The schooner Wawona makes its final trip

The iconic, 111-year-old schooner Wawona left shortly after 8 this morning on its final voyage.

It was maneuvered by two tug boats from where it had been moored on South Lake Union to the Lake Union Dry Dock Company, on the east side of the lake.

The 165-foot vessel will be taken apart, with some parts preserved for a future exhibit at Lake Union Park.

The Wawona, which left its place on South Lake Union at 8:15 a.m. today and arrived at the dry dock at 8:55 a.m., was built to haul lumber from this state to California. It later became a fishing schooner and during World War II was an Army barge.

Over the years, there have been various efforts to save it.

But, said Joe Shickich, president of Northwest Seaport, which owns the vessel, time and weather ultimately took their toll on the wooden ship. Its timbers rotted, opening the door for beetle infestation.

"It's a bittersweet day," Shickich said. "She's moving to the next stage."