Last we reported about Captain John's, the dilapidated 1970s seafood restuarant moored at the foot of Yonge St., there was reason for cautious optimism that the ship might finally make its exit from the Toronto harbour. Entrepreneur James Sbrolla was an enthusiastic suitor for the vessel -- and remains in the game as far its future goes -- but he's refused to lay down anything more than the $3,000 deposit he left after successfully bidding for the ship.

It's not surprising, really. The Toronto Port Authority's (TPA) August 22nd deadline to remove the ship seems like it can be delayed on account of technical problems related to the boat's hydro hookup, and Sbrolla is a tactful businessman who will play ball as long as it suits him. For now the TPA has resisted taking a hardline on cutting the ships ties to the harbour, so the relic remains an anachronistic feature of the waterfront.

I'm not one who's rooting for the aging vessel to be scrapped, but it's obviously time for it to take leave of Queens Quay (alas, time marches on). The latest news is that a new buyer is in the fold, but one suspects that the fate of the old cruise ship won't be sorted anytime soon. It might not be sunk in the mud at its pier, but its history is buried deep enough that moving it is proving very difficult.

Photo by Tom Ryaboi