It could be months before the Bluenose II returns to the water.

Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter confirms the launch of the rebuilt Bluenose Two is being delayed until the end of the year.

The sleek schooner is undergoing a $17 million restoration from the keel-up and the original plan was to have it back in the water this summer, in time for a premiers meeting in Halifax later this month.

Dexter says the delay stems from the fact that there’s no template for a one-of-a-kind project.