a way of life

Latest Mission

My name is Debbie Purser. I live in Cornwall because I chose to make sailing and exploring my career and way of life. Over 24 years many of my sailing customers have realised their dreams too. The ‘Outdoor Girl Project’ is a return to my roots.

In the 1980’s there were 3 million unemployed and I had just dropped out of University. Sailing on a tall ship gave me adventure and revived my self esteem. After that life changer, working in youth work at sea gave way to the realisation that adults need to run away to sea too.

In 1997 I helped create a company called Classic Sailing and we took people to sea from all walks of life on a 38ft pilot cutter called Eve of St Mawes for 23 years. Some came back from holiday refreshed, others had a bit of an epithany….Its not me changing lives….it’s these dammed beautiful wooden boats and the deep blue sea that works the magic .

Extraordinary Experiences

At 54, why did I make the switch from a stunning offshore pilot cutter to an open boat without a cabin?

“I freely confess I am a big boat skipper that has recently fallen in love with small boat sailing.

In 2018 I was offered the chance to take on the stewardship of 17ft spritsail yawl that needed some love and repairs. In the first summer our grandchildren loved Outdoor Girl, but it was sailing with an ex Royal Marine officer called Jim that made me realise that small boat adventures were perfect for adults too.

The wild camping overnight feels a bit rebellious and on the fringes of sensible. Scarily close to nature, requiring planning akin to a military small boat operation, I love the challenge finding the best ways to approach a shore, land whilst keeping kit and people dry, and then anchor Outdoor Girl in a deep, rock free pool or on the beach.

There has never been a better time to remind ourselves of the fundamentals of living – finding shelter, sharing food and stories, travelling without fossil fuels and discovering skills we have almost lost. I’m not Ray Mears or Bear Grylis. I will not be skinning rabbits, but samphire and mussels for the pot I can do. I love camping with a good mattress, but I don’t like backpacking. Why lug a 60 litre rucksack up and down the coast path when you can travel by boat. It won’t always go smoothly but we will have something to talk about round the camp fire” Debbie Purser

t. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.our

Our Core Values

Sailing a wooden replica of an 1882 Gorran Haven fishing boat is deliberately retro, but also bang up to date in terms of an outdoor solution to threats like Coronavirus pandemic, human stress and climate change.

You don’t need fossil fuels to travel the coast and see natural wonders. There are more memorable alternatives to a boutique hotel to soak up an ocean sunset. You don’t even need an ex marine to show you how to live off the land. All you need is ‘Outdoor Girl’ and a sociable skipper to remind you that life is simple: The fundamentals have always been shelter, food, humans working together, and respect in the face of nature.