On the season seven trailer of Below Deck Mediterranean, Kyle Viljoen seemingly kisses a charter guest. Although it’s a giant no-no in the yachting world, it isn’t the first violation on Below Deck Med.
In season two, Hannah Ferrier got chummy with a charter guest named Jason Ziegler. The exact nature of their encounter was a mystery, though Hannah discussed their brief kiss.
In an interview with Us Weekly, Captain Sandy Yawn opened up about Kyle’s potential dalliance. “Let’s not forget seasons back when that happened with another crew member. You just never want to cross that line. In the corporate world, it doesn’t happen,” said Sandy.
Hookups are allowed after the trip is over — not during. “What they do once they are off the vessel in their personal lives is their personal decision. So, if they want to hook up with clients after they’re signed off the vessel, go for it,” said the captain. “I’m all about love. I found love. I want everybody to have love, but you can’t do it in a professional setting.”
Season seven will feature a new cast, including chief stew Natasha Webb, chef David White, and bosun Raygan Tyler. During the interview, Captain Sandy addressed the drama with Raygan.
“I didn’t have two crew members, so of course I’m going to pay more attention as I’m learning the boat. At the same time, I didn’t know about Raygan smoking while Jason [Gaskell] was working,” she said. “I kind of felt like first impressions for me are, ‘Hey, they get to have free reign. Let’s see what they can do.’ Like, I am not going to stand over them, but I wouldn’t sit on the bridge knowing that they’re down crew members and not bail them out.”
The 57-year-old added, “Sometimes you got to be in and get your hands dirty. That’s why I want [my team] to feel supported because I have a high expectation.”
Sandy also addressed the challenges of season seven. “I go in with an attitude of, ‘It is new. We’re going to have a big learning curve,’” said the star. “I had to learn that the boat stabilizers shut down often and it happens. So for me, [my focus] was [to] learn the boat, trust the crew, and then figure out weather patterns and Malta.”
Another obstacle for Sandy was the new crew after a recent cast shakeup. “I love giving people new opportunities. So yes, of course, when you’re under stress, things aren’t really going your way because the crew maybe don’t have the experience they say they do,” said Sandy.
The captain explained, “I would rather have past crew that have experience that have worked with me in a perfect setting. However, that would be [selfish] on my part because I’m not giving other people opportunities. Someone gave me an opportunity, so I like to mix the new with the old. A nice balance.”
Season seven of Below Deck Mediterranean premiered July 11 on Bravo.