Can you believe tonight marks the 100th episode of Under the Mediterranean Bridge? All is going well as the show enters Season 7. Along with having the honor of being the first of Bravo Under the bridge derivative series, Under the Med Bridge just received two nominations for the 2022 Emmy Awards in the categories Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program and Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program. As of Season 2, Captain Sandy Yawn is the head of the Under the Med Bridge franchise, guiding its charters through various luxurious settings like Greece, Croatia, Italy and southern France while keeping its capable but exuberant crew in line.
This season brings Yawn and a whole new crew of yachtsmen (plus returning fan favorite Mzi “Zee” Dempers) to the beautiful coast of Malta aboard the 163ft Hybrid Motor Yacht “Home”. While the new setting will no doubt take a few episodes for the crew to get used to, Yawn prides itself on being a steady hand on deck. Whether she’s helping bring the pontoon bridge aboard while some sailors finish quarantine or calming down an unhappy guest, Yawn does everything to support her team and ensure a great charter. Considering all of her sailing and life experiences (Yawn has been sober for over 30 years), it’s a wonder she hasn’t written a book. The wait is over, however. Under the Med Bridge fans will be able to read Yawn’s first book “Be the Calm or Be the Storm: Leadership Lessons from a Woman at the Helm,” which comes out October 4th. No doubt it will come in handy for anyone looking for help navigating their lives.
Ahead of the Season 7 premiere, we got a chance to talk to Yawn about the new Season 7 setting, the ins and outs of the “house,” and why she wants fans to have a chance to see more of her “childish spirit”.
DECISION MAKER: We are in Malta to Under the Mediterranean Bridge Season 7! Were you enthusiastic about this new decor?
CAPTAIN SANDY YAWN: I have never been to Malta before, although I have heard many warnings about Malta from the yachting industry. There are so many laws you have to follow when passing through this port. Due to VTS (Vessel Traffic Services), you must always call the VHF radio for clearance to enter the port. Other ports are like this, but this one was very strict and its entrance was so narrow. By the end of the season, the VTS guy knew me by name, and it was still, “No problem, Captain Sandy.”
Moreover, Malta is beautiful.
Yes, the view of the old village from the port is simply amazing. You can see all the different influences – Arabic, Italian, Spanish – all around. Over the years it has been occupied by so many different peoples.
We’ve seen those metal dolphins cause trouble for you and the deck crew in the super trailer. Was dealing with those the biggest hurdle you faced this season?
Let me answer with a comparison. When you watched our season in Sibenik, Croatia, you saw appendages attached to the dolphins and separating them, right?
To correct.
Despite the undercurrent in Sibenik, this process was easier than the same in the port of Malta which required such precision. I had to learn what to look for very quickly. There’s also a wind tunnel that always blows your beam, depending on when you’re leaving, back and forth, and there’s an undercurrent. You have these things to face. It was tricky. I had to rely on my crew; these are my eyes. Basically, they drive the boat. When they make a mistake, I make a mistake.
It’s your first charter season in a while with three new department heads. Was it difficult to make this adjustment?
When I’m in charge of a new boat, everyone has my confidence even if they’re new to their job. I want them to feel that their captain has confidence in their ability to do their job. I would like myself an owner or manager. I trust them until they show me they can’t be trusted. Then they have to earn back my trust. Honestly, I was thrilled that we had a mixologist on board and several people who had chef stew experience.
There are a lot of big personalities this season.
Oh yeah, which is great. For me, we want big personalities, even if they have to learn to make room for themselves. No one should dominate. Let’s see if it goes well.
The “Home” super yacht is unlike any other super yacht we’ve seen on the Under the bridge franchise. What were your first impressions of the ship?
The first thing that struck me was the lead bow. A plumb bow is straight down, whereas with an angled bow you still have the hull angled back so you have forgiveness if you sway over something. With a plumb bow, there is no forgiveness. My first impression was, “Oh shit, I have to be there.” The person in front is now as important as the person in the back, because with other ships I could see the dock and I could say to myself, “I have room”. With the “Home” I can’t see where the dock ends and how much space I have. With other vessels with a sloping bow, I know when I have clearance. Now let’s just see what happens.
Despite the challenges, the “house” is so elegant and modern!
It’s a really cool boat, so beautiful, futuristic, sleek and totally new to me. It’s a hybrid, which is so much better for our planet. The plumb bow was the main challenge, but the bow thruster was massive and oversized for the boat. It’s like having an engine on your bow that took some getting used to but was cool.
All water toys are stored in the hull of the yacht which means everything has to be done up front. Was this feature a blessing or a curse?
It was a curse. To get the toys out, the crew had to descend a straight ladder and into the bosun’s locker. You pray that no one falls off that ladder and gets hurt. It’s not a good design, frankly. It was a big challenge.
There is tension between Bosun Raygan Tyler and his deckhand Jason Gaskell. Were you aware of their interactions during the first charter?
Remember, I always give people 100% confidence in the beginning because they too are learning a ship. They ask, “How do I get this big equipment out of this locker?” To make things even more difficult, we are two crew members behind from the start. I hope to have everything in order before leaving the dock. It’s my prayer [laughs].
I can’t always see what’s going on between these two or say something. However, I don’t know what I don’t know. I can’t answer what I don’t know or don’t see. From my point of view on board, I see them doing their job. I don’t see any bickering. When you have two people down, that’s when the captain steps in to help you, so I couldn’t pay close attention to their interactions.
You are always the first person to help the crew when the chips are down.
Charter captains know that the ultimate goal is to get through the charter, please the customers and keep the crew happy. How do you do this? You engage with them, support them and help them. I am a capable body. The certificate we get actually puts us in the category of “qualified seamen”. I’m able to tie knots and do this job, so I’ll help my crew when they need help. Now, if they’re just having fun, and they’re smoking cigarettes, of course, I’m going to tell them, “Hello, go to work. I’m not going to do it for you. However, I am here to help if needed.
You have a book launched on October 4 called “Be the Calm or Be the Storm”. What inspired you to write it?
This is a book about leadership through storytelling. I always talk about autonomy. I can’t lead my team unless I can lead myself first. It means checking my ego and checking my attitude and not bringing my personal belongings into the workplace. You will read all my sea stories, what happened and how I handled the situation. At the end of each chapter, there is my “captain’s diary” which will contain small anecdotes to take away.
And who is this book for? Is it for boaters? Is it for Under the Med Bridge Fans?
The audience is the mother at home, who takes care of the children. The audience is made up of CEOs of companies. The audience is everyone, especially people looking to improve themselves. As you will see while reading this book, it is about course-correcting personally before course-correcting externally.
Did you think the haters could learn something from your book?
Absolutely. Self-leadership is a big theme in my book. The first chapter is all about me and the mess I was, but I share how I got out of this hole. When people have a negative comment on the outside, it’s usually about how they feel about their own life. When people start correcting their own course, it’s like putting on another pair of glasses. You can see things negatively, or you can find the moments teachable.
It’s best to take advantage of these teachable moments, learn what you can, and be responsible. In my past—before Under the bridge“I got a rough call, walked out of my cabin, and yelled at my first officer for absolutely nothing. In less than two minutes, I thought about my actions, looked at him, and said, “I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve this. I just took everything that just happened on my phone call about you. Of course I corrected him and he forgave me. It’s also the same for people who just want to shred people there. We need less shredding and more support. This is one of the messages that I hope fans will take up in my book. It’s my goal.
Finally, what would your preference sheet look like if you were a charter guest?
My preference sheet would definitely have my favorite foods, especially seafood. I would also like all the water toys out. I would lean on the crew to show me their fun and how they play on the water toys since they do it all day. I play all the time. You just don’t see it on camera. I have the mind of a child.
Under the Mediterranean Bridge airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. New episodes will be released a week earlier on Mondays on Peacock.
