In this episode of the podcast, I sit down in a hand-built bow-top caravan with Sophie Allen – boatbuilder, wool-spinner, lambing shed assistant, cyclist, and explorer of paths less trodden. She’s also my goddaughter, so I’ve had the joy of watching her journey unfold from the very beginning.
Sophie’s story winds from a geography degree at Bristol to a stable graduate role in the Civil Service – and the moment she realised that comfortable wasn’t the same as aligned. What followed was a brave leap into a life built around curiosity, craft, and connection.
“I was learning a huge amount… financially getting by… and I was really happy and really well.”
We talk about her two years of moving from project to project – lambing in the Borders, timber-framing camps in France, cycling across Europe – and how those uncomfortable moments ‘in-between’ projects actually became fertile ground for creativity and unexpected kindness.
“Those quieter moments… are also the moments where creativity can show up and surprise you.”
Sophie shares how she found the Lyme Regis Boat Building Academy, where she discovered a deep love for sail-making, rigging, and working with natural fibres – and, with the other students, built Jolly Winds, a traditional clinker sailing dinghy made from timber sustainably sourced from a friend in Scotland.
It’s a story of heritage craft, collaboration, and the quiet pride of seeing your work afloat.
“It always surprises me… I think I’m leaving something behind, and then somehow the thread comes through and I realise it’s still part of the picture.”
If you’ve ever wondered whether you could leave the safe route for the right route for you, Sophie’s journey will inspire you to trust the thread that’s yours alone to follow.
🎧 Listen now and let Sophie remind you that the path doesn’t have to be fully formed – you can weave it as you go.
Usually we put links to our guest’s social media here, but Sophie is delightfully unconnected from social media, so please leave any comments for her below and we will pass them on.
You can find our more about the Lyme Regis Boat Building Academy here
The very talented Sarah from Paint Your Wagon painted the Jolly Winds name.