Captain Sandra Yawn is a world-renowned captain in the yachting industry with over 30 years of experience. Yawn’s love for the ocean propelled her to achieve the highest status as a mega yacht captain in a male-dominated industry. Her dedication and attention to detail have earned her an outstanding reputation in an elite class of captains as the recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Crew Award for the International Super Yacht Society in 2006 when she was able to ensure the safety of all guests, crew, and the even the vessel during a catastrophic fire off the coast of Yemen.
Yawn, always the professional, earned the United States Coastguard Masters of Oceans 1600T/3000T and the United States Coast Guard and Maritime Coast Guard Agency Class IV CEC. She values professional organizations and remains an active member of the Captain’s Advisory Council for the SeaKeepers Society, the International Super Yachts Society, the United States Super Yacht Association, and the Professional Yachting Association.
The undeniable resilience Yawn possesses has not only pushed her to the top of the yachting industry but also allowed her to focus on philanthropic collaboration, ocean advocacy, and children’s education. Yawn is an active board member or advisor for many philanthropic groups including the Jacksonville School for Autism, a not-for-profit organization that Yawn’s sister founded for the captain’s nephew, Nicholas.
Yawn continually uses her experience and life’s trials and tribulations to educate and help others. She survived a life-threatening motorcycle accident, the threat of pirates, and even cancer. She appeared on the Emmy Award-winning talk show The Doctors in hopes of sharing her personal experiences to educate others about cancer and health.
Yawn is currently the captain of Bravo TV’s reality show Below Deck Mediterranean. Yawn’s unique leadership style of embracing teachable moments to train and educate her staff has earned her fan-favorite accolades. Yawn is a hands-on type of Captain who leads by example and is not afraid to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
