Although positive effects are often reported, research assessing the impact of Adventure Education and Outward Bound programmes on self-esteem is fraught with methodological weaknesses pertaining to an emphasis on scales assessing global self-esteem, a lack of follow-up measures to assess the potential long-term benefits of such programmes and inadequate pre-intervention measures. In a far less researched area of structured outdoor programmes, research using the sea and sailing ships as a medium, have suffered from the same weaknesses as many of their land-based counterparts. The current study sought to improve and extend on previous research in this broad area. In doing this global and multiple dimensions of self-esteem were assessed 3 weeks prior to a 10 day Spirit of New Zealand developmental voyage, on the first day of the voyage, the last day of the voyage, and finally, 3 months following the voyage. Two hypotheses were subsequently tested. The first stated that participants would experience increases in global and domain specific self-esteem following the voyage. The second stated that increases in global and specific domains of self-esteem would have a long-term effect (i.e. they will be in evidence 3 months following the last day of the voyage). Support was found for both hypotheses.