HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil says hopes that the Bluenose II will be open to the public this year have sailed.
McNeil says sea trials will begin this fall, but the vessel won't be open for public sailings until some time next year.
The province took possession of the Bluenose II last month despite numerous problems with the schooner, including issues with its rudder and steering.
At the project's outset in 2009, the provincial government estimated the work would cost $14.4 million but that had risen to $19 million as of June.
The province's auditor general is conducting a review of the restoration.
The Bluenose II, launched in 1963, is a replica of the original Bluenose, a Grand Banks fishing schooner that earned worldwide acclaim.
