Captain Sandy Yawn is going into the dinner cruise business. The Below Deck Mediterranean skipper is hoping to launch a luxury boat service in historic Jacksonville, Florida. Hoping to launch as soon as June 2025, Sandy wants to share her love of being on the water.
“Jacksonville is a cool city,” Sandy told First Coast News. One of Florida’s most historic cities, Jacksonville was first founded by European settlers in 1562. The area is rich with the histories of old Florida, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights movement.
Sandy and her wife, gospel singer Leah Shafer, live in Nocatee, Florida, less than 30 miles from Jacksonville. The Bravo star wants to share the city’s beauty and her love of the water with visitors, as well as locals. “I think more people should come visit Jasonville. It’s incredible,” she added.
Below Deck Med star Captain Sandy Yawn has new business ideas
While Sandy may not be beloved by all, she has her fans. She would certainly raise interest in the project just by name recognition alone.
Though she hasn’t yet purchased a boat, she envisions an open-deck luxury vessel, which would be available for weddings, corporate events, and high-end dining. She’s looking at available boats for sale, but would eventually like to build her own.
“I want to bring more people on the water in Jacksonville,” she said, noting that the new Four Seasons being developed by billionaire Shad Khan will change the city’s profile.
The boat service would offer dinner cruises to executives and hotel guests, serving food catered from local high-end restaurants. Sandy also envisions bringing in the occasional celebrity chef from the Below Deck franchise.
“We don’t want a floating restaurant, because I would never eat on a boat … unless it was a superyacht,” she quipped.
Teaming up with her business partner, retired Jacksonville Sheriff’s Sergeant Rob Adams, who’s also a boat captain, the pair hope to make the area a yachting destination.
Bids for the luxury boat operation were due by 4 pm March 20. The city requires a capacity of 175 passengers and a minimum of 24 public events per year. Captain Sandy and Captain Rob foresee offering the boat to guests who are looking for good food, a ride on the river, and possible dolphin sightings.
Captain Sandy Yawn wants to make Jacksonville a yachting destination
“We’re not capitalizing on what makes Jacksonville, Jacksonville – the St. Johns River,” Captain Rob said. The St. Johns River runs right through the heart of Jacksonville. Cities such as Savannah and Charleston draw visitors to downtown restaurants and businesses with their riverboat excursions.
Meanwhile, Sandy dreams of one day bringing a luxury yacht charter service to the city. “Hey, I came from the yacht world … we make magic happen,” she quipped.
Since the St. Johns is deep enough to accommodate larger boats, Sandy thinks Jacksonville could become a yachting hub. You’ve got to admire her ambition to create something new.
Because Jacksonville is a desirable location for top executives to live, Captain Rob sees the area as rich in untapped potential. As it is now, those business people have to go to Miami or other major cities for a yachting experience. With Sandy and Rob’s plan, they would be able to have that adventure much closer to home and hopefully, more often.
Below Deck Mediterranean is now streaming on Peacock.
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