After dealing with the drama of a difficult guest—and his girlfriend who fled the yacht—Captain Sandy Yawn and her Below Deck Mediterranean Season 11 crew were rewarded with a record-breaking tip during Episode 4 of a whopping $50,018 dollars.
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“We had the largest tip in Below Deck franchise history,” Sandy revealed during an exclusive Bravo Insider interview in May.
Up until this point, Below Deck Med’s Season 10 crew held the record with a $40,000 tip, followed by the $35,000 bonus left by The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 6 cast during their Below Deck Down Under Season 4 crossover charter.
“We really had the best, most amazing time ever,” co-primary Michelle gushed of her experience with her husband, repeat charter guest Johnny Damon. “You guys will all understand how much we loved it when you open this heavy envelope. Love you guys!”
The generous tip broke down to $3,847 per crew member, with Sandy dubbing it both “fantastic” and “incredible” during the crew’s tip meeting.
As the crew celebrated, bosun Nathan Gallagher joked about providing for his son, Kayden, with Below Deck Med alum Gael Cameron. “That’s a lot of f—king diapers,” he told producers during the June 29 episode and added, “Gael, I’m coming home, let’s make another baby!”
As far as what she thought the crew did with that record tip, Sandy joked to Bravo Insider major celebrations ensued and added, “I’m sure they blew it all at once.”
Chief stew Aesha Scott hoped that the crew would be able to ride the high for charters to come. “I’m so excited Johnny and Michelle had such a good time…We set the bar really high. And I just really need this level of service and experience to carry though the whole season,” she confessed to producers.
How Nathan Gallagher diffused tensions with difficult guest Josef and boosted the tip
Throughout the second charter, Nathan had his hands full with one guest in particular: Josef. During Below Deck Med’s June 29 episode, Josef joined Nathan in the bridge while he was on night watch, and hurled insults at him.
“I don’t like the way you’re acting…you’re a bit of a prick,” Josef declared, but Nathan insisted that forcing Josef to follow safety rules was “not personal.”
After joking about an arm wrestle, Josef softened a bit towards Nathan. “But you know what, it’s hard to be a prick in a good way,” he admitted. “You, even though I don’t really like you, right? I respect you. And for me that’s hard.”
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When Sandy heard that Nathan and Josef had mended fences, she told producers, “I am so happy to hear that Nathan chose to diffuse the situation. That’s growth!”
Nathan’s approach turned out to have a huge impact on the tip amount, as Josef announced at the end of the charter, “I’m going to add $15,000 to whatever the tip is. It’s like a, ‘Thanks for dealing with me.’”
Sandy reminded the crew that difficult guests are just part of the job on boats. “Yachting is a business. You’re always going to have the Josefs,” she pointed out during the tip meeting. “When they’re rude and obnoxious, you have to diffuse. So, well done Nathan.”
Aesha Scott teased what she did with her record-breaking tip on Below Deck Med Season 11
Aesha was one of the crew members with the most emotional reaction to receiving a record-breaking tip during Below Deck Meds June 29 episode, as stew Kayley Smith joked, “I think Aesha might be having a fit.” Deckhand Cooper Dawson also pointed out, “Look, Aesha’s crying.”
Aesha opened up about her response to producers, sharing her family didn’t come from money. “I grew up in a house where cheese was such a luxury,” she revealed.
She added that she intended to put the money to good use. “Oh my god. The way the tips are rolling in, my whole wedding’s gonna be paid for by the end of it,” she joked.
RELATED: Aesha Scott Shares a Look at Her “Final Wedding Ring Designs” Before Marrying Scott Dobson (PHOTO)
Aesha tied the knot with her longtime partner Scotty Dobson in New Zealand in early March. She shared that the two followed it up with a “mini honeymoon” to Queenstown.
Below Deck Med alum Hannah Ferrier gave a sneak peek at the big day—and Aesha’s wedding dress—as she posted snaps with the blushing bride on her Instagram. (Don’t miss a special appearance from Hannah still to come on Below Deck Med Season 11!)
Aesha shared more details on life as a married woman with Bravo Insider in June. “Scott and I, ever since we got married, we keep saying to each other, we’re like it does, it feels so different,” she said. “I think you just feel much more bonded and more of a unit and more of a team. And because before we got married, we were very independent people.”
Don’t miss Aesha’s update on where her friendship with Gael stands today.
-Reporting by Stephanie Gomulka
