Rebuilt Bluenose II delayed again due to injured worker

The much-delayed Bluenose II rebuild has suffered another setback.

The schooner was to start sea trials this month, but Communities, Culture and Heritage spokesperson Michael Noonan told CBC News that plan has been delayed.

Noonan said a machinist suffered a serious injury this weekend and he will need to be replaced. The mans injury has nothing to do with work, it occurred off-site.

Noonan said the machinist is one of the key members of the rebuilds staff as builders prepare to install a steel rudder, the last step before the sea trials begin.

However, the injury means the sea trials won't start on schedule, but will be delayed by a week or two as the builders try to find a replacement for the injured man.

The province said the price tag is still pegged at $16 million, although it expects additional labour costs .

There is no word on what those added costs will be.

The ship, currently in drydock in Lunenburg, first slipped into the water in September 2012 after months of delays.

It was originally supposed to launch in early July 2012, putting the boat in the water just in time for the busy tourist season.

The original Bluenose, launched in 1921, was famous for never losing a regatta in 18 years of competition. It was built in Lunenburg in the same shipyard as the Bluenose II.