Captain Sandy Yawn may be one of few female superyacht captains, but she never doubted she could operate a large vessel, meet her clients’ needs, and manage a crew with ease and grace. The 27-year industry veteran found fame on Bravo’s “Below Deck Mediterranean,” where she not only navigated the 154-foot Sirocco — a 2006 Heesen — she also gave viewers insight into how she skillfully navigates the needs of her clients, any unforeseen problems aboard the yacht, and the dramas that unfold among the crew.
MarineMax caught up with Capt. Sandy to ask her about challenges, accomplishments, and her newfound fame as the captain on “Below Deck.”
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When did you decide you wanted to be a captain?
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Where are your favorite destinations?
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What do you do when people doubt your skills because you're a woman?
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How did you find people within the industry handled a female captain?
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How do you run your crew?
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Do you encourage other women to captain their own boats and charters?
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What do you think Below Deck has taught people about the industry that they didn't already know?
Learn Even More About Captain Sandy!
I am from Bradenton, Florida and I grew up on the water. We always water-skied from the time I was little. And as I got older, I started going down the wrong path. I then decided to answer an ad in the paper for detailing boats. I started doing so well at detailing boats that one of the customers offered to hire me full time. He was the one who helped start me on my career path.
The next step was working for him full time. He taught me how to dock, he sent me to sea school, engineering school and invested in my career. I believe in loyalty, and he was so loyal to me and invested in me that I chose to stay loyal to him and I worked for his family for nine years.
I always say to the crew it’s great to work on a superyacht, but you learn boat handling best on smaller vessels. I started on a 67 and then we built a 92 that was later sold. I then worked for a billionaire who went from a 92 to a 157, so that was a big jump for me.I got to watch what it was like to build boats in a shipyard because I went through the build of the 92 at Hatteras yachts and then we built the Trinity 157 which was a custom build where I was the build captain. This helped me to feel confident and comfortable with the vessel since I was able to see the whole build process from concept to completion.
I think it was incredible, Captain Keith did an excellent job. He’s very thorough and puts safety first which is important, but he also makes sure to help the women build their confidence on boats well enough to where they feel that they can take the helm over themselves. I feel blessed to be a part of this because I started on small boats. The other thing I love about MarineMax is their experience with the customer doesn’t end as soon as you purchase your boat, they continue supporting you the whole time you’re on the water.
Even as a captain today I stop, and I take a breath. I make sure to think about my approach and my escape. If my approach isn’t going to work where’s my escape? You need to always have that plan in place. There are some places that you go into where there is no escape. So, then it is all about getting past that fear of what if, just stay with what is. I stay committed and I stayed focused on my approach, I don’t freak out and I think it through. That is the message. Plan your approach, plan your escape. But if there’s no escape, remember to stay committed to your approach. To watch the full From the Helm Boating Broadcast interview, search “ Women on Water with Captain Sandy” on the MarineMax website.
