A Utah tech entrepreneur’s ambitious project to restore a vintage cruise ship has met a watery fate in the California Delta. Chris Willson, who purchased the 293-foot vessel on Craigslist in 2008, watched his dreams — and over $1 million — slowly sink into the murky waters near Stockton, California.
The ship, originally christened as the Wappen von Hamburg when built in Germany after World War II, caught Willson’s eye with its history. Having inspired the popular TV series The Love Boat and featured in the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love, the vessel seemed like a floating piece of history ripe for restoration.
A Labor Of Love
Willson and his partner Jin Li embarked on a 15-year journey to breathe new life into the ship, which they renamed “Aurora.”
“I’d gotten quite a ways. I think we had 10 areas solidly restored and refurnished meticulously,” Willson told CNN Travel. The couple’s efforts were nothing short of herculean. They involved marine engineers and countless volunteers who lent their hands to the cause.
The Aurora’s journey saw it docked at various California locations. These included a year at Rio Vista, three years at San Francisco’s Pier 38, and finally settling at Herman And Helen’s Marina near Stockton in 2012. However, the tides of fortune began to turn against Willson’s passion project.
Local opposition to the dormant ship grew, and in October 2023, Willson made the difficult decision to sell the Aurora. “Maybe Aurora wasn’t in the right place,” Li reflected. “Maybe if Aurora was in a different state, or a different country, it would have been different.”
From Silver Screen To Sinking Ship
The story took a dramatic turn in May 2024 when the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office announced, “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.” This environmental crisis prompted immediate action from the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities.
Contractors hired by a Unified Command worked tirelessly to mitigate the damage. They removed an estimated 21,675 gallons of oily water, 3,193 gallons of hazardous waste, and five 25-yard debris bins. Despite these efforts, Aurora’s fate was sealed. The City of Stockton now faces the daunting task of disposing of the 2,400-ton vessel, which lies just beyond the city limits.
For Willson, the sinking of the Aurora is a personal tragedy. “It haunts me and I lose sleep over it. I’m not happy about it,” he confessed to CNN. Despite the heartbreak, he maintains a philosophical outlook on his 15-year adventure: “I don’t have any regrets on what I’ve done. It’s been a great learning experience and showed a lot of people my abilities. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
