Utah man buys a cruise ship on Craigslist and spent over $1 million to restore it. Then, it sank.

Sometimes people can spend a fortune and put years behind their dream project, but they still can't defy fate. A Utah man spent $1 million renovating a historic cruise ship that he bought off Craigslist, only for it to become a headache for the city where it is docked. The vessel, which was once featured in a James Bond film, was bought by tech entrepreneur Chris Willson with an aim to turn it into a museum. However, after 15 years of work, he gave up on his dream, and the cruise ship was repossessed by the city of Stockton, California.

An Expensive Piece of History

In an interview with CNN Travel, Wilson shared that he was intrigued by the vessel's history since it was initially named Wappen von Hamburg when it was built in Germany after World War II. It featured in the 1963 James Bond film "From Russia with Love," and hence Willson came up with the idea of restoring the boat to its former glory and turning it into an attraction. 

He shared that he was able to “work out a really good deal” for the boat in 2008, to begin his passion project. The vessel was first docked for a year in Rio Vista, California, then in San Francisco’s Pier 38 for three years, and finally at Herman & Helen’s Marina by Stockton.

Willson shared that he and his partner, Jin Li spent 15 years renovating the 293-foot vessel after they renamed it 'Aurora'. The ship had many amenities including a swimming pool, an indoor theater, and 85 cabins. 

Wilson also documented his work on social media gaining thousands of followers across Facebook and YouTube. However, after years of hard work, Wilson realized that the ship was a lost cause as it started taking in water and leaking diesel fuel. Thus, he ended up selling the boat in 2023 after locals expressed concerns about it, CNN reported. 

A Tragic Fate

This historic cruise ship was repossessed by the city of Stockton. San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the ship had suffered a hole and its fuel was contaminating the delta waterway since May. 

Wilson's passion project had become Stockton’s headache. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Spill Prevention & Response undertook a massive project to contain the oil spill. The CDFW said that it took a month to clean up over 21,000 gallons of oily water from the ship and collect over 3,000 gallons of hazardous waste. Furthermore, 125 yards of debris were also removed from the former cruise ship. Dewatering pumps were installed on the Aurora, and it was docked in Potato Slough.

Despite this, the CDFW reported that the ship posed a threat to a water treatment plant nearby, and so the city is now trying to move it out, CBS News reported. 

"There's a lot of deterioration and rust and metal, and it hasn't operated. That's evidently why it's there," Connie Cochran, an official of the City of Stockton, told the news outlet.

City officials told FOX40.com that the US Coast Guard is set to review a disposal and salvage plan for the ship. Under the plan, repairs will be made to the ship to make sure it is safely towed to a location where it can be salvaged.