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Captain Sandy Yawn from Below Deck Mediterranean knew Malia White would be a strong bosun.

Yawn saw White’s talent but also her determination when she served as the lead deckhand during season 2. “My first season with her, I witnessed some things in Malia that I thought she’d make a great captain, as a leader,” Yawn told Decider.

Sandy Yawn, Hannah Ferrier, Adam Glick, Bugsy Drake, Lauren Cohen, Malia White, Max Hagley, Bobby Giancola, Wes Walton
Sandy Yawn, Hannah Ferrier, Adam Glick, Bugsy Drake, Lauren Cohen, Malia White, Max Hagley, Bobby Giancola, Wes Walton |Virginia Sherwood/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Adding, “She’s a great diffuser. She’s direct.” Also, “She’s funny. She’s smart. And having her back, for me, is incredible. Now I’m curious to witness how she leads. I think the viewers are really going to enjoy witnessing Malia transform into a leader.” White held her own on deck during season 2, which included having to smack down accusations of playing bosun Wes Walton when the two became romantically involved.

Yawn is ready to lead by example

Yawn backed her position about having White back on board on Instagram. “I love what I do! To be honest back in the day, a very LONG time ago, I answered an ad in the newspaper and applied for a job on a boat! That was before crew agency’s. 😳 since that day I worked hard, I stayed focused and earned my 4 stripes,” she wrote.

“Having @maliakpwhite back as my bosun fuels me to show her how I did it! I’m so very proud of her,” she continued. “In fact I’m proud of all the crew on board this season. It’s a journey and some people are meant for this business and others are not. That doesn’t mean they failed, it just means they are meant to peruse their own passion!”

Yawn also appreciates how Bravo is featuring women in leadership positions in a typically male-dominated industry. “I love our show because it shows that women can achieve a deck role,” she told Decider.

White agrees that ‘Below Deck’ can show how women can equally dominate leadership positions

“I think it’s a growing part of the industry, to have girls on deck,” White added. “There’s a lot of anxieties stepping up into a bosun’s position, especially on the vessel that we are on. Also, because I have been on the show before, I wanted to come back and show what else I’m made of. I’m better as a bosun.”

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She continued by saying the show demonstrates that women can excel in the industry. “We are out there, and that we do do these roles. We can keep up,” White says. Adding, “We can do it just the same. It’s not a gender thing, it’s a skill thing. Which is the same for a lot of industries, and I think a lot of women are fighting for that same thing.”

“I think this time around I understand the yachting industry a little bit more,” White reflected. “The first season, I was green. I was super worried about knowing the boat and being able to keep up. Now, I have a few years under my belt and I felt a lot more comfortable with the yachting knowledge and terms and rules. The next step for me is I want to become a first officer. I’m continually doing courses when I have time. Once I finish my courses, I can sit my exam to be a chief officer, which is basically the right-hand man to the captain. Or woman, I guess.”

Below Deck Mediterranean is on Monday at 9/8c on Bravo.

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