As part of one of the first steam engines of the 19th century, the Yavarí ship symbolizes one of the most emblematic tourist attractions of Puno. This has been anchored in front of the Posada del Inca hotel since 1862, the year it was launched.
From 1998 it began its functions as a museum. Just a year later, a Swedish engineer was in charge of restoring the engine, which allowed her to sail again to the Capachica peninsula. Its longest journey being a trip to Suasi, a point close to the border with Bolivia.
Máximo Flores Flores, captain of the boat, remembers the trips fondly. And he mentions that future routes include destinations such as Urus, Amantani and the Chucuito peninsula, also projecting to other national or Bolivian islands in the future.
The Yavarí will be able to transport up to 40 passengers on round trips, in addition to having lifeboats for 16 people each. Which will make it possible for more people to get to know this historical jewel and promote the preservation of Puno's nautical heritage.
In 1861, the Peruvian Government, chaired by Ramón Castilla, ordered the construction of two small gunboats for Lake Titicaca. Due to the benefits obtained by the guano industry, the Government was interested in the exploitation of natural resources in the highland area.
Through the Anthony Gibbs & Sons agency, the Government commissioned the James Watt shipyard
Foundry in Birmingham, England, for the construction of the ships. At this time all cargo had to be transported on mule back since there was no railway line, for this reason the boats had to be designed and built in pieces that did not exceed 200 kg, the maximum carrying capacity of a mule.
Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding was subcontracted to build the iron hulls for the Yavarí and Yapura.
On October 15, 1862, the “Mayola”, with eight British engineers on board, after having crossed the Atlantic and surrounded Cape Horn, arrived at the then Peruvian port of Arica and unloaded boxes and parts from the Yavarí and the Yapura. The Peruvian Navy was responsible for transporting the 2,766 pieces and two crankshafts to Lake Titicaca.
From Arica to Tacna (650 meters above sea level), the boxes traveled on the second oldest railway line in South America. In Tacna, the 2,766 pieces with a total weight of 210 tons were taken out of the boxes and arranged for transport in the order in which they were to arrive in Puno. The route, designed to be only 350 km, would take the muleteers and porters through the desert, to the Altiplano, passing through high peaks in the Andes Mountains.
Delivery was to be made in six months. According to this term, the engineers who traveled to reassemble the pieces went ahead to build the dam and the necessary machinery.
Six months later the contractor was fired, leaving pieces of the ship scattered between Tacna and Puno. A series of events seemed to conspire in the delivery of the pieces: an earthquake, a peasant revolution and the attempt at a second conquest of Peru by Spain. More mules and 1,000 indigenous people were required to finish shipping the pieces; by January 1, 1869, enough pieces arrived to start the work.
After overcoming several obstacles, British engineers and local workers rebuilt the Yavarí little by little. The launching of the First Lady of the Lake took place on December 25, 1870 at 3 in the afternoon. Her incredible journey from the heart of the British Empire to the spiritual heart of the Inca Empire was over. The Yapurá (renamed years later by the Peruvian Navy as BAP “Puno” followed in 1873).
The Yavarí was powered by boilers that generated 60 HP; llama excrement was used for combustion, since it was impossible to get coal in the Altiplano. She also had auxiliary sails on two masts.
By 1890, the cost of the War of the Pacific and the construction of some of the world's greatest railways had impoverished Peru. In lieu of a debt repayment, The Peruvian Corporation was formed as a British company to run the trains and Lake Steamers. The YAVARI continued its vital service providing transport for the region's exports and as a link between lakeside communities.
Known as “the Peruvian”, the Corporation decided to lengthen the hull of the Yavarí to have more cargo space, and in 1914 replaced the steam engine with a Bolinder semi-diesel, a 4-cylinder Swedish engine that develops 320 HP at 225 rpm. This engine is the oldest of its category and size that currently works, and is considered a collector's item. Its repair and restoration is due to the support and sponsorship of Volvo Perú S.A. and Atlas Copco S.A.
The Yavarí had gone through many changes until The Peruvian Corporation was nationalized in 1975, becoming the National Railway Company (ENAFER Perú), which handed the ship over to the Peruvian Navy and finally, due to lack of resources, was discharged.
It was in 1982 when Meriel Larken, an English lady in love with Peru, discovered this old iron boat abandoned in a corner of the Puno dock. She thought it had been built by the Yarrows Shipyard, founded by her great-grandfather Sir Alfred Yarrow, in fact it had not been so, but the historical value and the potential to draw attention to one of the most depressed areas of Peru led her to commission the Lloyds Condition Survey company to evaluate the state of conservation of this jewel of naval engineering. The company found that due to the quality of the lake's water and the height above sea level where it is located, the iron hull was in excellent condition and restoration was possible. In 1987 The Yavari Project was created in England and The Yavarí Association in Peru and, in order to refloat this wonder, it was purchased from the Peruvian Navy.
Due to the instability and the situation that the country was going through at that time, it was difficult to begin the restoration work, but starting in 1990 this changed. Since that moment we have been working and great progress has been made thanks to the support of friends, sponsors and volunteers.
Currently the Yavarí is open to the public as the First Museum Ship of Peru, by Directorial Resolution of the National Institute of Culture. Admission is free, however voluntary donations are cordially received. The visits are guided in Spanish and English.
See below for contact information on board the vessel.
Lake Titicaca at a height of 3810 meters above sea level, is the highest navigable lake in the world. It has 176 km. long and approximately 50 km wide. Fed by eight rivers, it constitutes part of the border between Peru and Bolivia. The rock paintings found around the lake show the life of the Colla, Lupaka and Pukara cultures; as well as one of the most important cultures in South America, Tiahuanaco (1500 BC -1000AD).
Also known as Sacred Lake, Titicaca is the legendary birthplace of the Inca Empire, where the God Wiracocha emerged from the depths to create Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo on the Island of the Sun, one of the 30 found there. . Its name has a deep meaning in local mythology, derived from the Aymara word “Titi” which means cat and “Caca”, a Quechua word to refer to the “sacred rock” found on the Isla del Sol.
Its dark blue waters and reeds represent a home or temporary refuge for 60 species of native and migratory birds, 18 species of amphibians and 12 varieties of aquatic plants.
The plateau offers a beautiful and peaceful landscape, however it is not the best place for the faint of heart. Life can be rough for the natives who have had to learn to subsist on the resources that the Lake offers. The weather phenomena of recent years have affected the lives of many farmers from the lake communities, forcing them to emigrate to Puno in search of work. The unemployment percentage in Puno is high, therefore any project that offers the possibility of generating work around Lake Titicaca helps to counteract this situation. The Yavarí Project has been promoting the development of the region.
Ship Location
The Yavarí is located in the Port of Puno, on the northwest shore of Lake Titicaca. The city of Puno, with a population of 230,000 inhabitants, is the starting point to the Floating Island of the Uros, the islands of Taquile, Amantani and Suasi.
From this city it is easy to reach many archaeological and cultural sites such as Tiahuanaco, the chulpas of Sillustani and the notable mestizo-arroque churches in the towns of Lampa, Juli, Pomata and Zepita.
If you want to visit Machu Picchu, we recommend you to book your Machu Picchu entrance tickets in advance, so you will enjoy your Vacation in Machu Picchu without any problem.
