The latest season of Below Deck Mediterranean is in full swing in the crystal waters off the coast of Spain and Captain Sandy Yawn says things are about to ‘get crazy.’
Sandy exclusively sat down with DailyMailTV to talk about the drama coming up in all-new episodes of the hit Bravo show which was shot on the biggest yacht in series history.
Plus, as the coronavirus crisis rages on, the Captain reveals how the yachting industry has been heavily impacted by COVID-19.
All aboard: Below Deck Med’s Captain Sandy Yawn exclusively joined DailyMailTV to talk about the drama coming up on the new season, sexism on board from the crew and the impact of COVID-19
Life is about to get wild on board The Wellington, the 184-foot mega yacht that is home to the Below Deck Med while they voyage around Mallorca, Spain.
‘Wow. Wow. Woah. Crazy,’ Captain Sandy said when asked to sum up the rest of season five. ‘You know, really that would be it, like “whaaaaat?” Because it’s crazy! It’s going to be crazy. That’s all I got.’
Previously, Sandy had suggested that this season was her hardest yet between issues with the crew, the sheer size of the mega-yacht and even a brush with maritime law.
Captain Sandy’s crew is led by two female heads of department and having senior staff of all females is considered very uncommon.
‘Wow. Wow. Woah. Crazy,’ Captain Sandy said when asked to sum up the rest of season five. ‘You know, really that would be it, like “whaaaaat?” Because it’s crazy! It’s going to be crazy. That’s all I got.’
Drama on the high seas: Previously, Sandy had suggested that this season was her hardest yet between issues with the crew, the sheer size of the mega-yacht and even a brush with maritime law
Chief stew Hannah Ferrier leads the interior and recently sat down with DailyMailTV and bosun Malia White oversees the exterior crew.
It’s not always smooth sailing on a yacht, especially for the captain who had to navigate choppy emotional waters, dealing with sexism on board from her crew.
Malia is the first female bosun in Below Deck history and she faced challenges this season gaining the respect from her subordinates who dubbed her ‘sweetie’ in a recent episode.
‘Leadership roles are very difficult to get for women in a lot of industries, especially maritime,’ she said. ‘You know, there are some great captains out there, very few compared to their male counterparts.’
Captain’s orders: It’s not always smooth sailing on a yacht, especially for the captain who had to navigate choppy emotional waters, dealing with sexism on board from her crew who challenged the authority of Malia, the first female bosun in Below Deck history
‘Leadership roles are very difficult to get for women in a lot of industries, especially maritime,’ she said. ‘You know, there are some great captains out there, very few compared to their male counterparts.’ (Bosun Malia and Captain Sandy pictured)
After she learned about the crew’s disrespect for Malia, Captain Sandy called a meeting and immediately addressed he issue with her staff, telling them in no uncertain terms that the bosun was not their friend or ‘sweetie’ she was their superior.
‘I’m not there to tear someone’s spirit down, I’m there to do a job,’ she told DailyMailTV. ‘So when I get a new crew, like, you’re either going to do your job, and do what you signed up for, or you’re not going to do your job.’
At the moment there isn’t a whole lot of yachting going on due to the COVID-19 crisis which left most people who work in the industry out of a job.
Captain Sandy explained that big events like the Cannes Film Festival and the Grand Prix are usually busy times for yachting but with those canceled because of the pandemic, there isn’t much work.
Uncharted waters: At the moment there isn’t a whole lot of yachting going on due to the COVID-19 crisis which left most people who work in the industry out of a job but things may pick up later in the summer
‘The charter industry, they’re fully booked because people were planning on being on their yachts in July and August, September, October,’ she explained. ‘They’re just booked later in the season. People can’t wait to get on their yachts.’
‘It’s affected it,’ she said. ‘A lot of have owners have laid their crew off until such time.’ She added that the ‘boats just are sitting and waiting’ for things to pick back up again.
There is a silver lining, however, because many people are chartering private vessels for the summer months.
‘The charter industry, they’re fully booked because people were planning on being on their yachts in July and August, September, October,’ she explained. ‘They’re just booked later in the season. People can’t wait to get on their yachts.’
For those who can’t get on a yacht any time soon, all new episodes of Below Deck Mediterranean season five air Mondays at 9pmET/PT on Bravo.
Staycation content: For those who can’t get on a yacht any time soon, all new episodes of Below Deck Mediterranean season five air Mondays at 9pmET/PT on Bravo