Even before the rest of the crew members had arrived to prepare for the journey, Onisimo Vasutava was already there tinkering with the Caterpillar engine of the Marama Nasau.
He had gotten up early that day and was one of the first on board, inspecting and testing the engine, which at that early hour was a deserted Lautoka wharf.
This is how his day begins every single day the boat has a scheduled trip.
Onisimo is from Somosomo Village on Naviti Island in the Yasawa Group and he has deep ancestral sailing roots, something of which he is very proud.
His ancestors were said to have carved a boat out of rock, and they were the first settlers on a small bay on the northern end of Naviti Island.
The village of Somosomo is one of the few villages in the Yasawas which own their own boats, to ferry villagers to and from Viti Levu and theirs is the Marama Nasau. Onisimo is its engineer.
But Onisimo's story is quite unique considering that he only reached a high school level of education and yet, he has been tasked with the responsibility of being the engineer for his village boat.
"I never went to school to learn about engineering. All the things that I know about engineering is basically what I have picked up along the way," Onisimo said.
He has been manning the Marama's engine for some years now and to him, he knows nothing else but the best welfare of the engine.
Onisimo knows the CAT engine like the back of his hand and recalls the day when it was first brought in to be installed on the Marama.
"When the boat was first built, we had asked a man to recommend an engine for us and he came and took measurements and when he returned from Australia, he brought with him this engine.
The Marama is the result of many years of fundraising that Somosomo villagers have to undertake in order to build the boat itself.
The boat is named after the chiefly title of the Somosomo people who also have close links with the people of Viseisei in Vuda. And it was this close relationship that saw the completion of the effort to raise the funds to build the boat.
Osea Nasau, who was last appointed the treasurer for the Marama four years ago still retains the position, after the people of Somosomo allowed him to retain this post because of his leadership.
With the money they have gained from the Marama Nasau, the people of Somosomo have invested some, secured some insurance and have paid its captain and crew well.
Meanwhile, for Onisimo his work as an engineer has allowed him to have a form of work that is different from what other young men in his village usually do.
From a village which thrives on deep sea diving for bche-de-mer, fishing, coconuts and farming Onisimo is considered lucky to have a steady source of income.
And to him, being a crew member of the Marama is something that is not only a job but a calling from his vanua and service to his fellow people of Yasawa.