Farley Mowat scrapping gets extension after weather delays

A Nova Scotia judge has granted yet another extension to the salvage company removing the rusted remains of the MV Farley Mowat from a wharf in Shelburne.

Dylan Heide, the town's chief administrative officer, says the former flagship of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was supposed to be removed by last Friday, but owner Tracy Dodds received approval for a delay.

Heide says Dodds complained that bad weather had slowed his progress, and the Federal Court of Canada agreed Monday to push the deadline to April 22.

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"Certainly a fair bit of the preparation has been completed. And so with an two extra weeks we certainly are expecting to see the vessel removed by the 22nd," said Heide.

Heide also says Dodds hopes to get the ship inspected before it's towed away.

As the ship was being dismantled Monday, it caught fire — but the flames were quickly extinguished and the marine terminal was not damaged.

Heide says the fire won't affect the pace of work.

"They've been cutting to access engines for removal, which was part of the initial plan," he said. "Cranes should be arriving shortly to finish that process."

The court says if Dodds misses the April 22 deadline, he face a $5,000 fine and a maximum 20-day jail sentence — though the deadline has already been pushed back a few times.

The flat-black, 54-metre ship was seized at gunpoint by the RCMP in April 2008, after its crew sailed it too close to the seal hunt in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.