I’ve always enjoyed Captain Sandy Yawn as the captain of Below Deck Mediterranean. The Colorado native is strong and skilled at her job. What stuck out to me the most about Sandy was her ability and love of teaching those on her vessel. She has always tried to lift the crew up, especially the women, and that is commendable. The skipper has never shied away from what it takes to be a good leader and I believe Season 9 is showing just how great of an asset she is to the team.
Captain Sandy isn’t micromanaging as much in Below Deck Med Season 9
Miracles happen once in a while even on the open water. Below Deck Mediterranean Season 9 has shown fans that Captain Sandy can allow the heads of department to take control. Instead of micromanaging, Captain Sandy has been taking a step back and relinquishing a little bit of power. In the past, the skipper would have already had multiple chats with Aesha Scott about her interior issues. But this time around, Sandy is just reminding Bri Muller that she constantly has no shirts instead of doing the wash herself.
Captain Sandy is giving the crew a chance
During Season 9, she called out the crew’s mistakes and gave warnings but allowed staff to improve instead of immediately firing them. Captain Sandy’s issues with Iain Maclean have surprised me the most. The bosun has been a thorn in her side due to all his mistakes and inability to take accountability. But each time she calls him out she seems to be giving him a second chance. Usually, Captain Sandy would be all over the bosun and watching over his shoulder. But she has put trust in her crew and is holding them to a higher standard.
The same can be said for Bri and Ellie Dubaich’s issues. Both have acted unprofessionally while on the yacht, but Sandy didn’t step in until Aesha asked her to have a word. Captain Sandy’s current leadership style shows the team that she wants everyone to do better. Only a strong leader could keep dealing with the drama when confined in a small space.
Captain Sandy has subtly but efficiently defended her team against rude guests
I love it when the boss man stands up for their workers. It shows a sense of respect between the crew in my opinion. During this week’s episode, Captain Sandy subtly but firmly put a few rude guests in their place. The charter was difficult right off the bat as the guests had Aesha moving around the furniture, all in the name of a better photo. One guest even asked Aesha to bring a drink to her even though it was right next to her.
The group had issues with their caviar as the primary stated “Beluga caviar we understand is top tier. It tastes a little bit like a washcloth.” Things only got worse as during dinner a guest claimed Aesha gave her a butter knife instead of a fish knife. Who are these people? Captain Sandy regaled the guests with a fable, sharing, “I always say this. If you beat a character down, you are going to kill their spirit. But if you are gracious and thankful, you are going to build them up and they are going to want to do more for you. I had a client who spent a million euros on a charter, and they were so rude to my crew. I pulled the primary in, and I said, ‘I will cancel your charter tomorrow if you treat my staff like that again.’”
Captain Sandy is completely in love during Below Deck Med Season 9, and it shows
I love love. But there is something special about seeing Captain Sandy fall head over her heels for Leah Shafer. Season 9 has shown Sandy talking to Leah a lot on FaceTime and every time, she gets giddy like a schoolgirl. The trailer has already shown fans that Captain Sandy pops the question while in Greece. For years, Sandy swore she would never ask the question. But something changed for the better, and I love having a front-row seat.
Below Deck Mediterranean is now streaming on Peacock.
TELL US — ARE YOU ENJOYING CAPTAIN SANDY ON BELOW DECK MED THIS SEASON?
