Vaka Marumaru Atua arrived to Arutanga harbour in Aitutaki on Tuesday morning at 7.30am with the new sailing students on board. The traditional canoe departed Avatiu harbour on Monday at 9am.

The students have registered in a two-week pilot UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) programme “Teretere’anga Vaka” (Sailing a canoe) to introduce Cook Islanders to the art of traditional voyaging tutored by captain and master navigator Peia Patai.

Patai was pleased with the performances of the new students. “They did really good.”

The overnight trip had some wet weather and hard rain and Patai said the new crew handled the canoe very well.

READ MORE:

• Pilot programme teaches youth art of traditional voyaging

“Considering this is the first time the new students have sailed overnight on a voyage to another of our islands, the students have actually put it into action what they have learned in theory (classrooms). I’m really happy with their progress,” Patai said.

First time sailor Piritau Nga Jr said the voyage was “pretty smooth” but there were moments when the canoe would “lift” while he was trying to get some sleep.

“I’d do it again, you have to have a tough stomach, you’ll be all right,” Nga Jr said.

Tuaineiti Ngamata also a new sailor described the voyage as “pretty perfect and windy”. Being on watch duty, he kept an eye on the sun and lining it up with the mark. “In the rough waves it’s pretty hard to hold the oe, but I managed it.”

The crew will spend few days on Aitutaki learning about the construction of the vaka, maintenance and safety checks.

Vaka Marumaru Atua captain and crew would like to thank Onu Hewitt and partner from Bubbles Below Aitutaki for breakfast on arrival.

Next year in April, the UNESCO “Teretere’anga Vaka” programme is expected to start in Aitutaki with students sailing the vaka back to Rarotonga.