Below Deck Med: The Truth About Captain Sandy's Girlfriend, Leah Shafer

Below Deck Mediterranean star Captain Sandy Yawn was shocked when a random Facebook message led to her meeting current girlfriend and love of her life, Leah Shafer. As the two ladies discussed in a joint interview with The Cheat Sheet in May, their connection was pretty much instantaneous.

According to Yawn, it all started with a DM. Shafer reached out after catching an episode of the hit Below Deck spin-off which Yawn stars in, to share how much she liked it and pass on her best wishes. After researching the gospel star, Yawn realized Shafer would be an ideal addition to her "I Believe" tour.

"I thought she'd be perfect because her music has a message," the Below Deck Mediterranean fixture said, explaining the two connected over their shared faith.  

The relationship quickly got so serious it prompted Captain Sandy to move to Denver to be with Shafer, who gushed to The Cheat Sheet, "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." 

Shafer is divorced with a 13-year-old daughter from her previous marriage to motivational speaker Ross Shafer, which lasted 20 years. She discussed the otherwise happy relationship in a one-on-one interview with The Cheat Sheet in August, admitting of her marriage, "I knew inside of me I preferred women. It wasn't fair to my husband that I just wasn't attracted to him in a way he needed me to be."

When Yawn met Shafer, the yacht captain was single, telling The Daily Dish last year she didn't expect to meet anyone who could fit in with her busy lifestyle.

It seems she has found her perfect match in Shafer, a gospel singer who has released six albums to date. Shafer also regularly performs the national anthem for the Denver Broncos and has been described as the team's lucky charm.

The happy couple is planning a musical collaboration in the future, with Shafer telling The Cheat Sheet, "[Yawn] has a passion for inspiring through music and the youth and broken people, and so do I, coming from the gospel industry. That's what brought us together." The singer further gushed about their connection and the feeling of "knowing you want to be with someone forever," admitting, "I've never felt that way before."

In spite of their demonstrable love for each other, Yawn revealed on Twitter that Shafer had been "shamed" after they went public with their relationship. For her part, Shafer told The Cheat Sheet she doesn't think God is against same-sex relationships, explaining, "God is love. He doesn't care." 

The couple has already weathered some seriously stormy waters together, following Shafer's breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgery to remove pre-cancerous cysts. The gospel singer thanked fans for their support on Instagram, saying, "My prayers go out to those who maybe didn't get such good news today."