Utah Man’s Cruise Ship, Bought on Craigslist, Now Sinking After He Spent Over $1 Million Restoring It

The 'Aurora' began to "sink in 13 feet of water and discharge pollution," the U.S. Coast Guard announced in May

A man from Utah spent over $1 million restoring a cruise ship he bought on Craiglist that has begun sinking.

Technology entrepreneur Chris Willson revealed in an interview with CNN Travel that he and his long-term partner, Jin Li, spent 15 years restoring the Aurora — a 293-foot vessel — after purchasing it online in 2008. The ship also features 85 cabins, a swimming pool and a theater.

While Willson didn't disclose the original cost of the vessel, he said in the interview published on Wednesday, Sept. 18, that he was able to "work out a really good deal with the owner."

Willson recalled immediately falling in love with Aurora after discovering a few facts about it. The boat was originally named the Wappen von Hamburg, built by Germany after World War II, inspired The Love Boat and was featured in the 1963 film From Russia with Love.

He told CNN Travel that Aurora spent a year docked at Rio Vista, Calif., around three years at San Francisco’s Pier 38, and was docked at Herman & Helen’s Marina, around 24 kilometers from Stockton, Calif., in 2012.

"I’d gotten quite a ways. I think we had 10 areas solidly restored and refurnished meticulously," he said about his work on the vessel. He ended up selling the boat in October 2023 after locals took issue with the dormant ship, reports CNN Travel.

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"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," continued Willson. "(There was) no lack of people coming out to loan a hand."

While the identity of the individual who brought the Aurora has not been publicly shared, the U.S. Coast Guard announced on Wednesday, May 22, that it had begun to "sink in 13 feet of water and discharge pollution."

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"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," added the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office in a post on X.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced in late June that contractors hired by a Unified Command tried to refloat the Aurora and remove "an estimated 21,675 gallons of oily water, 3,193 gallons of hazardous waste, and five 25-yard bins of debris."

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"Extensive surveys suggest that no recoverable oil remains onboard. There were no observations of oiled wildlife throughout the response," the U.S. Coast Guard's press release said, noting that the City of Stockton had "hired contractors to maintain pumps within the vessel to address potential water ingress and monitor the vessel."

The city's community relations officer, Connie Cochran, told CNN Travel that when the Aurora sank, it had "no clear ownership," and Stockton officials are “figuring out how to dispose of the vessel.”

She added that the ship is a "public hazard" and "danger to the environment," however, the city hopes a portion of it can be "recouped."

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In a recent post on a Facebook group page chronicling the restoration of the Aurora, Willson said that the "new owner has consistently reached out to every pertinent agency, fervently proclaiming his ownership status, and has provided unequivocal legal documentation confirming his ownership."

PEOPLE has reached out to the city of Stockton for comment.

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