pushing the beach

Pushing The Beach Book

PUSHING THE BEACH

Written by Al Meadows with Historical Appendices by Maritime Author Syd Heal.  Epilogue by current Marine Link Owner, Guy Adams.

Pushing the Beach is the story of how the M.V. Aurora Explorer was discovered in Fort McMurray, Alberta and its epic voyage down the McKenzie River through the Bering Strait on its way for delivery to its new owners in Campbell River, BC.

Taking us all the way back to 1976 and the imperceptible beginnings of Marine Link, the author recollects on what it takes to build a vibrant business from the grass-roots up.  Historical and biographical, often humorous and educational, Pushing the Beach highlights the people and stories that make coastal British Columbia so extraordinary.

Including a chapter documenting the three dimensional reconstruction of the Aurora undertaken in 1998, with over 180 full colour photographs to transport you back to the deck of the M.V. Aurora Explorer, Pushing the Beach will make a great conversation starter on your coffee table, or a perfect Christmas present to those wanting to share the truly unparalleled British Columbia Coast.

Contact us if you want to purchase a copy.

In the Media

A Unique Sea-cation in B.C.’s Inside Passage – Nancy Mueller

If your idea of paradise rests at the nexus of wildlife and wonder, welcome aboard the MV Aurora Explorer, a working freight vessel cruising British Columbia’s Inside Passage. Owned by Marine Link Tours in Campbell River on the east side of Vancouver Island the 135-foot landing craft runs remote marine channels to service isolated fishing,…

Inside Passage journey not your average Cruise Trip

Reprinted with permission: “Inside Passage journey not your average cruise trip”, by Yvette Cardozo and Bill Hirsch, Calgary Herald; Saturday, July 31, 2004 Inside Passage journey not your average cruise trip Freighter voyage mixes work and pleasure Yvette Cardozo and Bill Hirsch For the Calgary Herald; CanWest News Service Saturday, July 31, 2004 Midnight and…

Mainland Islands’ Billy Proctor Has Many Stories to Share

When not logging, trapping, or fishing, Proctor explores the inlets and abandoned camps and villages along the Broughton Archipelago by Anne Ikeda On a recent voyage on board the MV Aurora Explorer, we had the unscheduled pleasure of meeting B.C. Mainland Islands’ best-known citizen, Billy Proctor. I rather naively thought it would be nice for…

Fancy a magical mystery tour?

“We have three different trips we do on this ship,” says Captain Phillipe Menetrier, easing back the throttle at the bridge of the MV Aurora Explor – er . “This is the Discovery Islands trip we are on. We also go north as far as Kingcome Inlet and then we have something we call a…

Cruising into Canadian Wilds

Working ship takes 12 passengers to magical places August 10, 2011| By Pat Brennan, Special to Tribune Newspapers Delivering a 50-ton bulldozer to a lumber camp in northern British Columbia was the best vacation trip Mary Stiles ever took. No roads lead to the lumber camp, so the bulldozer was delivered by landing craft similar…

The Aurora Explorer By Laurie Carter

“Humpback on the starboard side,” shouts First Mate Kevin, sticking his head down the companionway from the bridge of the motor vessel Aurora Explorer. I grab my camera and leap up from the lunch table. In half-a-dozen steps, I’m through the back door of the main cabin and poised for a shot just as the…

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…

Cruise BC’s Inside Passage

Aurora Explorer is a working freight vessel. The freight deck where I and 10 other passengers met captain and crew was already loaded with a well-organized collection of heavy cargo. Crew members escorted us to our cabins on the second deck to settle in while they resumed their duties to get us underway. After a…