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How it all started
We celebrated Inge's birthday end of May in a very special way. She was treated
to a 3-days cruise vacation in our local waters with the working freight boat MV Aurora Explorer.
We had heard a lot of good tales from guests who stayed in our B&B before or after their cruise with the Aurora,
we sell a beautiful Chris Carter photo on canvas of this landing craft in our own gallery - but you just have to experience
it yourself in order to appreciate this opportunity of a cruise of a lifetime.
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| Inge watching the Aurora taking heavy logging equipment |
Marine Link Tours and the M.V.Aurora
Marine Link Tours offers three and five day tours and rightfully calls them "A
One of a Kind Journey into the Pacific Northwest's Inside Passage".
As they say in their web site: Cruise the inland waterways of coastal British Columbia and experience the magic of the MV Aurora Explorer, a 135
foot landing craft that transports a wide variety of heavy equipment and general freight throughout the Gulf of Georgia and
the remote inlets of Johnstone and Queen Charlotte Straits. You will enjoy rugged coastal scenery, observe many species of
whales and other sea life, and experience the history and influence of the early explorers, settlers, cannery workers and
native populations on the coast. You'll listen as the crew works the radio telephones or navigates the ship by radar and watch
as freight is loaded and discharged along the way.
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| Our "Mystery" Cruise Route through the Discovery Islands |
Our "Mystery" Cruise
The trips are scheduled far ahead and weekly 5 days in either the northern or
the southern part of our coastal world. Once a month, though, a mystery cruise of 3 days is happening. These special cruises
of the Aurora Explorer are for those with adventurous spirits, because Marine Link really cannot predict where the vessel
will actually go. The ship will travel where the freight takes her, which will provide passengers the opportunity to view
a wider selection of the coast. This is the kind of adventure which we experienced, and we thoroughly enjoyed it!
12 passengers, 6 crew (2 of them Stewards), super friendly service, excellent food (too good!), wine included, comfortable
small staterooms, crossing the paths of Humpback Whales, Black Bear, Dolphins, Sea Lions, Eagles; highly interesting working
or leisure stops. Weather? Not really important, it was mixed and a bit of everything. Relaxing, beautiful, informative, in
a leisurely speed of 7 knots.
Would we recommend it? YES!
Would we do it again? We are just in the progress of planning a knitting retreat on a Aurora Cruise
for 2011!
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| Aurora heading into Bute Inlet |
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