Capt. Andy Ellers ’83 simply wanted to travel after graduation.
He was searching less for a career and more for opportunities that would let him see the world. A job opening while visiting a fellow Denison alum in Maine led him into an unexpected, lifelong journey at sea.
Ellers’ willingness to follow opportunity rather than a fixed plan had been present long before his time as a boat captain. His decision to attend Denison in the late 1970s was guided by instinct, a pattern that would repeat throughout his life.
“I applied to about 10 schools and got into all of them,” Ellers said. “But when I visited Denison, something about being there, seeing the campus, and talking to the people just felt right. It felt like home. It clicked.”
Looking back, he credits Denison’s liberal arts education with preparing him for a career he never could have predicted.
“I wasn’t even considering this as a career. I just wanted to travel,” said Ellers.
One summer working as a deckhand became another. He moved from Maine to the Caribbean, then Florida, then back to Maine, progressing from ship to ship as each job allowed him to continue exploring the world and gaining valuable onboard experience.
Without realizing it, Ellers had found his calling. At the urging of a mentor he met along the way — the captain of the first ship Ellers worked on — Ellers earned his Coast Guard captain’s license, opening doors that transformed seasonal work into a lifelong profession.
Over the next four decades, Ellers built an extraordinary career aboard traditional sailing ships, cargo vessels, passenger ships, cruise ships, research vessels, and even in film work, including Master and Commander.
Ellers eventually settled in Seattle with his family. As his daughter grew up, she often joined him on summer voyages, sharing experiences that became central to their family story.
Forty years after that first ship experience, Ellers is now commander of ELISSA, one of America’s oldest active sailing ships. The nearly 150-year-old barque is sailing through a series of historic ports —including New York; Boston; Savannah, Ga.; and Pensacola, Fla. — this summer as part of the Sail250 celebration marking America’s 250th anniversary.
When ELISSA’s fleet reaches Boston Harbor, Ellers’ story will intersect once again with his alma mater. More than 100 Denison alums are gathering on July 14 for a once-in-a-lifetime tall ships experience, organized by Denison’s Office of Alumni & Family Engagement. Attendees will connect with fellow Denisonians amid the soaring masts of sailing ships from around the world. If schedules align, they’ll have the chance to meet Captain Ellers during their evening in the harbor.
Unlike many historic ships preserved as floating museums, ELISSA continues to sail. ELISSA is one of the rare original ships to have survived, and for Ellers, that distinction matters — only a handful of these vessels still sail the waters today as they once did centuries ago.
“We’re preserving history through experiential education. More than simply conserving an artifact, we are maintaining the skills and experiences of people actively sailing. It’s living history,” he said.
For the Denisonians in Boston Harbor, Ellers and ELISSA will bring a memorable moment to an exciting alumni gathering.
For Ellers, the tall ship event and Sail250 represents a journey spanning decades, from The Hill and an unexpected summer job in Maine to open waters around the world and a historic moment in a harbor doing what he loves.