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The Allan Hancock Foundation Archive

Allan Hancock's ships

An avid sailor, Allan Hancock owned and operated a number of marine vessels. Beginning with the Cricket, Hancock upgraded to 3 Veleros (Velero I, II and III), as well as another strictly pleasure yacht, the Oaxaca. The Velero I was built as a pleasure yacht; the and Velero II was built as a pleasure yacht that was retrofitted for scientific expeditions; and the Velero III was designed with both pleasure and science in mind. In 1948, Hancock gifted to the Foundation its first true research vessel, the Velero IV.

The Velero I was only used as a pleasure boat, and the Velero II was only used in the earliest of the Galapagos expeditions. Designed as a luxury yacht, it contained well appointed staterooms, attention to detail in its furnishings, and lavish decoration.

The Velero III was built as a combination of pleasure yacht and research vessel. It included well appointed common rooms, but was also built with more sophisticated specimen collecting in mind. It served as the Foundation's research vessel for the bulk of the 1930s, and was donated to the military during World War II.

The Velero IV, designed as a research vessel, was in use from July of 1948 through June 1985.

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Pacific Expeditions The Hancock Foundation began conducting research trips to the Galapagos Islands in 1932. Allan Hancock, who captained all research trips through the 1950s, donated his yacht, the Velero II, for this purpose. The voyages were conducted on three generations of the Velero--the Velero II, Velero III and Velero IV. Aboard ship were numerous scientists, including John Garth, who would continue his affiliation with the Foundation through the 1980s, Charles Swett, Maurice Nelles, Waldo Schmitt, Irene McCulloch, Harry Wegeforth, and many others. Most were affiliated with the University of Southern California, but scientists from other institutions (e.g., the Field Museum in Chicago), also took part in some of the expeditions. Also accompanying these trips were photographers and cameramen who visually documented both scientific activity and daily life aboard the Velero.