Summer may be almost half over, but there are still no firm answers about when or even whether there will be a summer sailing season for the Yarmouth ferry to Maine.

There have been several long and costly delays, but the government still hopes there will be a season while opposition leaders fear there won't be.

The high-speed ferry is supposed to link the town of Yarmouth, N.S., to Bar Harbor, Maine.

Originally, the service was scheduled to be up and running on June 21, but that hasn't happened -- in part because of a hold up with customs

"As an example, they had a certain square footage in mind for their requirements and last that I understood, we weren't able to offer them that, because of the envelope that's there, the size of the building," said Nova Scotia Transportation Minister. "So that was being discussed, whether or not we could find that other square footage for them or not."

Taxpayers have spent $24 million on the ferry in just the last year. $8.5 million of that is to cover renovations to the Bar Harbor ferry terminal.

Hines says he hasn't been to the terminal, but was told this week that the renovations are nearly complete.

"They're just in the process of finishing off those renovations," Hines said. "As a matter of fact, the Cat made its maiden voyage to Bar Harbor earlier this week, just to test the ramps there, to fit it in and that worked out well."

Tourism Minister Geoff MacLellan says he still believes moving the ferry from Portland to Bar Harbor was the right call.

"There was no question, from the moment, I stepped foot in Portland that this wasn't going to be the long-term destination," MacLellan said. "Maine was, but Portland wasn't."

Opposition leaders say the ferry file been mismanaged from the start.

"How could it be worse?" said NDP leader Gary Burrill. "A ferry that can't make crossings, passengers that can't board, renovations that haven't been renovated. A complete mismanaged bungle from top to bottom."

Progressive Conservative leader Tim Houston expects more for all the money the province has put into it.

"They're not even operating a ferry and we don't know if there's any penalties," Houston said. "I assume there's not."

With the summer sailing season quickly floating by, government says they may look at extending the ferry service to keep it in operation longer.

Hines says he is expecting to receive an update on the Yarmouth ferry next week.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Natasha Pace.