Superyacht captain Sandy Yawn is a leading cast member on Bravo’s spinoff show, Below Deck Mediterranean. She has been sailing the seas for more than three decades, conquering stereotypes in a male-dominated industry. As of 2024, Captain Sandy Yawn has a net worth of $400,000.
Early Life
Sandy was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on February 23, 1965. She fell in love with the ocean and water activities at a young age. At 13 years-old, she began cleaning boats part-time.
Her parents got divorced, so she was raised by her mother and stepfather. They were in the hunting and meat business. As a result, Sandy also gained experience with butchery. Ultimately, she chose her passion and pursued a career in sailing.
She didn’t like her first crew captain and believed that she would be a better leader. In 1994, Sandy Yawn earned her captain’s license at the Maritime Professional Training Institute.
Career Beginnings
Before becoming an official captain, the Florida native worked as a crew member for over ten years. Once Yawn got her license, she was hired as captain of White Star, a boat that sailed Europe.
In 2004, she took charge of her first yacht, Tuscan Sun. This made her one of the few female captains in the yachting industry and an inspiration to women looking to break into the field. After four years, she left the Tuscan Sun to serve as captain of Pure Bliss. By this time, she was already an established sailor.
Reality TV
Bravo’s hit reality show Below Deck documents the lives of crew members. Due to the show’s success, they produced a spinoff series and that’s how Below Deck Mediterranean was born.
When the second season aired in 2014, Yawn was chosen to be the captain of Sirocco. She replaced the previous captain, Mark Howard, and became one of the most respected figures in the series.
Captain Sandy became known as a wonderful mentor to her subordinates. Plus, she takes an active role in delivering top-notch service and stays informed about everything that is happening on board. Others might see this as micro-managing her staff!
Net Worth and Earnings
Since joining Below Deck Mediterranean in season two, Sandy has never left. She’s become a fan favorite, and is among the highest-paid cast members on the show. Working as a captain on a superyacht is a highly-stressful job because you’re responsible for every on-board.
Below Deck captains earn around $120,000 to $150,000 per season. More experienced captains like Lee Rosbach can earn up to $210,000. If they charter a yacht for the year, they can make an additional $100,000 on top of their salary.
Captains also get massive tips from big-time clients. According to Yahoo, each crew member earns $1,000 to $2,000 on average, The captain is required to distribute the tip to the wider team.
Outside of yachting, Sandy makes extra income as a speaker and doing brand deals on social media. Recently, she did a sponsored post for Azuna, a plant-based odor eliminator. Based on data from celebritytalent.net, she charges $15,000-$24,999 per speech!
Personal Life
The lady boss is a lesbian and in a relationship with Leah Shafer. The couple first met on Facebook. Not long after starting a relationship, Sandy moved in with Leah in Denver, Colorado.
In 2021, the captain had a heart attack, specifically a spontaneous coronary artery dissection. In addition, Sandy was diagnosed with kidney cancer after a motorcycle accident. Despite these setbacks, Sandy is now living a healthy life.
