It’s safe to say that Captain Sandy Yawn is crushing life. In addition to a new season of Below Deck Mediterranean on the airwaves, the Bravolebrity has recently celebrated several personal milestones. In addition to moving to Florida and into a new house, Captain Sandy got married to longtime partner Leah Shafer in an intimate ceremony onboard a super yacht last month. With Below Deck Med executive producer Nadine Rajabi overseeing the proceedings, the day was filled with plenty of love and a whole lot of laughter. “Everything was special,” recalled Captain Sandy. “Our vow exchange was the moment that I will never let go of.”
One guest in attendance was Aesha Scott, who worked as a stew under Captain Sandy’s keen eye in Below Deck Med seasons 4 and 5. As fate would have it, Scott got the call to join Captain Sandy for Season 9 as her chief stew. Captain Sandy described working with Scott again as “great” and “spectacular.” “She left my boat as a second stew, continued her education, gained some more experience, and return[ed] as my chief stew.”
Viewers will also get to witness Captain Sandy’s proposal to Shafer, as previewed in the show’s trailer. While Captain Sandy isn’t sure how much audiences will get to see of the couples’ engagement ceremony, she promised “Greece is all about love.” “I get to take Leah to an island I had never been to before,” said Captain Sandy. While it’s clear that Captain Sandy had be pondering her proposal for a while, she said “something made [her] wait for Greece.” “It’s such an incredible place,” gushed Captain Sandy.
DECIDER spoken to Captain Sandy over Zoom to talk about the upcoming season, the crew dynamics, and why this season’s promotional photos were the most “badass” yet.
DECIDER: First of all, congratulations on your recent wedding! What can you tell me about that special day?
CAPTAIN SANDY YAWN: Everything was special. Having the people we loved most be a part of it was very special. Our friend’s boat was special. The ceremony was special. Chef Dave [White from Below Deck Med Season 7]’s food was the icing on the cake. However, our vow exchange was the moment that I will never let go of.
Now, let’s get into the season. For Season 9, you welcome back your old friend, Aesha, as your chief stew. What was it like to work with her again after all these years?
Great. Spectacular. She came back with a mad skill set. She left my boat as a second stew, continued her education, gained some more experience, and was able to return as my chief stew. I think that is pretty cool. She’s incredible. She’s good with people. She’s funny. She’s charismatic. She has “riz” [laughs]. I just learned that “riz” means charisma. Did you know that?
I did know that.
I’m not very cool.
Captain Sandy, you’re the coolest! Even though Aesha has grown immensely, she told me that she still leaned on you for advice when she had a couple of stews who weren’t getting along. What can you tell me about the guidance you gave her this season?
I always like to leave things in my crew’s hands because the only way you learn is by doing. Sometimes, you make mistakes, but that’s how you learn. If someone’s always there to hold your hand, there’s no learning curve. I don’t remember what I said to Aesha, but I’m sure it was sound advice because I’ve been living a lot longer than her [laughs. I’ve had a lot of experience dealing with challenging personalities. I always try to find what motivates them and use that passion to redirect them. That redirection can result in a nice working relationship, most of the time.
The super yacht Mustique has been through some stuff since we last saw her last season. Were you surprised at state of that stew cabin when you reboarded?
A bit. The boat was sold to a new owner and then we went right into charter season. I guarantee you he was waiting to make all the repairs until after the season was over. There was really no time to do them before. I wasn’t too surprised because stuff is always happening on a boat.
Bosun Iain Maclean is coming into the season with 5 years of experience. Was your working relationship with him smooth sailing or did you ever hit rough waters?
It’s always smooth for me. Was it smooth for them? That’s not really a question for me. That’s really a question for Iain. I don’t have to be smooth with them. They have to be smooth with me. There’s no friendship or relationship there. It’s a “workship” for me as the boss. Respect the position, do your job, and everything will be well with me.
Speaking of relationships, I am so excited to watch you propose to Leah later in the season. What can you tease about what fans will see?
Greece. You’re going to see Greece, which is incredible. I do not know what you will see. I have not watched the season, so I will find out as you find out. I’m just so happy we went to Greece this season because I haven’t been there in a very long time. I get to take Leah to an island I had never been to before. I got to go new places, which is rare, so that was cool for me. That’s my takeaway [laughs].
You and Leah are world travelers. Why did you choose Greece as the location for your proposal?
Greece is all about love, isn’t it? So much of mythology is rooted in romanticism. I was very lucky that all the timing worked out. I looked at a lot of locations, but something made me wait for Greece. It’s such an incredible place.
I am obsessed with the promotional shoots for this season of Below Deck Med, which feature you as a Greek god.
How lucky am I? I look like such a badass [laughs]. I love the idea they came up with to tease the new season.
Another familiar face we see pop up in the trailer is your pal and frequent charter guest, Olympic gold medalist Gigi Fernández. She didn’t seem to be digging Chef Johnathan Shillingford’s food…
Gigi is used to eating really good food. She’s well-traveled and had meals prepared by some of the best chefs in the world. It’s fine that she gave him a so-so critique, but she wasn’t as kind as I would have liked her to be. I do appreciate that she was honest because if guests aren’t honest, how can we improve? I love her for that.
Did you enjoy working with Chef Johnathan?
Johnathan’s self-taught, and I think viewers will see that. He is a great human being, very kind. He did a great job, overall.
Are there any yachties from the season whose progress you’re excited for audiences to watch?
Bri and Iain, for sure.
You had quite a rowdy crew last season. How did the yachties of Season 9 compare to the yachties of Season 8?
You know, all the yachties are on their best behavior in front of me [laughs]. I don’t really see any of the not-so-great stuff until I watch the episodes. If I hear something or see something or a department head comes to me about someone else, then I go, “okay, I need to actually intervene and help course correct.” I’ll have to wait and see like everyone else.
The post Captain Sandy Yawn Thinks Returning ‘Below Deck Med’ Yachtie Aesha Scott Has “Riz”: “She Came Back With A Mad Skill Set” appeared first on Decider.
