Man bought cruise ship and spent $1 million restoring it before he came across major issue

A man who purchased a cruise ship and spent 15 years on a $1 million (£760,000) restoration job was forced to give it all up for one issue.

Chris Wilson from the US moved into the 293-foot vessel with 85 cabins with his long-term partner Jin Li after finding it on Craigslist in 2008.

The retired 'pocket' cruise ship was built in Germany and was originally named Wappen von Hamburg, reports CNN.

Chris Wilson purchased a historic cruise ship on Craigslist in 2008 (Christopher Willson)

While it was constructed in 1955 by the Blohm and Voss shipyard, Willson managed to get it moved over to California, renaming it the Aurora.

His dream was to refurbish the historic ship and turn it into a museum for everyone to enjoy.

The couple uploaded the progress on YouTube channel Aurora Restoration Project.

“I’d gotten quite a ways,” he told CNN.

“I think we had 10 areas solidly restored and refurnished meticulously. These were kind of major areas. So we were pretty proud of that.

“So we were doing a pretty good job. We had marine engineers involved. (There was) no lack of people coming out to loan a hand.

“We were working on the swimming pool and the forward decks, and replating all of the steel.”

Chris bought a cruise ship in 2008 from Craigslist and spent $1 million on restoration (Christopher Willson)

However, because of one major problem, he was forced to sell the vessel in October 2023.

The issue was when a 1940s military tugboat Mazapeta was stationed next to his ship.

It sank in January, creating a 'pollution issue'.

“Everything kind of changed from that point on,” he said.

The idea to move the Aurora somewhere else wasn't really possible because it would have cost a 'million dollars worth of dredging for us to get out'.

“We absolutely loved our time with that ship,” Willson added.

“It (selling) was probably the hardest thing I’ve done in my life.

“It haunts me and I lose sleep over it. I’m not happy about it.”

Sadly in May, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said the Aurora was starting to sink.

Chris no longer owns the ship (Kristina Werner-Meris/California Department of Fish and Wildlife/US Coast Guard)

“It has been determined the ship has suffered a hole and is taking on water and is currently leaking diesel fuel and oil into the Delta Waterway,” they said in a statement on X.

“Over the last several weeks, response contractors, Global Diving and Salvage and subcontractors, successfully refloated the vessel and removed an estimated 21,675 gallons of oily water, 3,193 gallons of hazardous waste, and five 25-yard bins of debris was removed from the vessel,” said a statement shared by California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response.

Connie Cochran, community relations officer for the City of Stockton, said they are now 'figuring out how to dispose of the vessel'.

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