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Description area
Dates of existence
History
In 1962, Oland and Son Limited commissioned a replica of the famous schooner "Bluenose." The company's marketing and promotion activities were strictly regulated by the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission and it was eager to find acceptable ways to promote Oland products. The Oland Family were also strong promoters of economic development and maritime heritage in Nova Scotia, so the company commissioned the Bluenose II to promote its Schooner beer and to serve as a floating ambassador for the province.
Bluenose II was built by the Smith and Rhuland Shipyard of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, the same shipyard that build the original Bluenose. Smith and Rhuland consulted with Angus Walters, the captain of the Bluenose and based the design of the Bluenose II on the W.J. Roue's designs for the Bluenose. The ship's design was modified to accommodate its role as a public relations asset for the company.
The Bluenose II was launched from the ways at the Smith and Rhuland shipyard on July 24, 1963. The schooner was chartered on trips and tours around the Maritimes during the summer months and spent some winters doing charters in the Carribbean. Oland and Son frequently hosted business and industry executives, government officials, and other guests on the Bluenose II. The schooner participated in the annual Lunenburg Fisheries Exhibition and in 1967, the Bluenose II acted as the official Expo '67 host vessel for Nova Scotia.
The schooner was a resounding success as a public relations tool and a provincial ambassador, but maintenance of the ship became too costly for the company to keep up with. In 1971, the "Bluenose II" was sold to the Province of Nova Scotia by the Oland Family for one dollar. The schooner still serves as an ambassador for the province and is now operated by the Lunenburg Maritime Museum Society.