The iconic Bluenose II is ready to start sea trials to ensure it is seaworthy, more than three years after it was taken onto land for restoration work.
The rebuilt replica of the famous fishing schooner Bluenose was undocked from the Lunenburg Marine Railway and towed to the Lunenburg Foundry plant wharf Friday morning.
The Nova Scotia government says the ship will receive its rigging in the next few weeks.
The ship, which was built in 1963, was officially re-launched last September but had to be pulled out of the water because the $16 million restoration job wasn't complete. The last major repair for the ship was replacing its steel rudder.
The Bluenose II will undergo several trials at sea to make sure it's seaworthy, before being returned to the province. Once back under provincial jurisdiction, it will be opened for public tours.
The original Bluenose was launched in 1921 and won worldwide acclaim for its design and speed. It became a dominant force in the racing world, before it sank off Isle aux Vache in Haiti in 1946. Its image is featured on the Canadian dime.
