Captain Sandy Yawn on All Things Yachting, Work-life Balance, and the New Season of 'Below Deck Med'

Captain Sandy Yawn shares how she keeps in touch with loved ones, her career in yachting, and more with T+L ahead of the Bravo show's season premiere.

While Captain Sandy Yawn is at the helm of a super yacht for months at a time, she relies on an everyday, tried-and-true method for keeping in touch with loved ones on land: FaceTime

The long-time Below Deck Mediterranean captain, who recently got engaged to partner Leah Shafer, knows a thing or two about traveling for work. In fact filming can keep her away from home for two months at a time, but the couple finds a way to make it work.

“We FaceTime. Leah’s busy, she has her own job and her own career,” Yawn told Travel + Leisure during a recent interview, while chatting about the newest season of the show premiering on Monday. “This is the first time she’s ever come out to see me, which is really great. We're touring London now… It’s awesome. I love London, I feel like it's my second home.”

Of course, figuring out how to strike a work/life balance hasn’t been Yawn’s only challenge in her decades-long and storied career. The captain first started working on boats when she answered an ad for a boat washer in 1990. And as a woman, and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she now stands as a role model.

“To be a beacon for others is really cool,” Yawn said. “But I never led with that: I didn't lead with who I was sleeping with, I never did. I didn't lead with my gender — although I didn't get hired for a job because of my gender…. For some reason they didn't think I could be a captain of their boat. I don't really understand that mentality.”

Captain Sandy Yawn

Where in the world do you prefer to sail the most?

I love, honestly, the Mediterranean.

What is your key to getting rid of motion sickness?

Ginger root. Just slice the ginger and eat it.

Is there an item that you never travel without?

Berocca [it's a] UK brand, actually. It’s like Emergen-C, but better, and it gives you energy.

Is there a dream trip that you have in mind?

Alaska. I've never been, I want to go. I want to see those animals. I love animals, I love nature, [and] I love the wildlife. So yeah, Alaska, on a cruise. I would love that.

What's your favorite travel memory?

There are so many. London, I guess. Coming here, honestly, is my favorite travel memory because there's so much to offer. And I'm a kid at heart, I love going to the dungeons of London, the Tower of London, and doing all those crazy things like the history walking tours. I love that, it's incredible.

Over the years, Yawn said she has seen a shift in the industry, especially following the debut of the Below Deck franchise (which also includes Below Deck Down Under, Below Deck Adventure, and Below Deck Sailing Yacht).

“Back in the day, people hated the show. They didn't like it [because] it highlighted, they felt, the worst of the worst,” she said. “I said ‘no, it highlights exactly what captains go through and what we have to deal with.’ Let the owners watch these shows, let them see so we get a raise.”

And she also feels it has had a positive impact on the destinations they visit.

Not only has it had a positive impact on the industry, it also gives a toursm boost to the destinations that they visit.

"Every time we highlight an area, wherever we visit on a boat, they get more tourism, that's a fact," she said," mentioning that she's met people traveling who are going to Croatia for the first time thanks to the show.

"I guarantee if you go back to Malta, they'll say their tourism increased. Probably by 50 percent," she added.

On what will be season eight of Below Deck Mediterranean, Bravo viewers will watch Yawn and her crew navigate the Italian Riviera on the 180-foot M/Y Mustique. The new season promises “unprecedented staffing changes” as well as the return of some Below Deck alums like stews Natalya Scudder and Kyle Viljoen as well as Tumi Mhlongo and Luka Brunton, who both first appeared on Below Deck Down Under.

“[The] Italian Riviera is absolutely spectacular,” she said. “I also love the food there, the vibe, and I think the viewers are really going to enjoy the crew this year.”

And while viewers are pretty much guaranteed to see some crazy antics, Yawn said she’s not privy to them.

“I don't know what happens below deck until I watch the show because I don't live downstairs, I live on the bridge deck,” she said. “They've learned not to come around me with that behavior. Also, I think when you're at work and it's your boss, you're not going to be acting like that in front of the person you work for.”

And as for crazy guest requests? Yawn said there’s no such thing.

“There are no crazy requests. We’re in the superyacht industry — where there is money, we grant their request. It's like we're the little genie in the bottle,” she said. “People want truffles flown in for their dinner and it's morning time from Paris, fresh… Honestly, we're used to it. So to us, it's not crazy or outlandish, it is part of our industry.”

But chartering a boat doesn’t just have to be for the rich and famous. Yawn said “there’s boats for every budget from small to larger.” And when travelers are on a yacht, they should take advantage of every option available to them.

“Use the boat, use the water toys, and stay on board and utilize everything that we have to offer because it only lasts for the time you're on board and then you're gone,” she said.

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