Qio Ni Laucala skipper driven to the sea by its smell
The smell of the sea and growing up in a remote island a small boy in the Lau Group set the platform for Jone Moceitai to choose a career in the marine.
Addressed Captain John by his colleagues and friends he had left Namalata in Vanuabalavu as a young boy with his family for Lautoka.
He attended Lautoka Fijian School before enrolling at the Tailevu North boarding school Ratu Kadavulevu School for four years.
“I wanted to be a sea captain, the sea is my comfort zone that soon after leaving RKS I enrolled into maritime studies,” Mr Moceitai said.
Mr Moceitai, 48, has had experience on a wide range of shipping vessels and has now settled as captain of the Qio Ni Laucala barge.
Barge Qio Ni Laucala frequents Suva on a weekly basis picking up supplies for the exclusive private island resort of Laucala.
Mr Moceitai has been skipper of Qio Ni Laucala for nine years now and heads a team of eight crew members.
“As captain of the boat, I hold the responsibility in the supervision of the transportation of supply within the vessel to the island as stipulated in the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF),” he said.
“I also play the role in setting course and speed even directing crew members to ensure that proper procedures are followed.
“We have the logistics department that does all the cargo orders for the island and it’s their role to collect orders before we take over transporting items to the island safely.”
He said the Qio Ni Laucala disembarks at the Narayan jetty every week where it offloads and loads supplies.
Part of his job is to make sure that he keeps his log book and records the ship’s movements cargo entered and updated.
“In recruiting seafarers, they need to have a valid seafarer’s certificate according to MSAF requirements,” he said.
Changing of weather patterns and unforeseen mechanical problems are two of the many challenges between Suva and Laucala Island according to Mr Moceitai.
“These usually delay our work, we work hard to avoid them.”
Mr Moceitai is a Class 4 master qualifying him to be Captain of Qio Ni Laucala. He hopes to continue his studies in the near future.
