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.
Now, the super yachts, the bigger ones, the captains are very busy, right? You have more of a crew, but on the smaller-sized boats we’re running, there’s no reason the captain shouldn’t help out.
What do you think keeps viewers returning to Below Deck?
Because it’s Below Deck. The editing is excellent. [The producers] do a good job of threading it together. I don’t care who the cast is, it’s all in the edit. And our show in particular, Below Deck: Mediterranean, the way it’s edited is true to everything that’s happened. It’s not cut and pieced together.
And I’m not thinking I’m an elite person, but the Mediterranean has a certain standard, right? Everybody knows that. Everybody wants to be on a boat in the Mediterranean because it is the standard of excellence – so is the editing. The editing on our show is the standard of excellence.
What is the most magical experience that you’ve had on a yacht?
Heading out in the middle of the night, the stars come up and you see the Milky Way and then all of a sudden, the moon rises and you’re out there all alone with the crew and doing a crossing. That’s the most magical – no guests on board.
What is the funniest moment you’ve had?
Many. Oh my gosh. I just met with a crew from years ago and I don’t know why but we just laugh when people fall in the water. That’s always really funny.
Has that happened a few times?
It happens a lot. I also remember when the chief engineer was in the engine room and he was working with the sewage-treatment system. I watched him take the top off and it just went all over him. I laughed, I couldn’t help it. So, you know what the crew did? They went and bought this fake poo and put it on his bed. He just couldn’t live it down, they teased him for a very long time, but I did see it with my own eyeballs.
His face, the way he turned around, why did I laugh? It’s tragic. And you can get hepatitis A from that. Thank god we’re vaccinated.
What is one question about yachting or boating that you haven’t been asked, but would love to answer?
There is not one question I haven’t been asked. In the years I’ve done this, honestly, they’ve asked them all.
Season 9 and all seasons of Below Deck are are available to stream on Hayu, the same day as the USA.
