A PIECE of Barrow bid a final farewell to the town today.

The Princess Selandia left Buccleuch Dock, which was home to the carrier for almost ten years, at 6.30am today.

She made her way out of the port and passed the north side of Piel Island.

The Selandia is now making her way north around Scotland before crossing the North Sea to journey on to Frederikshavn in the north of Denmark.

It is believed she will then be restored and opened up as a museum for visitors.

The Princess Selandia has a long history as an esteemed as a Danish rail ferry which carried the name Dronning Ingrid after the former Danish queen.

However, after giving up her royal title, the carrier was renamed Sjaelland, or Selandia, meaning shell.

In 2004, she was bought by Barrow entrepreneur and nightclub owner, Rick Lucas, who transformed the industry carrier into a popular restaurant and nightclub.

With a capacity of 2400 people, the Selandia was a key part in boosting Barrow’s nightlife before it closed its doors in 2010.

For the past five years, the ship has been lying dormant in Buccleuch Dock, behind Morrisons, before she was bought back by the Danes.

Speaking before the departure, Mr Lucas said: “It’s a big chunk of my life. My family and I have put a lot of work into that and a lot of people worked with us to make it work. It was good and I enjoyed doing it.”

“If the marina had worked out she would have been in the middle of it so it might have been different.”

However, Mr Lucas has high hopes for the boat and is confident that she will be restored to her former glory and opened up as a museum in Copenhagen.