‘Below Deck’ star Captain Sandy is ready for anything — by land or sea
Capt. Sandy Yawn truly has the best of both worlds. The “Below Deck: Mediterranean” star gets to cruise around to exotic places for a living, then chill when home in Ponte Vedra, Florida, outside Jacksonville.
This season, Yawn, who has been with the Bravo franchise since 2017, is back helming the M/Y Akira One to Dubrovnik, Croatia, on the southern Adriatic coast.
Yawn knows the area well, having visited the historic port town in seasons 2 and 6.
“It is spectacular there, so scenic and almost untouched,” the 61-year-old explained. “It’s an area in Europe that’s not so overbuilt like a lot of other places. The people are kind, the scenery is beautiful. The food is great; amazingly fresh fish with an Italian flair.”
The UNESCO World Heritage Site has another allure: It’s where the bulk of “Game of Thrones” was shot.
Yawn is a huge “GoT” fan of the beloved fantasy series about a group of noble families fighting for control of the mythical land of Westeros.
“I absolutely saw all the episodes when it was on,” Yawn said. “After I got back I had to binge-watch them all over again.”
The Bradenton native was also keen to return to Dubrovnik for professional reasons: The barrier islands make for smooth sailing.
“You’re protected because big waves can’t roll in,” explained Yawn. “Makes my job easier.”
So no mechanical or weather issues that we know of — yet. Seems the drama, like past seasons, is coming from inside the house.
“Yes,” she said, laughing. “We’ve got the crew meltdowns, the breakups, interesting interactions with guests, the usual.”
No matter how messy things get, Yawn is the one who’s keeping it all together and running a tight ship, bow to stern.
“Anything that affects the entire boat I deal with immediately,” she said, oh so politically. “You hope everything goes smoothly. If it doesn’t, you handle it as it comes.”
It’s nice for Yawn to get back on land to her subtropical digs. She’s just minutes from TPC Sawgrass, home of the annual Players Championship tournament.
There’s no place like home when you live where other people vacation.
“It’s a golf-cart community and we love it; it’s like a resort,” said Yawn who bought in the area in 2024 with her wife, skincare entrepreneur Leah Shafer. “Our Publix has a bar. Imagine! People can grocery shop and drink!”
Traffic gets a little sticky in March when folks descend on the annual tournament.
“You need a helicopter to get around,” she joked. “I think that whole time of year needs its own TV show.”
Speaking of TV shows: After almost a decade of being a big time Bravolebrity, Yawn has quite the following. Maybe not as big as Emilia Clarke as Daenerys, but close.
“People feel like they know you, like you’ve been friends for life,” Yawn explained. “It’s a wonderful experience when they come up to you and they’re just so happy. If they’re happy, I’m happy.”
Downsides? Being famous can be tough at the airport if Yawn is rushing to catch a flight.
“I try to remember that it’s a minute out of my life to take a photo to make their day.”
Another unexpected blip that comes with the territory is the glamming-up aspect. You can’t throw on the standard Florida uniform of flip-flops and shorts when you’re doing the talk show rounds.
“I have to shop these days! When I was planning a trip to New York, I was like, I need shoes to match this outfit. Is this blue the right color? I love it, though. It’s fun.”
“Below Deck” Mediterranean” Season 11 premieres 8 p.m. Monday on Bravo and Tuesday on Peacock.
