Packed, Prepped, and Peru-Bound
By Lottie Hopkinson-Woolley
Where to even begin? Coordinating the logistics for Velocity, all her equipment and our food has been nothing short of a monumental task. I have spent countless hours buried in Excel spreadsheets, ensuring our shipping documents were perfectly prepared to satisfy Peruvian customs. Miriam has braved many late nights freezing in the shed where the packing took place and Jess made several trips in Gethin (the van) up north to transport all our equipment. It’s been a team effort to bring everything together.
Back in April 2023, I was fortunate enough to connect with Anthony Fullbrook at the OEC Group . Having attended the same school, I reached out in the hope that he might lend a hand. To my relief, Anthony not only replied, but quickly became an invaluable part of our campaign. He generously offered to ship Velocity to Peru and back from Australia, saving us from what would have been an enormous expense.
As time went on, OEC Group introduced us to Sovereign Cargo, who later joined as a key sponsor. They took on the task of organising the many moving parts of this operation. Daniel from Sovereign Cargo invested countless hours guiding us through the complexities of international shipping.
The process turned out to be far more intricate than I could have imagined. From acquiring the necessary EORI number for Velocity—a unique identifier required for customs clearance—to carefully planning the timeline, we had to ensure Velocity would arrive in Peru by the end of February, just ahead of the team, without being held up in storage for too long.
Velocity and her equipment departed in a 40-foot container, while our food and first aid supplies were shipped separately in a 20-foot container this week. This separation was necessary because Peruvian customs required the food to be classified as “ship’s supplies,” which meant Velocity had to arrive in Peru first, before the food could follow.
We were incredibly lucky to have access to the facilities at the Payne’s Farm, where we could lay out all the equipment and food for packing. Miriam spent countless hours sorting and packing the pallets for shipping in the “shed.” Once packed, the pallets were collected from Yorkshire and transported to the shipyard for loading. We’ve sent over 800 kilograms of food to Peru, and every single item was meticulously catalogued by type, brand, weight, quantity, commodity code, and cost. Each pallet, box, and item was numbered and weighed to prepare for potential customs inspections. If we’re “red-lighted” for inspection, Peruvian officials will know exactly what’s inside—including a significant stash of chocolate and snacks, which we hope they won’t be too tempted to try!
To simplify customs in both Peru and Australia, and to ensure Velocity’s smooth return to the UK after the expedition, we decided to prepare a Carnet. While it added another layer of preparation, it brought valuable peace of mind.
The loading process was a feat in itself. The pallets of equipment, daggerboards, and rudder went in first, followed by Velocity on her cradle which was custom made. She was secured with blocks and chocks drilled into the container floor to keep her steady during the voyage. The oars had to be suspended in the narrow container—turns out Velocity is wider than I realised, or the containers are narrower than I’d envisioned. Finally, the hazardous methanol, essential for our EFOY fuel cell (a backup energy source), was carefully strapped in with a special note for safety.
Velocity’s voyage to Peru will take around 30 days, with a few port stops along the way before she is offloaded in Callao. Fittingly, the ship carrying her is named the “Callao Express.”
Looking back, we are incredibly grateful to OEC Group and Sovereign Cargo for guiding us through this labyrinthine process. I’ve learned that shipping items around the world is far more intricate than I ever imagined, and I’m beyond relieved to leave those brain-numbing spreadsheets behind.
There were plenty of challenges along the way. At one point, we weren’t even sure if we could bring along our homemade breakfasts and trail mixes, which had taken us two full days to prepare. Thankfully, that hurdle and many others were overcome.
When we finally land in Peru and have Velocity, her equipment, and all our supplies safely at Yacht Club Purano, I think the whole team will breathe a huge sigh of relief—and most certainly pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate!