Below Deck Med: Who Is Captain Sandy's Fiancée, Leah Shafer?

Whether or not you agree with her firing of Hannah Ferrier on "Below Deck Med" in 2020, you have to admit that Captain Sandy Yawn is one of the most badass women on Bravo these days. Being a female captain in yachting is not an easy feat, given that the industry is still male-dominated, by her own admission. But luckily, Yawn has a loving partner, Leah Shafer, by her side to help her get through the day-to-day. And judging from their comments about each other, this relationship is built to last. 

In fact, Yawn even went so far as to introduce Shafer to her "Below Deck Med" cast mate Malia White during a trip to Colorado in May 2021. In pictures from a since-deleted Instagram post, everyone looked thrilled to finally have their worlds colliding. White commented that it was "lovely" to finally meet Shafer and the older women concurred. Yawn commented, "It was so great to catch up and meet your friends! I had a lot of fun!" Shafer also posted her own pics and wrote, "What a wonderful evening! Played [Topgolf] with my love @captainsandrayawn and Malia White and friends! So great to finally meet Malia in person, what an amazing soul!"

So, who is Shafer, and what does she do when Yawn's on charter?

Leah Rae Shafer is a professional singer and an esthetician who founded the skincare company Skin by Leah. She is also a mom and was once married to a man before she realized that life wasn't what fulfilled her. Shafer told Showbiz Cheatsheet, "So I sing, I socialized, I'm an entrepreneur, and I travel. I tried to stay home but for my personality, I couldn't. I needed to feel fulfilled. But I was bored staying home. I was bored cleaning and having luncheons. For me personally, it slowly made me sad not having something to count on daily."

Coming out and meeting Captain Sandy Yawn completely changed Shafer's life. She told the outlet in the same interview, "I left for me and it also wasn't fair that I couldn't love my ex in a way he deserved. And when I met Sandy she showed me a different kind of love. One love wasn't better than the other. Meeting Sandy is a love that connected to me in a way that was organic and a fit for where I was in my life currently."

She and Yawn seem to make one another happy, that's for sure — in a forever sense, no less. 

In September 2023, Captain Sandy Yawn popped the big question, asking Leah Shafer to marry her. "It official! I asked Leah to marry me, and she said YESSSSS We are engaged! stay tuned for wedding," Yawn announced in an Instagram post featuring pictures from the proposal. But even though the couple's next chapter comes 5 years into their relationship, Yawn always knew she wanted to spend the rest of her with Shafer. "I have been thinking about marrying Leah for years. 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," Yawn gushed to E! News after the proposal. 

Speaking to the outlet, Yawn also opened up about the proposal, revealing she took inspiration from Shafer's elegant taste. "I planned a boat ride to a beautiful cove. I had it decorated with flowers with a path to a small table accompanied by three violinists where we could sit and have a small date," she explained. Eventually, the reality star got down on one knee, pouring her heart out to Shafer.

And while Shafer has yet to publicly address the couple's engagement, she is no doubt looking forward to the rest of their lives together. "I may not be your first date, kiss or love...but I want to be your last everything," Shafer sweetly captioned a loved-up photo of the couple shared on Instagram.