Malia White on Drama with Captain Sandy Yawn: "She Holds Me to a Higher Standard"

Captain Sandy Yawn has dealt with many crisis situations on Below Deck Mediterranean over the years, but we've never seen her lose her cool quite like she did during a discussion with Malia White in the current Season 6.

After learning that David Pascoe's injury wasn't reported (clip above), Captain Sandy told Malia that she was "really disappointed" in the bosun in the September 20 episode of Below Deck Med. "Learning about David's injury really pisses me off. Not reporting this is a safety issue. What happens is the crew member becomes a liability to the vessel and to the owner. They have to be physically fit to be able to perform their duty, especially on deck," Captain Sandy explained her frustration in an interview during the episode. "The fact that Malia knew about his injury is not OK with me. She broke my trust."

Malia later explained to Captain Sandy that she felt like she followed the proper protocol. However, Captain Sandy reiterated to Malia that the bosun should have come to her immediately after David got hurt, something she had told all the Lady Michelle crew members at the beginning of the season when it came to injuries on board the vessel.

Things then got extremely heated between Captain Sandy and Malia, resulting in their biggest argument ever on Below Deck Med. The conversation culminated in Captain Sandy telling Malia, "I don't trust you."

Malia reflected on this moment during an exclusive interview with Bravo Insider in August. "I think this moment is definitely blown out of proportion. I understand where Captain Sandy’s coming from. I think she understands where I’m coming from," Malia said. "It was just one of those moments where I think we’re near the end of the charter season, and everyone’s kind of at their wit’s end. And a little minor thing turns into a huge problem."

This was a new experience for Malia, who has generally had a good working relationship with Captain Sandy on Below Deck Med. "It’s definitely the first time I’ve gotten that side of Captain Sandy," Malia said. "So it’s definitely a learning curve on my end."

Malia has since been able to look at the bright side of the situation. "I think what I can take away from it is, you know, she holds me to a higher standard. And for good reason. I want to be a chief officer, and I don’t think she looks at me as just being a bosun. She’s wanting to see growth in me," Malia said. "So I think, you know, when she’s yelling at me, she’s kind of, like, holding me to a higher standard — which I appreciate, but in the moment I was a little frustrated [laughs]."

Fans have been greatly anticipating seeing this moment play out on Below Deck Med after it was first teased in the trailer for Season 6. Captain Sandy previously addressed her argument with Malia during an interview with The Daily Dish in advance of the Below Deck Med Season 6 premiere in June.

"You know, I always share this, leaders lead and sometimes they lose their temper, right? So, that’s in every position in leadership. You lose your temper," Captain Sandy said. "When people don’t take responsibility, that’s what makes me angry. It’s like, just own it. And when you own it, I’m not gonna get mad ‘cause you’re owning your mistake. But when you try to push it off, that pisses me off."

This wasn't the only tension that Captain Sandy and Malia experienced this season. The crew members previously had a bit of an exchange over the slide when it failed to inflate properly (clip below).

Captain Sandy Yawn Tells Malia White to "Calm Down"

Malia chalked this conflict up to just needing something to eat. "This was a moment where I was really hungry," she told Bravo Insider. "Like, I’m just hangry [laughs]."

The bosun also explained that there were "so many things working against us with this slide," including its unusual position off the bow of the yacht and that it had a hole in it when it was given to the crew, causing air to leak out. "I think when Captain Sandy decides to come on out deck sometimes, it’s not at the best times [laughs]," Malia said. "It’s like 90 percent of the time, that slide is perfect. And she walks out right when it’s, like, having issues. And it’s like, 'Yes, I know what needs to happen.'"

Luckily, in both cases, Captain Sandy and Malia were able to resolve the issue and quickly move on. After the incident with David's injury, Malia apologized to Captain Sandy and agreed that it should have been reported to her. Captain Sandy also showed remorse for her reaction and assured Malia that she does trust her.

Now that's what leadership looks like.

Want more Below Deck Med? Season 6 airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo with early access to new episodes on Peacock.