What happens when fear meets courage? Ellie Atkins’ remarkable story takes us from the comfort of her couch to the wild beauty of Britain’s coastline. In this inspiring account, she shares how a deep fear of the sea transformed into a love for sailing, culminating in a 3,000-nautical-mile circumnavigation aboard Northern Sky. It’s a journey of grit, growth, and freedom that began right here at Troon Yacht Haven. Her story is more than an adventure; it’s an inspiration for young women everywhere to embrace challenges, trust their strength, and take that first brave step toward something extraordinary.
And below, Ellie invites you into her story, told in her own words.
From Couch to Sailing: A Story of Fear, Courage, Freedom and Joy
By Ellie Atkins
If you’d told me a year ago that I would spend months at sea on a little red 12m³ boat—often miles from land, with nothing but the horizon, my partner Tim, and the rhythm of the water—I would have laughed and ordered another coffee.
I am, after all, an Aquarius who doesn’t like water.
And one of my deepest fears has always been the sea: vast, unpredictable, shaped by forces far greater than any of us.
Yet in January 2025, something shifted.
I chose courage over comfort.
I chose a challenge over the familiar.
I chose to learn to sail and to circumnavigate Britain—despite every instinct telling me to stay on shore.
Northern Sky: The Beginning of Everything
Nothing about this journey would have been possible without my partner, Tim.
Long before I ever imagined myself at sea, he bought Northern Sky—a sturdy, modest vessel with a big heart. He never pushed me towards the water; he simply believed I could learn. He saw potential where I saw fear, and in doing so, helped me discover a version of myself I didn’t yet know existed.
How It Began: Frozen Ropes, a Pond, and Plenty of Panic
My sailing story started not with ocean swells but on a winter lake, in a dinghy, battling frozen ropes and vocabulary that felt like a foreign language.
I didn’t know a halyard from a headache. I felt foolish, out of my depth, and overwhelmingly aware of my limitations.
But something inside me wanted more—a life with movement, adventure, and freedom.
So I kept showing up.
Lesson by lesson. Rope by rope.
Fear by fear.
Learning to sail was anything but graceful. It was raw, uncomfortable, and deeply humbling. I wasn’t just learning skills—I was confronting the mental storms I’d avoided for years. The sea became a mirror, reflecting every doubt and every breakthrough.
Circumnavigating Britain: Bold, Naïve, Transformational
After months spent reading, listening, absorbing learning everything I could, I completed my Day Skipper in May 2025.
On 15 June, with more enthusiasm than experience, Tim and I set off aboard Northern Sky to sail around Britain.
It was bold.
It was naïve.
It was one of the greatest decisions of my life.
I quickly discovered that sailing is far from cocktails and sunsets.
It is work—honest, physical, elemental work. If something breaks, you fix it. If something might break, you fix it before it does.
There are no shops, no deliveries, no shortcuts. At sea, resourcefulness is a survival skill. You learn to adapt, to innovate, and to keep going even when the wind or your nerves are against you.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs becomes starkly real:
Food. Water. Sleep. Safety.
And, above all, taking care of the boat, yourself, and each other.
Life becomes stripped back—simple, pure and honest.
And somewhere between the miles, I began to change.
1,000 Nautical Miles: The Sea Becomes a Teacher
A thousand miles in, the sea no longer felt like a threat.
It became a teacher—and slowly, a companion.
I learned to read waves the way some people read books.
I learned to trust myself on night watch, alone with the stars.
I learned to pause, to orientate, to breathe through the unknown.
To ask:
What are those lights? A vessel? A cardinal? Land?
To feel small—but also capable.
2, 000 Nautical Miles: Courage Meets Grit
Where I once shook stepping on deck, I now moved with steady confidence.
Fear met courage.
Doubt gave way to discipline.
Every wave taught me something new.
Every mile shaped me.
3,000 Nautical Miles: Coming Home Changed
Now, with nearly 3,000 nautical miles behind me and home once again on the horizon, one thing is certain:
I am no longer on the couch.
I am at sea.
And against all odds—I feel at home here.
This life carries a certain madness, and I’ve grown to love it.
The sea makes me feel alive, powerful, and humbled all at once.
Hard moments make the beautiful ones sharper.
Quiet bays feel like treasure.
Sunsets burn brighter.
Freedom tastes deeper.
Sailing tests you, strips you back, and then rebuilds you stronger.
To Women, Young People, and Anyone Standing at the Edge of a Dream
If you’re scared—good.
If you feel unqualified—even better.
If you think adventures like this are for “other people”—they’re not.
Start where you are.
Show up scared.
Let curiosity lead.
Let fear teach you.
Let challenge grow you.
You do not need to be fearless to do something extraordinary. You just need to take the first step - even if it’s onto a boat with frozen ropes, in a pond, in the dead of winter.
If I can go from couch to sailing—and to thriving—in one wild, transformative year, then so can you.