Historic Canadian Princess ship says goodbye in Ucluelet

It marksthe end of an era in Ucluelet. The Canadian Princess, which served as afloating fishing lodge for more than 30 years, has left the harbour.

The ship was part of a hotel that operated under the same name. The Oak Bay Marine Group sold the onshore accommodations earlier this year, but the Canadian Princess was not part of the deal and is instead set to be dismantled.

• Oak Bay Marine sale of Ucluelet property means end for floating lodge

Hundreds of people watched as the ship was towed out of Ucluelet's harbour on Friday. Several boats were used to pull the Canadian Princess away from the shoreline and tow it to open water.

"Mixed feelings. She has been the centre ofUclueletfor many, many years, and for many years also the heart of our tourism activity," saidDianne St. Jacques, the mayor ofUcluelet anda former Canadian Princessemployee.

Paul Freimuth fromUkeedaze.com caught the Canadian Princess's final goodbye on camera:

Mapping the B.C. Coast

The Canadian Princess may be best known as a floating fishing lodge in Ucluelet, butbefore it became a tourist attractionthe ship wasnamed theWilliam J. Stewart, and it spent yearsmappingmuch of the B.C. Coast.

Wili Rapatzof Sidney, B.C.,knew the ship well. Hestarted out as a deckhand back when theship was coalpowered.

"At that time, she was the most important ship," he said. "She did a lot of very good work mapping the coast of British Columbiaand the waters near the coast."

The William J. Stewart struck the famous Ripple Rock near Campbell River and nearly sank during its work.

The deadly rock lurked just beneath the surface and sankor damaged more than 100 ships. Ripple Rock was removed in 1958 in what is described asthe world's largest non-nuclear peacetime explosion.

B.C.'s deadly Ripple Rock blown up

67 years ago

Duration 3:56

B.C.'s deadly Ripple Rock is blown up in the world's largest non-nuclear peacetime explosion.

TheCanadian Princess wassalvaged after the collisionand was later purchased by the Oak Bay Marine Group of Victoria.

It waspermanently moored in theUclueletharbour in 1979.Rapatzgot the chance to visit the ship after it became a lodge.

"It was different," he told host Gregor Craigie on CBC Radio's On The Island. "The dining room and so on was, of course, much better than we used to have."

On The Island9:38Removal of Canadian Princess an end of an era for Ucluelet

The vessel, which served as a floating fishing lodge for more than 30 years, had a long history on the B.C. Coast.

Despite spending years onboard, Rapatz said he doesn't have strong feelings about the ship's final voyage.

"I'm not sure whether I feel bad about it or good about it," he said. "What else do you do with a ship?"

Now that the vessel has been removed from Ucluelet, the community may now be able to put a boardwalk around the inner harbour, St. Jacques said.

The Canadian Princess Resort continues to operate onshore under a new owner.