Vaka Marumaru Atua captain Deon Wong and 13 crew members departed Rarotonga yesterday afternoon for the island of Aitutaki.

The voyage is a training run for new crew as well as a sustainable transport run. There will be a couple of switch overs of the crew in Aitutaki for its returning vaka voyage.

On its way to Aitutaki, a trawl will be deployed to collect microplastic which is often consumed by marine animals, and is an environmental pollution.

If the weather stays favourable, the vaka is expected to arrive to Aitutaki by lunchtime today. The vaka is scheduled to leave Aitutaki on Saturday and arrive to Rarotonga on Sunday.

Before departing yesterday, Captain Wong said with the good fair winds especially after the weekend, we’ll get a good run.

The vaka’s lastest voyage was 23 days away to the uninhabited island of Suwarrow, returning in early July.