The Below Deck franchise would not be complete without the many captains that have steered the mega yachts across both the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Some captains have been more memorable than others, including Below Deck’s very first captain, Captain Lee, who starred in 10 seasons of the show and was known for his no-nonsense approach when it came to yachting.
In Season 2 of Below Deck Mediterranean, the franchise saw its first woman captain—Captain Sandy Yawn—taking the helm of the Sirocco. Since then, she has starred in every season, and fans have gotten to know Sandy for more than just her hands-on approach and nurturing relationship with her yacht crew. In Season 9, which sees fan-favorite Aesha Scott as chief stew, Captain Sandy opens up about her private life and shares her plans to propose to her girlfriend, Leah Shafer.
Captain Sandy and Leah have a beautiful love story, and who would have guessed that Leah made the first move after being a huge fan of the show.
This Is The Sweet Way Leah Shafer Made The First Move
Captain Sandy has become a household name as she starred in Seasons 2-9 of Below Deck Med. She became reality TV’s first female captain and has become known for her tough love personality. In fact, it took viewers a few seasons of watching Captain Sandy to have her grow on them. Fans will remember in Season 5 when Captain Sandy made the decision to fire chief stew Hannah Ferrier for having “drugs” on board, despite Hannah having a prescription. Fans rallied around Hannah and Captain Sandy’s likability was tarnished.
Hannah and Captain Sandy have since made amends and fans have changed their minds about Below Deck Med’s captain as they watch her season after season. In the show’s most recent Season 9, viewers watch as she’s given 3rd stewardess Bri Muller multiple chances to redeem herself in her position, proving that she really cares about her crew.
In addition, Captain Sandy has typically stayed quiet about her personal life, but has opened up way more and has become more relatable as she’s given viewers an inside look into her relationship with her now wife, Leah Shafer.
Fans have learned a lot more about Captain Sandy’s love life, including how she and Leah first met. The two were not set up by friends or had even known one another previously. Surprisingly, Leah happened to be a fan of the Bravo franchise and simply reached out to Captain Sandy to wish her well.
In an interview with ShowBiz Cheat Sheet, Captain Sandy shared how she and Leah first connected. Leah reached out to Captain Sandy through Facebook Messenger. In a private message, Leah, a gospel singer, wrote:
“I came across your show, congratulations, many blessings.”
While the private message was so simple, Captain Sandy shared that the “many blessings” part really made an impact on her. Although the captain does not discuss her religion on the show, she maintains a strong faith in God.
In the same interview, Captain Sandy shared that having a relationship while being a captain at sea was extremely difficult. “It’s hard to have a relationship being a yacht captain. And most of my friends that are yacht captains, they’ve divorced or they hook up with people in the industry.”
However, Captain Sandy wanted to see where things would go with Leah, and the two met in person in late 2018. Leah told the outlet that the two had an instant connection.
“It was definitely unexpected. It just happened, when you meet another soul that you connect with at such a deep level, it is unexplainable and so beautiful.”
Captain Sandy Proposed To Leah On Below Deck Mediterranean Season 9
In the Season 9 trailer, Captain Sandy tells chief stewardess Aesha Scott about her plans to propose to Leah in Greece. Later in the season, viewers watch Captain Sandy get down on one knee and ask for Leah’s hand in marriage, to which she says yes, and the crew joyfully celebrate from behind-the-scenes.
The season is the first time viewers get to really see Captain Sandy being so open about her private life. After five years together, Captain Sandy made it official. Speaking to E! News about their proposal, the reality star shared that she had wanted to ask for Leah’s hand in marriage sooner.
“I knew from the minute I met her, but the timing had to be right. I wanted to make sure we could truly do life together first.” Captain Sandy later shared how her vision to pop the question to Leah went down. “I planned a boat ride t oa beautiful cove. I had it decorated with flowers with a path to a small table accompanied by three violinists where we would sit and have a small date. I shared my vision list of love I had written and wanted, then got down on one knee. Then she said, ‘yes!'”
In May, Captain Sandy and Leah tied the knot on a superyacht owned by a close friend. The captain shared photos of their wedding day on Instagram, and wrote, “I had no idea how amazing marriage could be! It feels incredible, and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. I love you, Leah Rae Yawn!! Thank you for taking my last name!”
Captain Sandy also shared that their wedding was filmed for Bravo and Below Deck fan-favorites Aesha and Kate Chastain were also in attendance.
For more Below Deck Mediterranean coverage, visit our Reality TV Hub.