Captain Sandy Yawn is back on the Mustique, and honestly, things got weird fast. If you’ve been following the franchise since the days of Hannah Ferrier, you know the drill: beautiful Mediterranean backdrops, demanding guests who want espresso martinis at 3:00 AM, and a crew that can’t decide if they want to work or hook up. But Below Deck Med Season 9 hit a different chord. It wasn’t just about the laundry or the late-night galley snacks. It was about a total breakdown in leadership and some of the most frustrating deckhand drama we've seen in years.
People keep asking if the show is scripted. It isn’t. But the casting this year felt like a social experiment gone wrong. You had Aesha Scott returning as Chief Stew, which was a massive relief for fans. She’s the heart of the show. Yet, even her infectious "amaaaaazing" energy couldn't fully mask the tension brewing on the exterior.
The Chaos on the Mustique: Below Deck Med Season 9 Explained
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the deckhand in the bunk. The primary source of friction this season wasn't actually the guests. It was the "culture" on the boat. Specifically, the dynamic between Bosun Iain Maclean and his team.
Iain's management style was... interesting. That’s a nice way of saying he seemed completely disconnected from what his team actually needed. Joe Bradley, Nathan Gallager, and Gael Cameron were essentially running circles around him. Usually, the drama comes from a green deckhand who doesn't know a bowline from a clove hitch. Here, the deck team was actually fairly competent, but the leadership was a total void.
Iain’s refusal to take accountability for small errors—like the fender placement or the communication during docking—created a rift that never really healed. It’s a classic case of what happens in yachting when the person with the stripes doesn't have the respect of the people doing the heavy lifting.
Aesha Scott’s Herculean Effort
Aesha is basically the gold standard for Chief Stews at this point. After her stint on Below Deck Down Under, her return to the Med felt like a homecoming. But man, did she have her work cut out for her. Dealing with Elena (Ellie) Dubaich and Bri Muller was like watching two toddlers fight over a toy, except the toy was a mediocre deckhand named Joe.
The "laundry war" was perhaps the most exhausting subplot in Below Deck Med Season 9 history. It wasn't just about a lost shirt or a burnt pair of trousers. It was about power. Ellie felt she deserved the Second Stew rank based on her experience, while Bri was just trying to keep her head above water—literally and figuratively.
- The Laundry Disasters: Bri’s notebook of shame. She literally had to track every garment because items kept "disappearing."
- The Power Struggle: Ellie’s insistence on "hierarchy" felt less like professional guidance and more like mean-girl energy.
- The Joe Factor: Both stews were vying for Joe’s attention, which made the professional working environment toxic.
Honestly, Joe wasn't even worth it. He spent most of the season flirting with everyone and then acting surprised when feelings got hurt. It’s a tale as old as time on these boats, but this year it felt particularly distracting from the actual job of, you know, running a multi-million dollar superyacht.
Why the Location Mattered: Athens and the Saronic Gulf
Greece is always a stunning backdrop. But the winds in the Saronic Gulf are no joke. We saw Captain Sandy deal with some intense docking situations that reminded everyone why she’s in charge.
The Mustique is a beast of a boat. It’s 180 feet of luxury, but it’s also a nightmare to maneuver in tight Mediterranean ports when the Meltemi winds start blowing. There were moments this season where the exterior team almost lost control of the lines, and you could see the genuine fear in Sandy’s eyes. That’s the real stuff. That’s why people watch. It’s not just the champagne; it’s the constant threat of a multi-million dollar insurance claim.
The Chef Johnathan (Jono) Shibley Rollercoaster
We have to talk about Jono. Every season of Below Deck lives or dies by the chef. After the legendary runs of Ben Robinson or the perfectionism of Rachel Hargrove, Jono had big shoes to fill.
He started off shaky. There were the "deconstructed" dishes that looked more like a mess than a five-star meal. And then there was the raw fish incident. Serving raw fish to a guest who explicitly stated they have a life-threatening allergy to raw seafood is a "fireable" offense in any other world.
Somehow, he survived.
Sandy gave him more chances than most captains would. Why? Probably because finding a replacement chef in the middle of a charter season in Greece is like finding a needle in a haystack. Jono did improve, eventually finding his groove with some impressive Caribbean-fusion flavors, but the trust was never 100% there. It kept the viewers on edge. Every time a plate left the galley, you wondered: Is this the one that gets him sent home?
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The Romance That Actually Felt Real: Gael and Nathan
Amidst the mess, there was Gael and Nathan. Usually, boatmances feel forced for the cameras. This one felt different.
Gael came onto the boat with a boyfriend back home. It’s a story we’ve seen a dozen times—Below Deck is the graveyard of long-distance relationships. But the chemistry between her and Nathan was undeniable from day one. They worked together on deck, they laughed together, and they genuinely supported one another when Iain’s leadership failed.
It was complicated. It was messy. But it was also the most "human" part of Below Deck Med Season 9. Seeing them navigate the guilt of a breakup while living in a pressure cooker was raw. It highlighted the isolation of yachtie life. When you're stuck on a boat for six weeks, your "real world" starts to feel like a dream, and the person standing next to you at the windlass becomes your entire universe.
What People Get Wrong About This Season
A lot of critics say this season was "boring" because there weren't any massive blow-ups like the Lexi Wilson incident or the Hannah Ferrier Valium scandal. But that’s a misunderstanding of what makes yachting interesting.
Season 9 was a study in passive-aggressiveness. It was about the slow burn. The way Ellie would undermine Bri with a smile. The way Iain would ignore Nathan’s suggestions until things went wrong. It was more about the psychological toll of the job than the physical outbursts.
Also, Captain Sandy showed a much softer side this year. She’s been through a lot—including her recent engagement to Leah Shafer—and you could tell her perspective has shifted. She was more of a mentor than a micromanager, though she still had her "Sandy moments" when the deck team fumbled.
The Problem With the "Burnout"
By the final charter, the exhaustion was visible. Aesha looked like she hadn't slept in three years. The interior team was fractured beyond repair.
This brings up a real conversation about the yachting industry: the 16-hour days are grueling. When you add the layer of being filmed 24/7, the cracks are going to show. Season 9 proved that even the best Chief Stew in the world can't fix a team that doesn't want to cooperate.
Key Takeaways and Lessons from Season 9
If you're a fan of the show or someone looking to enter the industry, there are some pretty clear lessons to be learned from the Mustique this year.
- Communication is everything. Iain failed because he didn't talk to his team. Bri and Ellie failed because they talked at each other, not to each other.
- Laundry is the most important job on the boat. Seriously. If the laundry fails, the whole interior fails. It’s the unsung hero of the superyacht world.
- Know your limits. Chef Jono nearly lost his job because he tried to get too fancy too fast. Consistency beats "deconstructed" concepts every time.
- The "Boat Bubble" is real. Relationships move at 10x speed. Decisions made at sea rarely hold up once you hit the dock.
Moving Forward After the Season 9 Finale
So, where does the franchise go from here? The reunion (or lack thereof in some seasons) usually clears things up, but the social media fallout has been telling. Ellie has doubled down on her "pro" status, while Bri has leaned into her growth and newfound confidence. Aesha, as always, remains the queen of the sea, likely heading back to another season as the undisputed fan favorite.
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If you’re looking to apply the lessons from this season to your own life—professional or personal—it boils down to accountability. When things go wrong, whether it’s a lost shirt or a botched docking, the person who steps up and says "my bad" is always the one who survives the season.
To get the most out of your Below Deck experience, keep an eye on the background details. Notice how the crew handles the "turnover days." That's where the real work happens. If you want to dive deeper into the technical side of the yachts featured, research the Mustique (formerly known as Ionian Princess in previous seasons, though it's a different hull). Understanding the specs of these boats makes Captain Sandy’s maneuvers even more impressive.
Lastly, follow the crew on Instagram if you want the "real" ending. The show ends when the anchors are dropped, but the drama usually continues long after they’ve flown home from Athens. Nathan and Gael’s status updates alone are worth the follow to see if a boatmance can actually survive on dry land.