From “Moon Dog,” currently in Lima, Peru, August 2007.

Sailing from Salinas, Ecuador to Lima, Peru

We made this trip in early July. Temperatures were in the 60’s F, skies were overcast, winds were generally light (less than 15 kts), current was running N at about 1 kt. Heading south from Salinas we tacked down the northwest coast of Peru for the first 3 days into S-SE winds of 10-14 kts with moderate seas, past Talara and Paita. We tacked no further than 30 miles offshore until we cleared Punta La Negra (Lat 6 deg 03 South). Once south of Punta La Negra the wind died to less than 8 kts and we motored the last 3 days. We generally followed the 200-meter depth contour which also was approximately our rhumb line to Callao/Lima. We deliberately stayed 30-40 miles offshore to avoid fishing boat and nets and hoping for more wind. We checked in on VHF 16 with the Peruvian authorities (Talara Port Control, Paita Port Control and TRAMAR Callao) whenever we were within radio range of them (see below regarding the importance of contacting TRAMAR). All these radio operators spoke very good English and our conversations were very congenial. We are pretty sure that Talara Port Control was tracking us on radar even when we were 20+ miles offshore.

Checking in to Peru

Jaime Ackerman, Operations Manager of the Yacht Club Peruano (YCP), deserves tremendous credit for working with the maritime authorities over the past year to streamline the clearance process for small pleasure yachts. We had contacted Jaime in advance and he gave us excellent advice and helped us check in and check out. His phone is (511) 529-0775 and his email is [email protected]

As soon as your yacht enters Peruvian waters it is extremely important to check in by radio with “TRAMAR” authorities (Peru considers their waters to extend to 200 miles). TRAMAR does not have offices in every port. We relied on the Port Control radio officers in the major ports of Talara and Paita to relay our information to TRAMAR Callao. It is also very important to maintain a radio log of all conversations with TRAMAR or the Port Controllers, including your position, course and speed, and ETA at your intended check-in port. You will be asked to provide a copy of your radio log as part of the check-in procedure. When close to entering Callao harbour, yachts should contact TRAMAR again to announce your arrival and intentions to proceed to the YCP mooring area. (Previous cruisers were required to check daily with TRAMAR while en route but we were not required to do this.)

We arrived late on a Saturday and with Jaime Ackerman’s help we cleared in on Sunday with no problems and no overtime fees. For our 53’ boat, we paid about $85 total for clearing in and visited four offices: Health Department (Sanidad Maritima), National Port Authority (civilian), Port Captain (Capitania; Navy), Immigration. We were very surprised to learn that Peru does not require a Customs check for pleasure yachts. On checkout, you need to visit only the last three offices.

Our advice for yachts considering Peru is this: contact the YCP ahead of time for the latest information, and plan to check in first at Callao/Lima. Try to arrive during the work week when the clearance offices are fully staffed. While the YCP does not wish to serve as a bona fide agent for visiting yachts, in the future they plan to provide a member of the YCP staff to accompany and assist the foreign captain with the clearance process. YCP staff will know where the authorities’ offices are, and what forms, copies and fees are required, but the yacht’s Captain will actually do the clearance process himself. It is helpful if you can provide your ETA 72 hours in advance of your arrival so that the YCP can make appointments for you to check-in with the various authorities.

If you want to go to other ports in Peru, we advise you visit them after Callao/Lima. We heard several reports of other yachts attempting to clear in at Talara or Paita with very frustrating results. (One fellow was even a retired Peruvian Naval Officer: he gave up and moved on to Callao to check in ! ) While the YCP has been able to streamline the process in Callao/Lima, there has not been a similar “interference run” in the other ports. The authorities there will most likely treat a pleasure yacht the same as a large commercial cargo bearing ship. To make things worse, there has been a reorganization of the maritime authorities in Peru recently (there are now equivalent civil and Navy maritime authorities that somehow both have the same responsibilities) so that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, especially with something unusual like a foreign pleasure yacht. Previous cruisers had problems trying to visit other Peruvian ports after Callao, seek Jaime’s advice on before trying it.

We checked out directly for Chile. Jaime Ackermann of the YCP accompanied us to assist us. It took about 2 hours but again several of the authorities requested paperwork and information appropriate for a commercial ship but not meaningful for a pleasure sailboat (for example, a detailed route plan for the first six days after leaving Callao, with ships course, speed, latitude and longitude of turning points).

Yacht Club Peruano

The club is extremely welcoming to foreign yachts. We were overwhelmed with the generosity and friendliness of members and staff and had a really wonderful visit to Peru because of it. Jaime Ackerman, Operations Manager, in particular, went out of his way to assist us with locating sources for all the usual cruiser supply needs. The club offers a courtesy (free) mooring to foreign yachts for short-term visits. Some of their moorings have power and water! The club has a 24×7 launch service, has an excellent “five fork” restaurant, a nice bar, very nice showers, and wireless internet in the mooring area. In July, the anchorage was very calm with generally very light winds but a slight swell making it rolly at times. It is a very safe place to leave the boat for inland touring. The Yacht Club monitors VHF 68. See also their website www.yachtclubperuano.com

Services/Amenities in Vicinity of YCP

The YCP is located in the La Punta neighbourhood of Callao, a very safe and upscale area. There are excellent bakeries, a small produce/meat market, drop-off laundry, restaurants (from cheap to expensive), internet café, barber/hair salon, small medical clinic, tailor, shoe repair and post office all within two blocks of the YCP. There is also a Doyle Sail rep on La Punta, Steve Wagner cell 9500-7254. More extensive shopping is only a cheap cab or bus ride (a few dollars) away at Minka’s shopping center or the San Miguel shopping center. The Tottus and Wong’s grocery stores are amazing and exceed anything we have seen in the US.

Travel to Inland Peru

Much has been written about travel into Peru, there are many wonderful “must see” sights. Many love to pooh-pooh Lima as too big, overcrowded, dirty and smoggy, but there are many wonderful museums in the area and some fantastic Peruvian cuisine to be enjoyed. Jaime Ackerman’s lovely wife Vicky Lazarte is a travel agent with an American Express affiliated agency (Viajes Falabella) in the San Isidro section of Lima. She did a nice job arranging flights and hotels for us in the Cusco, Machu Picchu and Puno. She can be reached at (511) 618-0010 ext 6510.

Cusco is at about 11,000 ft; Puno and Lake Titicaca are at 12,500 ft. Take the probability of altitude sickness seriously. The dryness and dustiness of Andean travel will also wear on you. Spend at least a few days getting acclimated at altitude, don’t overexert yourself and drink alcohol wisely. Drink the coca tea (“mate de coca”) and chew the coca leaves: these herbal remedies really work! And if you need modern medicine, get some Sorojchi pills (most Peruvian pharmacies sell them). We were told this is similar to Motrin but optimized for altitude sickness.

Be very wary of pickpockets, especially at bus or train stations, on public (nontourist) buses or trains or collectivos, markets, and anywhere there is a crowd or a gathering. They are real pros. Just about everybody has a story. If you see a guy coming towards you with a drink in his hand, beware. If you see him take a swig of it just before he gets to you, duck! He will spit a sticky mess on your head, and while you are wiping it out of your hair, he is cleaning you out of your money and camera.

John and Ruth Martin, “Moon Dog” Amel Super Maramu 53’ ketch