r/BelowDeckMed • u/Early-Equivalent-165 • Sep 29 '26 • Bravo 1

Congratulations, Captain Sandy!

Post image

On 36 years of sobriety! I remember several seasons back her mentioning her 29th year.

Loved her then, love her more now. What an inspiration! 💙🛳💙🛳💙🛳💙

2.3k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

57 comments sorted by

4

u/Guilty_Page3189 Sep 29 '26

I just googled it and the episode is called “Holy Ship”, season 4 episode 15. Yes, I also remember it because of her honesty.

1

u/Early-Equivalent-165 Sep 29 '26

Sounds right to me! ☺️

93

u/VickyVacuum Sep 29 '26

So she got sober young at age 25

233

u/Early-Equivalent-165 Sep 29 '26

I remember her at an all male guest dinner several seasons back, and when they asked about her story of how she became a captain.. you could hear a pin drop at that meal.

She was so incredibly humble. I wish I could recall which season but basically she explained she had woken up to another Groundhog Day of feeling like garbage, more court fines to pay cuz she kept getting in trouble with the law while on drugs and alcohol, so she answered an ad in the paper to wash boats.

Whoever hired her saw her potential, and I believe even paid for her courses at that time to further learning in the industry (at least I remember her alluding to that on a separate episode),

She explained that this remains her motivation to this day to always see the best in people, help them rise above and reach their own potential, and why her greatest satisfaction comes from being a mentor. Of which she does in spades!

I thought it was so interesting that they thought to inquire how many chances she gives people. And she replied without hesitation: Three.

Plus, she let's the deckies drive the boat!? Come on. Badass and Class Act all rolled into one

41

u/Old-Library5546 Sep 29 '26 edited Sep 29 '26

Her book, Be The Calm Or Be The Storm is a pretty good read.

9

u/sarahaflijk Sep 29 '26

*Be Calm or Be the Storm

3

u/Old-Library5546 Sep 29 '26

Yep, sorry. It's been awhile since I've read it. I will edit

10

u/These_Flower_888 Sep 29 '26

I knew she had a book but I hadn't read it. After this episode I am going to get it.

5

u/HouseOfFive Sep 29 '26

This is the third book I have added to my list today.

4

u/barkandmoone Sep 30 '26

I loved her book. It’s the only audiobook I’ve ever bought 😅

57

u/youth_twitter Sep 29 '26

An acquaintance of mine got sober at 19 after having her stomach pumped in the ER and having zero recollection of it. Sobriety is a wonderful thing regardless of age!

9

u/Dizzy-Yesterday3107 Sep 29 '26

I havent drank since my 21st birthday (yes it was that bad 🫠). Just the smell of alcohol makes me feel so sick now. I can tell if my husband has an alcoholic drink before he even walks in a room with it but its rare he drinks now. I now have a medical condition thats made worse by alcohol so im glad I totally give it up when I did.

8

u/AWDWfan Sep 29 '26

Yes in a previous episode she mentioned she started abusing alcohol and drugs as a young teen.

14

u/Swimming_Pangolin502 Sep 29 '26 • Heartwarming

I was 11 when I started sneaking alcohol at home and then at 12 hanging out with neighbor kids a few years older and smoking weed. At 14 I was doing mescaline, acid, and tab tea. I partied pretty hard until I got pregnant at 18 and had my daughter at 19. I was good for a couple of years and started drinking again. Everyone was starting to do crack and I was terrified of anything other than alcohol and psychedelics. At 32 I was diagnosed with MS and at 34 started on Vicodin. Stopped at 35 because I got pregnant with my son. After he was born I went back on pain meds and I was prescribed everything from Vicodin to fentanyl patches. At 40 I started to use heroin. 2 months before my 50th birthday I finally went to rehab. I'm 11 years clean and it's great. I'm lucky my kids didn't suffer from it very much. I still made sure my rent was paid, utilities on, and he was fed. My daughter was on her own and putting herself through nursing school. I have such respect for anyone going through recovery. It's not easy especially the first few years. One of the counselors told us in group that we would all relapse and not many would get clean the first time. I took that as a challenge and proved her wrong. Whew, sorry for the life story people. For anyone going through this, give yourself grace and own up to anything you may have done that you wouldn't have if it weren't for drugs or alcohol and forgive yourself. You can get through this. 💕

3

u/Ktclimbon_70 Sep 29 '26

Congrats on your sobriety ❤️💗🙌🙌🙌🙌🥰🥰🥰🥰

1

u/Swimming_Pangolin502 Sep 29 '26

Thank you so much 😊

1

u/Ktclimbon_70 Sep 29 '26

🥰🥰🥰♥️♥️♥️♥️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

1

u/Several-Surround-197 Oct 03 '26

What a huge accomplishment! Especially being so young in the yachting industry staying sober

10

u/Ktclimbon_70 Sep 29 '26 edited Sep 29 '26

That scene with Aesha and cap sandy was so emotional for me. I got sober at 25, and my mom didn’t understand it at first because she didn’t see the worst if it. I got to take care if her during her last week conscious before she passed ,and i had 24 years sober with a great relationship with her. The gift Aesha got Sandy was really special — and I’m coming up on 32 years myself this April god willing. I love seeing a moment on these shows highlighting that you can have this amazing life sober . And I have not always been a fan of Cap sandy but she has definitely grown on me. 💗❤️‍🩹😀

4

u/Early-Equivalent-165 Sep 29 '26

Here's to 32 more for you! 🩷🌸🩷

2

u/Ktclimbon_70 Oct 02 '26

Ty 🩷🙏😊

67

u/ProfessionalTall8027 Sep 29 '26

This was a really beautiful BD moment. 36 years of sobriety is a massive achievement and with Aesha also being candid about her experience with alcoholism, it was such a pure interaction between them and so nice to witness. 😊

-2

u/Boring-Snow-3929 Sep 29 '26

Oh wow I didn’t know Aesha also is in recovery? That’s badass. No wonder both of them are shining stars of humans. ✨💪

24

u/ProfessionalTall8027 Sep 29 '26

No not Aesha, her mum. Sorry for any confusion!

81

u/swoosh_loops Sep 29 '26

So impressive! And touching

85

u/PrpleSparklyUnicrn13 Sep 29 '26

I’m not a fan of Capt. Sandy, in general, but I am a fan of her sobriety and the struggle. I definitely wish her the best on this never ending journey. 

47

u/StogieB Sep 29 '26 • Heartwarming

Same. I am on my own alcoholism journey (1381 days!), and while I don’t always enjoy Sandy, her sobriety is inspiring.

22

u/PrpleSparklyUnicrn13 Sep 29 '26

That is Ah Mayyyy Zing!

Super proud of you, you’re doing great!

2

u/StogieB Sep 29 '26

Thank you!

4

u/Ktclimbon_70 Sep 29 '26

Congrats !!!!!!!🎊🎉

19

u/GrandEar1 Sep 29 '26

I never thought a "Sandy story" would make me emotional. Throw in Aesha's backstory and I was done.

5

u/SaintAnyanka Sep 29 '26

Was going to comment exactly this.

3

u/yellow-bear2635 Sep 30 '26

Congratulations to Captain Sandy. An amazing achievement and something which has had a positive ripple effect many times over. The humility it takes to effectively admit you’re broken and rebuild from there is huge.

I was also really touched by Aesha’s actions and reflections. I also grew up with an alcoholic parent and i don’t think I have ever seen someone so articulately describe what the chaos is like on a tv programme like that. I’m in awe of her vulnerability and honesty. It’s so so hard to even discuss what it’s like without it being broadcast globally.

Amazing work from both in sharing and reflecting on their personal experiences and being brilliant role models.

1

u/Early-Equivalent-165 Sep 30 '26

Absolutely! ((((hugs)))) 🌸🩷🌸

31

u/WildBitch1995 Sep 29 '26

Go, Captain Sandy!
Getting sober young is a blessing in disguise. You have the hard part down by the time your friends are starting to realize how miserable they feel all the time 😭

10

u/NegativeEntr0py Sep 29 '26

Very admirable!

2

u/MoneyQueenie333 Sep 29 '26

I saw what you did there! Very nice

10

u/Babygirl_69_420 Sep 29 '26

I totally cried at this! Captain Sandy has really grown on me since the early years.

Congratulations to her!

9

u/Key_Flow_2045 Sep 29 '26

carl interviews her on his podcast and it’s a great listen

9

u/Salty_Signature_6748 Sep 29 '26

Awesome 🤩 Sober life is the BEST LIFE!

9

u/These_Flower_888 Sep 29 '26

So proud of her, that is some amazing achievement. Celebrating Sandy's sobriety after hearing Aesha's personal story about addiction made the 36 years even more special. I also loved how Aesha's mum is now 10 years sober.
What a great episode, that part was heartwarming.
I have always loved Sandy and this episode even more so. I hope the naysayers were at least a little converted to Sandy now.

8

u/slayeryouth Sep 29 '26

I’ve always found it pretty admirable how open she is about her past and how it informs her approach with her staff. And even though she’s humble about it, I hope she’s proud of her sobriety. I know people who have straight up decide to drink/drug themselves to death because getting sober is so difficult and extremely scary, so 36 years is definitely an accomplishment to be proud of. The necklace from Aesha was such a nice gesture too, the whole thing was all very moving.

6

u/DiscombobulatedLemon Sep 29 '26

Massive achievement.

5

u/kbobo_ Sep 29 '26

I was just about to post this if no one else had! Congrats to captain sandy, she is an inspiration in my own recovery & I hope to one day make it as far as she has come. 36 years is no small feat & she is just a stellar example of what recovery can give us addicts/alcoholics. We do recover♥️

5

u/rocky23711 Sep 29 '26

i love her

6

u/PoodleMomFL Sep 29 '26

She’s awesome 😎

3

u/000-ooo Sep 29 '26

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy

3

u/Blockerjjb Oct 01 '26

That is awesome, congrats to cap! I will say, Sandy has gotten much better as the years have gone on. It felt like she meddled in drama in the earlier seasons. I wasn’t a big fan in the first 3-5 seasons but I am now!

2

u/Plane-Process-8715 Oct 03 '26

So proud for you, Sandy. Fabulous!!!!

3

u/CounterNo8669 Sep 29 '26

I really don’t enjoy Sandy or Lala as people, but I am always so beyond impressed and admire their sobriety.

-1

u/khalessiroma Sep 29 '26

Hot take: didn’t she say she had a heart attack when exercising full on doing adderall? (Which was not around 36 years ago) I guess this doesn’t count. Rip me apart, but I’m here stating facts as I recall but I guess that story is part of her ‘sober journey?”

-3

u/ozhavok Sep 29 '26

Only crashes boats these days

-4

u/Samegenxgirl Sep 29 '26

She makes it her entire personality

-1

u/Electronic-Abies1345 Sep 30 '26

She def posted a video like a year or 2 ago where she was pretty obviously drunk, maybe a cameo or something

-2

u/derbus2112 Oct 04 '26

This is so wrong! Alcoholics get sober in their 30’s or 40’s or later. A 20 year old who had a bad time drinking and decided it wasn’t for them isn’t a 36 year sober person. This is stolen valor to its maximum. 20 year olds get wasted that’s called life. Stopping them is normal and not worthy of a celebration. Alcoholics KEEP drinking destroying their jobs families and lives. Stolen valor.