to the dolphins and pulling them apart, right?

Correct.

Despite the undercurrent in Sibenik, that process was easier than the same one in the harbor in Malta which called for such precision. I had to learn what to look for very quickly. There is also a wind tunnel that always blows on your beam, depending on when you’re departing, from either direction, and there’s an undercurrent. You have those things to contend with. It was tricky. I had to rely on my crew; they’re my eyes. They are, essentially, driving the boat in. When they mess up, I mess up.

This is your first charter season in a while with three completely new department heads. Was it hard to make that adjustment?

When I am in charge of a new boat, everybody has my trust even if they are new to their jobs. I want them to feel that their captain is confident in their ability to do their work. I would want that myself from an owner or a manager. I trust them until they show me that they’re untrustworthy. Then they have to earn my trust back. Honestly, I was just thrilled we had a mixologist on board and multiple people who had chief stew experience.

There are a lot of big personalities this season.

Oh yeah, which is awesome. For me, you want big personalities, though they have to learn to make room for each other. No one person should dominate. Let’s see how well that turns out.

The super yacht “Home” is unlike any other super yacht we’ve seen on the Below Deck franchise. What were your first impressions of the ship?

The first thing that stuck out for me was the plumb bow. A plumb bow is straight down, whereas a raked bow, you always have the hull raked back so that you have forgiveness if you swing over something. With a plumb bow, there’s no forgiveness. My first impression was, “Oh shit, I have to be spot on.” The bow person is now equally as important as the stern person, because with other ships I could see the dock and could tell myself, “I have some room.” With the “Home,” I can’t see where the dock ends and how much room I have. With other ships with a raked bow, I know when I have clearance. Now, we’ll just see what happens.

Despite the challenges, the “Home” is so sleek and modern!

It’s a really cool boat—so beautiful, futuristic, elegant and totally new for me. It’s a hybrid, which is so much better for our planet. The plumb bow was the main challenge, but the bow thruster was massive and oversized for the boat. It’s like having an engine on your bow which took some getting used to but was cool.

All the water toys are stored in the hull of the yacht, which means everything has to be done on the bow. Was this feature a blessing or a curse?

It was a curse. To get the toys out, the crew had to climb down a straight ladder and into the bosun’s locker. You pray no one falls down that ladder and gets hurt. It’s not a good design, frankly. It was a big challenge.

There is tension between Bosun Raygan Tyler and her Deckhand Jason Gaskell. Were you aware of any of their interactions during the first charter?

Remember, I always give people 100% confidence at first because they too are learning a vessel. They’re asking, “How do I get that big equipment out of that locker?” To make it even more difficult, we are down two crew members from the start. I hope to have everything in order before I leave the dock. That is my prayer [laughs].

I can’t always see what is going on between those two or I would say something. However, I don’t know what I don’t know. I can’t address what I don’t know, or don’t see. From my vantage point on board, I see them doing their job. I don’t see any bickering. When you’ve got two people down, that’s when the captain steps in to help, and so I couldn’t pay close attention to their interactions.

You are always the first person to help out the crew when the chips are down.

Charter captains know that the ultimate goal is to get through the charter, please the clients, and keep the crew happy. How do you do that? You engage with them, you support them, and you help them. I’m one able body. The certificate we get actually classifies us as “able seamen.” I am able to tie knots and to do this work, so I’ll help my crew when they need help. Now, if they’re just goofing off, and smoking cigarettes, of course I’m going to say, “Hello, get to work. I’m not going to do it for you.” However, I’m there to assist if needed.

You have a book launching on October 4th called “Be the Calm or Be the Storm.” What inspired you to write it?

It is a leadership book through storytelling. I always talk about self-leadership. I can’t lead my team unless I can lead myself first. That means checking my ego and checking my attitude and not bringing my personal stuff into the workplace. You will read all my sea stories, what happened, and how I dealt with it. At the end of each chapter, there’s my “captain’s log” which will include little anecdotes for readers to take away.

And who is this book for? Is it for yachties? Is it for Below Deck Med fans?

The audience is the mother at home, dealing with kids. The audience is corporate CEOs. The audience is everyone, especially people seeking self-improvement. As you will see when you read this book, it is all about course correcting personally, before course correcting externally.

Did you think the haters out there could learn something from your book?

Absolutely. Self-leadership is a big theme of my book. The first chapter is all about me and the mess I used to be, but I share how I climbed out of that hole. When people have a negative commentary externally, it’s usually about how they feel about their own lives. When people start correcting their own course, it’s like wearing a different pair of glasses. You can see things in a negative way, or you can find the teachable moments.

It feels better to take in those teachable moments, learn what you can, and be accountable. In my past—before Below Deck—I got off a tough phone call, came out of my cabin and yelled at my first officer for absolutely nothing. Within two minutes, I reflected on my actions and looked at him, and said, “I am so sorry. You did not deserve that. I just took everything that just happened on my phone call out on you.” I course corrected and he forgave me. That’s also the same for people who want to just shred people out there. We need less shredding and more support. That’s one of the messages I hope fans will pick up on in my book. That’s my goal.

Lastly, what would your preference sheet look like if you were a charter guest?

My preference sheet would definitely have my favorite foods, especially seafood. I’d also want all the water toys out. I would lean on the crew to show me their fun and how they play on the water toys since they do it all day. I play all the time. You just don’t see it on the camera. I have a child’s spirit.

Below Deck Mediterranean aires on Mondays at 8pm ET/PT on Bravo. New episodes will drop one week early on Mondays on Peacock.