Captain Sandy Yawn isn’t privy to most of the drama that takes place on Below Deck Mediterranean until it airs — and she’s still catching up on all things season 8.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Sandy weighed in on all the biggest moments from the season so far, including Kyle Viljoen‘s numerous feuds since he joined the Mustique as second stew.
“As far as Kyle’s [fight with] Max [Salvador], alcohol is not a lot of people’s friends. I don’t think Kyle would say that if he was not under the influence,” the captain told Us about Kyle’s arguments with Max and Natalya Scudder while promoting her partnership with Azuna. “Kyle is a great human being just like Tumi [Mhlongo] and Natalya and Max.”
Kyle found himself at odds with most of his coworkers at one point or another while filming season 8. After Natalya decided to leave the boat following multiple fights with her former friend, Sandy spoke with Kyle about his behavior.
“Moments happen when people are in that mode psychologically. I think Kyle probably regrets it. I’m sure Kyle regrets a lot and I think he’s actually admitted it on social media,” Sandy noted to Us. “That’s what I really like about Kyle is that he does own it after he does it. If he could just prevent it [though] because he has no filter. Sometimes you can think stuff but just don’t use those words because it does impact other lives.”
Despite Kyle’s issues while on board, Sandy said she “would work” with him again.
“[I would work with] all of them because it’s about giving people opportunities to change. How do you know if people want to change? You give them the opportunity to show you that they’re going to change,” she said. “Why would they change if no one gives them the opportunity? Of course I would give them all the opportunity to show me that they will change.”
Sandy continued: “Why drama happens is because when you put people in a little boat contained area, they’re working nonstop. Then they’re going out and living it up, emotions are going to come out. So when you’re drinking alcohol, you have no filter anymore and it just comes out and sometimes it’s, ‘Oops, I wish I could take that back.’ I’m sure a lot of them think that.”
The interior team faced a handful of other problems throughout the season from Natalya and Tumi’s disagreements to newcomer Lily Davison not pulling her weight. Sandy, however, was determined to give everyone grace and patience.
“Every season comes with its surprises. Listen, imagine working and living together with the same. It’s not easy. So I give them a lot of credit for the staying power in the middle of it all,” she noted. “Lily was awesome. She was a joy to have on board. She’s great and I love them all. Except for Ruan [Irving, who forged his documents], I would never have him back. I could never trust him because that’s a big deal to do what he did.”
Season 8 also had a fair share of challenges due to both the bosun and chief stew being new to their jobs. According to Sandy, the experience allowed Luka to learn more about what being a bosun entails while Tumi worked on leading a team.
“For Tumi, this was the first time she’s ever been a chief stew. It’s [about] learning for her. She was becoming wiser when she could,” Sandy explained. “I think Tumi started to realize that Kyle was in the center of the tornado. It was about growing for Tumi and I think that she will continue in her career. She’s excellent and I would have Tumi back tomorrow.”
Sandy had the same praise for Luka despite him struggling with tasks such as creating a schedule for the deck crew.
“Let’s remember Luca had never been a bosun before,” she added. “Luca did the best he could given the circumstances that he was thrown into — as far as I’m concerned. He did me a favor and he rose to the occasion. He has the respect of his deck team and it’s a learning curve. Not everyone’s going to be perfect out of the box. He had to learn [when] I got upset [with him] and he needed to see the severity of why. We all make mistakes and when you feel the severity of that mistake or not knowing then you make sure that you understand and learn what not to do the next time. I didn’t become a captain without making mistakes.”
In the most recent episode of Below Deck Med, which aired on Monday, December 11, Bravo viewers were shocked to see a guest go down to the crew quarters and open doors to people’s rooms. Sandy, however, wasn’t surprised after so many years in the yachting industry.
“I’ve been doing this a long time. The crew have to have their privacy and usually when you tell the person [then] they stop. Just like in this case, he stopped,” she told Us. “We had that conversation and they stepped up and regretted every inch of it. It’s like, ‘I wish I would’ve never walked down those stairs again.'”
It is Sandy’s love for yachting that has made her so invested in the well-being of her crew — and her boats. Azuna, which was created by Sandy’s friend Scott Dancy, offers all-natural tea tree oil which the TV personality swears by.
“On yachts we’ve always used tea tree oil. We put it at the base of air conditioners to eliminate odors and bacteria. It neutralizes the mold, mildew and smells for the health and wellness of our team on board,” she explained to Us. “We needed something a little more solid where it doesn’t spill so we created this product called T/T Marine. It’s for boats and obviously Azuna.”
Sandy isn’t only thrilled by the products but by the people behind the company as well.
“Obviously there’s a lot of competitors out there, but I choose Azuna and T/T Marine because it works and it’s the people involved,” she concluded. “The team behind that company is what makes the company and the product solid. It does eliminate odors. Every boat deal that falls through, the majority of those deals that fall through are due to smell and bad odors.”
Below Deck Mediterranean airs on Bravo Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.
