Bluenose II restoration complete, summer tour schedule posted
Vessel still needs full-class certification from American Bureau of Shipping
The newly restored Bluenose II will start its summer tour schedule on July 19, now that the ship's captain says his crew is ready to sail.
A public cruise schedule for this year has been posted online, marking the completion of the restoration work on the vessel, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal said Monday.
"We can now say with confidence that the Bluenose II will be back as Nova Scotia's sailing ambassador this summer," Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan said in a statement.
The American Bureau of Shipping has given the vessel interim classification, which allows the ship to sail with its crew and provide Lunenburg Harbour cruises.
Transport Canada must then issue a certificate of registry, so the Bluenose II can sail from port to port in Nova Scotia.
Finally, the ship will receive a full-class certification from the American Bureau of Shipping before the tour schedule can get underway.
The Bluenose II restoration project has been plagued by a series of setbacks over the several years. In 2009, when the project was announced, the project's budget was set at $14.4 million. It has since ballooned to over $20 million.
By April 2015, a checklist of engineering feats still needed to be completed before a date for sailing could be set.
The Bluenose II has been seen sailing around Lunenburg Harbour and the South Shore over the last month.
According to the ship's website, the Bluenose II will be sailing July 19 to July 31, Aug. 20 to Aug. 30 and Sept. 13 to Sept. 30.
A community event to give the public a chance to see the Bluenose II will be held in the next few days, but no dates have been set.