Before Below Deck Mediterranean Season 11, Captain Sandy Yawn and Hannah Ferrier’s most recent time together on the series “didn’t end so great,” as the former put it in Episode 12. After a shocking off-camera sit-down, however, Captain Sandy and Hannah are on much better terms today.
Nearly six years since her last appearance on Below Deck Med aired, Hannah returned in the Aug. 24 episode as a surprise guest at Aesha Scott’s bachelorette party. After Captain Sandy revealed that she was in on Hannah’s covert journey from Australia to Croatia, the two broke down how they’d made amends in separate producer interviews.
Underscoring the fact that “time could heal all wounds,” Sandy explained, “Last year in June, I reached out to Hannah.” That’s when Hannah chimed in to say, “We just sat down, and she told her truth, I told my truth, and we just let bygones be bygones.” As Sandy added, “We hugged it out, forgave each other, and now we’re in a great place.”
Hannah went on to note that, since then, Sandy has met her husband, Josh Roberts, as well as her 5-year-old daughter, Ava. Similarly, she’s also spent time with Sandy’s wife, Leah Shafer. “We’ve got quite a nice friendship growing,” Hannah said.
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Captain Sandy Yawn and Hannah Ferrier’s past drama, explained
Hannah began serving as chief stew on Below Deck Med Seasons 1 up until Captain Sandy fired her in the midst of filming Season 5, which aired in 2020. In an interview with Bravo Insider at the time, Sandy cited maritime law’s zero-tolerance policy after she learned that Hannah had unregistered prescription medication and a vape pen in her possession aboard the vessel.
“It’s out of my hands,” Captain Sandy explained. “If [the crew has] to take medication, it goes into the medical locker that’s in a keyed locker.” Regardless, Sandy insisted that she “had all the compassion in the world for Hannah,” but simply could not put her own career at risk, following the violation.
In a separate Bravo Insider interview, Hannah referred to her firing as “really disappointing,” adding that she felt Sandy had handled the whole situation “really badly.”
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“I feel like I should’ve been given at least the respect of a sit-down conversation,” Hannah elaborated. “It could’ve been a back-and-forth, as opposed to such a drastic measure taken without so much as a conversation after. You know, that was my fifth season with Below Deck, so I was really disappointed in that. But then, I also know that at the end of the day, she is the captain.”
Fast-forward to June 2025, and Hannah revealed on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen that she and Sandy had reconciled. Offering more details, Hannah said that Captain Sandy had initiated their meetup that took place in Sydney, and they “had a really good chat” that lasted three hours. “I don’t like holding onto grudges,” Hannah added on WWHL. “Now, I FaceTime her when I’m up late, and we chat. It’s amazing.”
Hannah Ferrier shares details on her life after Below Deck Med
Upon making her comeback in Below Deck Med Season 11, Hannah remarked to a producer that her life had “done an entire 180” since viewers last saw her. “I got married, we bought a house, I had my beautiful daughter, Ava,” she shared.
Aside from Captain Sandy and Aesha, the trip to Croatia also reunited Hannah with fellow Below Deck Med alum Anastasia Surmava.
“The one thing I miss about yachting is we just form these bonds that are very hard to find in other places in your life,” Hannah added in her confessional. “And what I don’t miss is the hours, the small bunks, having no choice about what you eat, the hierarchy. My gosh, I have so many more things that I don’t miss than I do miss!”
As Below Deck Med Season 11 continues, don’t miss even more details on Hannah’s life today.
