‘Below Deck Mediterranean’: Captain Sandy’s 3 Reasons to Watch Season 9
Preview
Ahoy! This year, the seafaring reality series Below Deck Mediterranean sets sail around Athens and the Greek islands as Capt. Sandy Yawn and her hard-working crew accept wealthy (and usually difficult) passengers aboard the 180-foot superyacht Mustique. Let’s hope this season is a reset after the drama-heavy eighth outing, which ventured around Italy. Well, maybe.
Yawn — who continues to have faith in her crew but isn’t always privy to every fling and pressure-building situation — notes a pattern she’s observed in her years of experience: “In the beginning, the crew are eager and willing to work. They’re in it to win it. And then, by day two and a half, the wheels fall off. By charter three, it is meltdown time.” Below, Yawn reveals more of what’s on Deck for Season 9.
A Fresh Crew
Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
For Yawn’s eighth run on Below Deck Med, she welcomed back dependable, irrepressible Aesha Scott as chief stewardess. The New Zealander started on Med in 2019 and, says Yawn, “She’s incredible. I’ve never had a problem with her, ever.” Season 7’s partying Slovenian stew Elena “Ellie” Dubaich also returns. Rounding out the group is sturdy South African bosun Iain MacLean and self-taught chef Johnathan “Jono” Shillingford from Dominica, plus a trio of deckhands and a super-green addition to the interior crew.
Beautiful Sights
The Temple of Poseidon, the Acropolis…Greece is filled with gorgeous historical sites that dazzled even the world-traveling captain. This season’s spots include stops at Hydra, Aegina, Poros, Agistri and Moni Island. “It is epic,” Yawn says. “The islands are spectacular. And when the show airs, I know people will be traveling there to see these specific islands.”
One Magical Moment
This season, Yawn pops the question to her gospel singer partner of five years, Leah Shafer, and it’s all on-camera. The cove-side moment features flowers, violinists — and a very anxious Yawn! “I was nervous, and I don’t really get nervous,” the captain admitted to us the week of her and Shafer’s May wedding in Fort Lauderdale. As for the proposal, she adds with a laugh: “I said it very fast.”
Below Deck Mediterranean, Season 9 Premiere Monday, June 3, 9/8c, Bravo
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