Freighter cruising affords an up – labyrinthine Inside Passage

While most of us are snug in bed on land in the dark of night, know that if the tide is right, somewhere along B.C.’s convoluted coastline of bays, coves, inlets and islands, in some remote logging camp, fish farm, First Nations village or rare homestead outpost, the shallow- draught Aurora Explorer is “pushing the beach” powered by two 260-horsepower Caterpillar diesel engines. Like a scene from World War II’s D-Day landings, her bow ramp drops down. And under the glare of fl oodlights, a handful of men, using mostly hand signals and a hydraulic crane, unload freight and pump diesel with familiar ease.