HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s troubled Bluenose II schooner has passed one of its final inspections before being declared complete.
This week, an inspector representing the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Transport Canada visited the ship. The hydraulic rudder control system was inspected with the propellers both static and rotating. Government officials said the ship passed the inspection and that there is no reason it won’t pass a planned sea trial.
The hydraulic steering system and steel rudder have been the most contentious parts of the schooner’s rebuild.
READ MORE: Bluenose II coverage from Global News
The new ship was initially conceived with a floating wooden rudder. The ABS told builders to replace it with a 3,200 kg steel rudder — about the same mass as three small cars.
During an initial sea trial, officials discovered this new steel rudder required three times more force to turn than normal. The province hired consultants to add hydraulic assistance and buoyancy to the rudder.
The plan to lock the rudder into a strong hydraulic control system drew heavy criticism, with some calling it a dangerous solution.
The design and installation of the steering system eventually went ahead and was completed last week.
Sea trials to test the new system could happen as early as this weekend, weather permitting. If the trials are not completed by Monday, they may have to be done next season.
Government officials said the ship will soon be winterized and will remain in Lunenburg until the spring.
By springtime, the project will be four years late. When initially announced in 2009, the vessel’s rebuild was planned to be substantially complete by March 2011.
The initial budget was $14.4 million, but has since climbed to approximately $19.3 million. The ship’s builders dispute that amount, saying they have done an additional $5 million worth of work for which they should be compensated. That disagreement is being mediated behind closed doors.
Early next year, the provincial auditor general is expected to release a report on the project.
Comments