Rifles, bayonets, and ammunition must be not separated in bulk, requiring to be laboriously reassembled at their destination.
He therefore insisted that parcels should be made up containing five rifles in each, with bayonets to match, and 100 rounds of ammunition per rifle, each parcel weighing about 75 lbs.

He attached so much importance to this system of packing that he adhered to it even after discovering that it would cost about L2,000, and would take more than a month to complete.
While the work of packing was going on, Crawford, who found he was exciting the curiosity of the Hamburg police, kept out of sight as much as possible, and he paid more than one visit to the Committee in Belfast, leaving the supervision to the skipper and packer, whom he had found he could trust.

In the meantime, by advertisements in the Scandinavian countries, he was looking out for a suitable steamer to carry the cargo.

For a crew his thoughts turned to his old friend, Andrew Agnew, skipper in the employment of the Antrim Iron Ore Company.
Happily he was not only able to secure the services of Agnew himself, but Agnew brought with him his mate and his chief and second engineers.
This was a great gain; for they were not only splendid men at their job, but were men willing to risk their liberty or their lives for the Ulster cause.

Deck-hands and firemen would be procurable at whatever port a steamer was to be bought.
Several vessels were offered in response to Crawford's advertisements, and on the 16th of March, when the packing of the arms was well advanced, Crawford, Agnew, and his chief engineer went to Norway to inspect these steamers.