Captain Sandy Yawn: wiki-bio, net worth, partner, health issues, facts.

Sandy Yawn is in perfect control of the yacht at all times. The captain of the yacht, Sandy is usually fun living, warm, and is looking to boost the morale of the crew, until someone decides to go outside of her orders and make it tough for her. At this point, Sandy turns into a strict boss and doesn’t hesitate to crack down on insubordination. An international businesswoman, Sandy has more than 30 years of experience as a Yacht captain and knows exactly what she is doing at all times. In 2016, Sandy was cast as the lead character in the reality TV series, Below Deck: Mediterranean. In this article, we will take a closer look at the wiki-bio of Sandy Yawn.

Wiki/Bio Facts

Fact	Description
Full name	Sandra Yawn
Date of birth	February 23, 1965
Place of birth	Bradenton, Florida, USA
Zodiac sign	Pisces
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	White
Gender	Female
Education	Maritime Professional Training school
Occupation	Yacht captain and reality TV personality
Years active	1990-present
Net worth	$1.5 million (estimated)
Relationship status	In a relationship
Partner	Leah Shafer
Sexual orientation	Lesbian
Children	None
Parents	Unknown
Siblings	Unknown
TV shows	Below Deck Mediterranean (2016-2022)
Awards	Distinguished Crew Award by the International Superyacht Society (2006)
Book	Be the Calm or Be the Storm (2023)

Early Life

Sandy Yawn was born on February 23, 1965, in Bradenton, Florida. Born and raised in Florida, Sandy comes from a humble background. Her family loved fishing and Sandy spent much of her early life around boats. Even before graduating high-school, Sandy knew what she wanted to do. Following her graduation in the early 1990s, Sandy enrolled at the Maritime Professional Training School and gained nautical education. Since then, Sandy has always worked on boats as a captain.

Troubling Childhood

As a young kid, Sandy did not have the best of childhood. Her father left them when she was 8-years of age, because of her alcoholic mother. As her father didn’t drink, Sandy would spend summers with her dad.
As a teenager, Sandy followed her mother into alcoholism. “I was a mess. By the grace of God, I’m alive. No matter how much money you have, it’s not going to save your life if you are an addict or an alcoholic. And I was a major addict and alcoholic.”

Over the years, Sandy was arrested multiple times for drunk driving but was always bailed out. Even though she is not a convicted felon, the reality star admits things could have been very different.

“I always got bailed out. But I could have killed someone. My life would be very different right now.”

Breaking the glass ceilings

One of the things that often comes up in Sandy’s interviews, is her struggle in the industry. For a long time, the yachting industry was dominated by males, especially in leadership positions. As a result, Sandy found it very difficult to break through the stigma and make a name for herself. However, Sandy perceived and was recognized by the International Superyacht Society, who bestowed upon her the prestigious Distinguished Crew Award. The award came after Sandy’s bravery in a catastrophic fire and pirate threat that occurred in 2006 off the coast of Yemen.
Over the years, Sandy’s fame continued to grow and in 2015, she was cast as the captain of the reality TV series, Below Deck Mediterranean.

Net Worth

Sandy has a net worth of around $1.5 million. She earns money from her yachting career, her appearance on Below Deck Mediterranean, and her other projects, such as a book, a course, and a restaurant. She also supports various social causes.

Personal Life

Sandy is openly gay and is in a relationship with Leah Shafer, a gospel singer, and skincare coach. The pair met on Facebook after Leah sent a message to Sandy. As captain Sandy puts it, “She sent me a nice message that said, ‘I came across your show, congratulations, many blessings”.
Sandy loved the final touch on the message and met up with Leah in November of 2018. Talking about the connection, Leah revealed, “It just happened, when you meet another soul that you connect with at such a deep level, it is unexplainable and so beautiful”.
While Sandy has never married, Leah was married for two decades and has a 15-year old daughter.

Health Issue: motorcycle accident, cancer, heart attack

Sandy’s health journey began in 2015, when she was involved in a motorcycle accident that left her with broken bones and a plate and screws in her leg. But that was not the worst part. While she was in the hospital, doctors discovered that she had kidney cancer, a silent killer that had no symptoms or pain. She had a tumor that needed to be removed as soon as possible.

Sandy believes that the accident was meant to happen so that she could find the cancer and treat it before it was too late. She said in an Instagram post, “I believe that accident was meant to happen so I could find the cancer because kidney cancer is also a silent killer. I had no pain — no, no side effects. … They discovered the tumor, which was cancer, and I had it removed a month after the surgery for my motorcycle accident. That was a blessing.”

She also said that she felt like she was meant to be here, and that someone was keeping her alive. She thanked her family, friends, and fans for their support and love. She added, “Life is Good! I’m cancer free and I can walk.”

But Sandy’s health challenges did not end there. In 2020, she suffered a heart attack at age 54, despite having a clean bill of health otherwise. She was working out in a SoulCycle class when she started to feel odd. She could not swallow, she felt lightheaded, and she felt a tingle in her left arm. She realized she was having a heart attack, but she did not want to cause a scene or call 911 in the middle of Beverly Hills. Instead, she called an Uber and then her sister, and made her way to a nearby hospital.

Sandy said that she had high blood pressure that went unchecked, and that led to SCAD, or spontaneous coronary artery dissection, a tear in the heart’s blood vessels. She said, “My health is great and it was great. That’s misleading to think that you have to be unhealthy to have a heart attack, that is not it. My veins are clean … I didn’t know I had high blood pressure, so as a result, I had what’s called SCAD, which they don’t have a lot of information on … I didn’t have blockage, it was a tear.”

She spent four days in the hospital, and then recovered with some restrictions on her activities. She also discontinued her Adderall prescription, fearing it played a part in the episode. She used her experience to raise awareness for heart health among women, who may have different warning signs than men. She partnered with the American Heart Association to share her story and encourage others to check their blood pressure and listen to their bodies.

Physical Traits

Physical trait	Description
Height	5 feet 7 inches (approx.)
Weight	62 kg (approx.)
Body type	Athletic
Eye color	Hazel
Hair color	Blonde
Hair style	Short and wavy
Skin tone	Fair
Facial features	Oval face, high cheekbones, thin lips, small nose, prominent chin
Accessories	Sunglasses, earrings, necklace, watch, bracelet
Clothing style	Casual and comfortable, often wears polo shirts, jeans, jackets, hats and sneakers

Sandy Yawn FAQs

Question	Answer
Is Sandy Yawn a real captain?	Yes
Is Sandy Yawn married?	No
Is Sandy Yawn gay?	Yes
Does Sandy Yawn have a partner?	Yes
Who is Sandy Yawn’s partner?	Leah Shafer
Does Sandy Yawn have a tattoo?	Yes
Where does Sandy Yawn live?	Denver, Colorado
When did Sandy Yawn start yachting?	1990
Has Sandy Yawn survived cancer?	Yes
Has Sandy Yawn survived a heart attack?	Yes
Has Sandy Yawn survived a motorcycle accident?	Yes
Has Sandy Yawn survived pirates?	Yes
Has Sandy Yawn written a book?	Yes
What is the name of Sandy Yawn’s book?	Be the Calm or Be the Storm
Does Sandy Yawn have a leadership course?	Yes
What is the name of Sandy Yawn’s leadership course?	Leading with Fearless Mindfulness
Does Sandy Yawn own a restaurant?	Yes
What is the name of Sandy Yawn’s restaurant?	Maritime 618