“Thank god we’re vaccinated”: Below Deck’s Captain Sandy on when worse things happen at sea
Below Deck's Captain Sandy Yawn: The Mediterranean’s most famous reality TV show hits its ninth season. Photo / Supplied
After pondering Thai food offerings in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter, Below Deck Mediterranean’s Captain Sandy Yawn sits down with the Listener to talk about her funniest on-boat experiences and why viewers keep sailing back in droves to watch the buoyant reality TV show now celebrating its ninth season.
Several Kiwis have featured on Below Deck. Is there something special Kiwis bring to your crew dynamic?
It’s so interesting because over the years, I’ve had a lot of nationalities. I think everyone brings something special and it is character driven and not country driven, to be honest. We can have people from a country who aren’t great and, because I don’t want to take away from the others, it’s really about the individual.
America is a very big country; each state’s very different. I’m sure across New Zealand it’s probably very different because Aesha [Scott, Below Deck: Mediterranean season nine’s chief stewardess] always says Auckland is very different to where she’s from in Tauranga. But the Kiwis I work with are awesome.
When you’ve got a green (new) steward or stewardess or a green deckhand coming on to your boat, what’s your first piece of advice?
The show’s very different from regular boats. We hire a very, very green crew. My advice for them is to listen to their superior and do their very best.
In your experience, what is the number one quality a yacht captain should have?
Kindness. I think you have to be a kind human being. Leadership isn’t about leading people. It’s creating an environment where people want to follow you. That’s leadership and that comes with kindness.
I only worked for two captains. I started and grew up on small boats and I learned what I didn’t ever want to be because they didn’t really want to help out. They just sat on the bridge. I’m like, “That’s all you’re doing? You’re just sitting on the bridge? Like, help. We’re working hard for the same goal; you’re just going to sit on your throne?” I don’t like that – those that just stay and sit.