The maiden voyage schedule for the Jeanie Johnston replica Famine ship in Tralee may have to be scaled down significantly, and a visit to Quebec in Canada seems unlikely, because of the Department of the Marine's refusal to sanction sea trials in May.
But a spokesman for the Jeanie Johnston project yesterday said he was still confident that the ship would sail to North America this year. The ship would be ready for sea trials in a fortnight, Mr Jim Finucane said.
Plans to begin sea trials for the Jeanie Johnston on May 22nd had to be shelved because the vessel did not meet Department of the Marine requirements, leading to speculation that the maiden voyage might have to be postponed for another year. But a Department spokesman said yesterday these were standard tests carried out by the Department on any new vessel, involving watertightness, trials of generators and electronics.
Surveyors felt the ship was not sufficiently advanced and were now waiting to be called back by the ship's managers, the spokesman said.
The end of June is the last possible date the ship can sail, even with Boston as its first port of call, those close to the project now say.
The voyage committee is finalising details and it is hoped sea trials can take place in two weeks, following a further inspection by Department surveyors. The complement of 40 crew, guests and 10 fee-paying passengers will include two officers from the Naval Service, Mr Finucane revealed yesterday.
Costs for the vessel have escalated and the project has proven much more difficult than anticipated six years ago.
Final costs will be up to £11 million, and this includes a shipyard - almost four times more money than originally anticipated. However, generous local authority and State funding, as well as a strong North-South dimension to the project, have kept the ship afloat.
Although there are many 19th-century ship projects worldwide, the Irish-American aspect of the Jeanie Johnston is unique, and it will prove lucrative in the long term, it is widely felt.