LUNENBURG, N.S. – Work continued on Bluenose II’s reconstruction today, only a few steps from where the original schooner was launched, exactly 92 years ago.
On March 26, 1921, the vessel that would later sail to countless victories and be immortalized on the Canadian dime, slipped into Lunenburg harbour.
She was built with local wood, muscle and know-how. The entire construction only cost about $35,000; in today’s currency, that’s about $400,000.
This latest reconstruction of the famed ship was slated to cost $14.4 million. Since that initial estimate, the projected budget has risen to $15.9 million, and it’s expected to jump again when construction wraps up this summer.
But if Bluenose II doesn’t set sail mid-2013, it wouldn’t be the first deadline she’s missed.
Breakdown of each Bluenose II progress update and estimated total cost.
In May 2009, the provincial government announced the restoration of Bluenose II. They had acquired the vessel in 1971. A replica itself, Bluenose II was conjured by Oland Brewery to honour the original, but primarily to promote their Schooner lager.
The province vowed to relaunch Bluenose II by March 2011 and thus secured a matching $7.2 million grant from the Federal Infrastructure Renewal Fund. That grant was reduced to $4.9 million when it became clear the project would not meet its deadline. Costs also began creeping up, and by 2010 the budget had climbed to $14.7 million with Nova Scotia taxpayers shouldering $9.8 million.
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By May 2012 — three years after the two-year project began — the province announced further setbacks. The budget had jumped to $15.9 million (where it presently stands; a conservative estimate, officials say) and the completion date was pegged at Spring 2013.
And she’ll miss that deadline, too. Summertime is the soonest Nova Scotians could see their Bluenose sailing again.
Although the Bluenose II did launch in September 2012 to much fanfare, workers have since brought her back ashore.
She’s now sheathed in a long white tarp that protects workers from the elements. Her rudder is also encased in a weatherproof shelter.
Half-hidden, shamefully behind-schedule and more expensive than its builders ever imagined — none of these things were considerations back when the project started in 2009. Let alone 1921.
Although Bluenose II will no doubt one day be back sailing the seas, these cost overruns and delays risk tarnishing her reputation as a quick, nimble and noble schooner. Her supporters can now only wait, watch, and hope this is the last anniversary of Bluenose’s launch with her successor stranded on dry land.
This is the first in a two-part series taking an in-depth look at Nova Scotia’s sailing ambassador. Tune in to the Evening News and check back tomorrow for a full explanation of exactly why Bluenose II’s reconstruction is so far behind schedule and over budget.
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