Ever since Mark Towill was in elementary school, he's wanted to go on a Hokule'a voyage longer than a day's sail.

Come April 29, he could be selected by the Polynesian Voyaging Society to take the anniversary sail to Tahiti. To be chosen, Towill will have to prove himself on the sea, in the doctor's office and on written exams. He will have to prove that he can cope emotionally with 30 days on board and work alongside experienced crew. Fifteen other teens will be measured by the same standard, with the society picking three to join the voyage to Tahiti.

"Ever since Nainoa Thompson took me out on the boat when I was 6 or 7, it's been a dream of mine. I'm not sure how I'll do on the long sails," said the Kahalu'u teen, a junior at Punahou. "It will be hard and frustrating at times living with 14 others on a 50-foot boat for 30 days. To me, all the hardship sounds exciting. It's a lifetime opportunity."

Like Towill, Kaulu Samson is excited about the opportunity. She paddled one-man canoes alongside Hokule'a during last year's coastal sail around the state.

"It was an experience," said Samson, 18, of Wai'anae. "Every time I ride on Hokule'a, it's something new. I don't know how to explain the feeling of being on the canoe. By being involved with paddling and sailing, I feel more connected to what is important to my culture."

Because of her experience with Hokule'a, Samson has obtained her boat captain's license and wants to become a harbor pilot. She recently passed her personal survival test with the state.

"Dave Lyman (the harbor pilot who recently died) inspired me to do all this since my sophomore year in high school," she said.

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.