KAWAIHAE, Hawai'i — The three-masted sailing ship Makani Olu completed a three-day voyage Saturday in Kona carrying precious cargo: hope and newfound confidence for some troubled teenage boys.

The Big Island youths, who range in age from 14 to 18, all had histories of drug or alcohol problems. They sailed out Thursday from Kawaihae on the Makani Olu's first voyage as part of a new treatment program called Wahiolanona'opio, or "healing place for youth."

In the past, the eight youths might have been placed in off-island drug treatment programs, or perhaps sent to the youth prison on O'ahu. Their lives were in such disarray that they needed structured residential treatment, a level of treatment that until last year wasn't available to juveniles on the Big Island.

This year, the Wahiolanona-'opio program provides an opportunity for the teens to undergo treatment, work on a farm, attend classes and reconcile with families from a base in rural Laupahoehoe on the Big Island's Hamakua Coast. They also sail out from Kawaihae Harbor on short training trips on the double-hulled canoe Makali'i and — starting last week — on the sailing ship Makani Olu.

"It's about giving kids a chance to test themselves in situations where they may feel that they would never be able to succeed," said Wes Margheim, director of the program.

"We want to put the kids in a corral with 40 head of cattle. We want to put the kids on the open sea. We want to put them outside working on the land in the pouring rain. ... If they can do that, they can do just about anything.

"We provide that opportunity and they test themselves. We bring that back then and apply that to their goals of recovery."

One of the youths who stepped off the Makani Olu in Kawaihae on Saturday to be greeted by supporters on shore was Tyson Kuahuia, 17, who entered the program eight months ago. It was Kuahuia's first trip standing bow watch and learning to steer on the 96-foot vessel, but his sixth ocean voyage with the Wahiolanona'opio program.

It is all part of his larger journey out of the drug scene in rural Miloli'i in Ka'u.

"Drugs took over my life a couple of years ago, and I went downhill from that," he said. "It just took my whole life away where I couldn't function in school."

Kuahuia, who said his parents helped to persuade him to join Wahiolanona'opio, said the island could use more programs.

"I think a lot of people on this island need treatment and there's not that much help on this island," he said.

Margheim said he could double the size of the eight-bed residential program for boys and easily fill the slots. Wahiolanona'opio also serves girls in a day-treatment setting, and is planning to open an eight-bed residential program for girls next year.

The program is operating this year under a $900,000-a-year contract with the county that is funded by the state and federal government. Makani Olu is operated by the Marimed Foundation, which has been using sailing vessels to help treat at-risk youth in Hawai'i since 1990.

Marimed runs Wahiolano-na'opio with its partner, Na Kalai Wa'a, a Big Island-based nonprofit organization. The ship's new schedule will bring it to Kawaihae for two training voyages every eight weeks — one trip for boys, one for girls.

The program bills itself as a "highly structured" living arrangement. The youths in the program, who are known as cadets, agree.

Hilo resident Carlos Bellotto, 17, said he struggled at first with the rigid program structure because he found it difficult to take orders. But he graduated after 11 months and is working at a furniture store and attending Hilo High School.

He returned to the program voluntarily last week for a chance to sail on Makani Olu.

The ship's captain, Dan Davies, said the sailing experience makes sense for people who are trying to turn their lives around "because boat life is society in a microcosm."

"You've got your chain of authority and you have responsibilities and a social contract. You have responsibilities to each other and, behaviorally, you're under a spotlight. You're with each other 24 hours a day, and if you're slacking, it's really obvious," he said.

"Our values of community and teamwork and respect and honesty are all essential to maintain harmony on board a vessel."

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.