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The Daily Dish Below Deck Mediterranean

Captain Sandy Yawn Goes Public with Her New Relationship

Get to know the Below Deck Mediterranean boss' new love.

By Laura Rosenfeld
Captain Sandy Yawn on Below Deck Mediterranean

A new Below Deck Mediterranean romance has bloomed! Captain Sandy Yawn confirmed that she is in a new relationship during a recent interview with The Cheat Sheet.

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Captain Sandy shared that she is dating Leah Shafer, a gospel singer based in Denver, Colorado. The Below Deck Med boss actually moved from Los Angeles to Denver to be with her new love.

The couple first met through Facebook. “She sent me a nice message that said, ‘I came across your show, congratulations, many blessings,'” Captain Sandy said, adding that the "many blessings" part of the note really grabbed her attention.

It was love at first sight for both Captain Sandy and Leah when they finally met in person in L.A. in November. “It was definitely unexpected,” Leah told The Cheat Sheet. “It just happened, when you meet another soul that you connect with at such a deep level, it is unexplainable and so beautiful."

They've been together ever since and "are today in a deep, committed relationship," Leah said.

The two had a "spiritual connection in the beginning" and also bonded over their shared love of music, according to Leah. "And then, of course, the attraction and falling in love with a beautiful soul and knowing you want to be with someone forever," Leah recalled. "I’ve never felt that way before.”

Leah was previously married for 20 years and has a 13-year-old daughter, according to The Cheat Sheet. She told The Cheat Sheet that "some religious institutions have turned their back on her" since going public with their relationship. “I think you can’t help who you fall in love with," Leah said. “God is love. He doesn’t care.” 

Captain Sandy proudly tweeted "love is love" while sharing the happy news of her new relationship on Twitter.

Captain Sandy has shared several gorgeous photos of herself and Leah on Instagram over the past few months. Check out this hot couple!

Prior to meeting Leah, Captain Sandy wasn't having much luck in the dating game, sharing how difficult it can be to maintain a long distance relationship while out at sea. "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, and so far I haven't met anyone, really," she told The Daily Dish in May 2018 when she was still single. "It's about the person for me." 

Captain Sandy also described her ideal match. "I want someone who wakes up happy, just is happy to be alive. Like, that's how I wake up every day of my life. And yes, when there's something going on in your life, of course you don't wake up happy," she said. "But the majority of the time, someone who wants to live, wants to experience, wants to travel, wants to try different restaurants, wants to go see shows. And I love music. Someone who loves concerts because I am a concertgoer." 

That sounds a lot like Leah to us!

We'll catch up more with Captain Sandy and the rest of the Sirocco crew when Below Deck Med returns for Season 4 on Monday, June 4 at 9/8c. See what's on the horizon for the new season, below.

Your First Look at Below Deck Mediterranean Season 4
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