The maiden voyage of the Bermuda sloop Spirit of Bermuda has been delayed by almost a month.

Originally the ship was scheduled to leave Maine on July 15 and arrive in Bermuda on August 10. However, the departure date has now been moved to August 12.

The delay stems from a new requirement of the US regulation body American Bureau of Shipping. The composite-construction rudder of the Spirit must now be tested, which is expected to take six weeks.

Malcolm Kirkland, project manager of the sloop, said he was disappointed about the new schedule because it meant students who had been scheduled to sail on it this summer would not have the opportunity.

"The biggest impact is on the programme side," he said. "We have now lost the summer vacation. We are having to switch gears from the August extracurricular Skiller Team in the West End, Warwick and the East End to the Public Middle School programme for M3 Classes in late September and October. Because both programmes involve five-day voyages, we will have to wait until the mid-term break for the Skiller Team start-up."

However, he said all was not lost for those students and that alternative arrangements are being looked into.

"We feel badly for the 30 or so Skiller student crew who had signed up, but we are working on alternative development opportunities," he said. "One, we are taking applications for a seven-day Outward Bound adventure up the coast of Maine and, two, Sail Training Association of Bermuda is taking applications for two-week voyages on sail training vessels in Europe this summer. Both will put young Bermudians in good stead on Spirit in the future."

Because the voyage has been moved, and the ship will now be sailing during peak hurricane season, there will be no student sailors on the maiden voyage. Two young men who have already had a taste of life at sea aboard the Amistad will join the team on the maiden voyage. Rodrico Bean, who now attends Bermuda College, and Rajae Woods, a CedarBridge student, spent two weeks last May as crew members of the replica ship.