Comparisons to the legendary Captain Lee abound but this is one lady whose style is all her own.
This is the untold truth ofBelow Deck Med’s inimitable Captain Sandy.
The folks over atDeciderwere similarly confused, so they asked theBelow Deck Mediterraneanfan fave howshelikes to be addressed.
“Anyone can call me Sandy.
What happens in the yachting industry is people think we’re all friends because we live together.
“I always want people to feel I’m approachable.
Considering howbeloved she isamong staff both past and present, clearly whatever Captain Sandy is doing is working.
But her strength goes beyond leading a difficult crew on the high seas.
As she revealed in an interview withWomen’s Health, a near-death experience ended up saving her life.
She had laparoscopic surgery less than a month later to remove it.
“Who would have ever thought they would be grateful for being in a motorcycle crash?
As the doctor explained, it might have been years until that tumor was found.
I don’t want to see that behavior on deck and do your job.
Most of the time they do their jobs,” she toldPeople.
When the two finally met in person, they knew instantly.
Captain Sandy even relocated to Denver to be with Shafer.
She has a passion for inspiring through music and the youth.
And broken people and so do I coming from the gospel industry.
That’s what brought us together.
I’ve never felt that way before.”
As she toldBravo, it’s largely because of her standing on the ship.
“It’s sexy.
It’s pretty hot,” theBelow Deck Mediterraneanstar said of being a captain.
According to apsychological studyabout the connection between power and sexual attraction, the two are intrinsically linked.
The report found that power heightens sexual attraction.
More than that, though, she’s a major bada**.
It’s something she leans into 100 percent.
Her daily mantra is: “Wake up.
Kick a**.
And yet, being a yacht captain wasn’t her end goal.
In fact, it wasn’t even a goal period.
Growing up in Florida, she was always on the water, even cleaning boats as an early job.
“I thought, ‘Why not?'”
“This show reaches the middle of America and people who knew nothing about charter.”
Captain Sandy elaborated, “That’sheropinion.
That doesn’t reflect [me],” adding, “She can have her opinion.
I don’t really care.
Doesn’t reflect on me.
It reflects on her.”
“You know when you meet that person, you know?
And then you say, ‘Okay, they’re on their best behavior.’
And I was a major addict and alcoholic.”
In fact, she said she was frequently in and out of jail for drunk-driving.
Nowadays, Captain Sandy utilizes those troubled experiences to teach others to stay on the right path.
Her mother was an alcoholic, making Captain Sandy’s home life difficult, too.
Thankfully, by 25, she was ready to turn her life around.
And yet, something as relatively simple as going vegan beat the tough-as-nails leader.
She’s toyed with the idea of going vegan, but it unfortunately didn’t work for her.
“Honestly, I try, but I didn’t feel well to be honest.
I didn’t have the energy.
Some bodies just aren’t cut to go vegan.
I tried,” she said.
When I’m with someone else, I don’t want to make a decision.
I don’t want to choose,” she said.
In fact, she’d relish having them as guests.
WhenDeciderasked which show in particular she’d like to see stars from, Captain Sandy choseNew York City.
She explained, “New Yorkers have an edge.
I love to be challenged by clients.
When clients are yes-ing you to death, I know that it’s not perfect because that’s impossible.
I need the client to tell me the truth.
They’ll tell the truth.”
I love NeNe, Dorinda, I love them all.
She’s cool.”
TheBelow Deck Mediterraneanstar confirmed, “She’s cool on the show, she’s real.
…So I have to say, she’s probably won me over.”
Even so, she’s not terribly impressed with the comparisons.
It’s just what they watch.
We have two very different career paths.
I was a busy charter captain in the Mediterranean.
That wasn’t Captain Lee."
Below Deck’s Captain Sandy was quick to note, “I have respect for him.
He’s great, he refers to me as kiddo.
He’s a great guy.”
When you’re a guy it’s an easier climb, right?"
I choose not to come from a place of power and control and it really, really works."
She continued, “I prefer to be hands-on, firm, and compassionate.
That’s how I navigate my leadership.”
She continued, “It’s so worth it!
