The man who purchased a cruise ship on Craigslist

Finding a cruise ship for sale on Craigslist isn't an everyday occurrence. So, when Chris Willson came across a 293-foot vessel listed on the site in 2008, he was instantly intrigued.

The retired cruise ship, originally built in Germany, was anchored in California's Delta at the time, and its owner was eager to sell.

After seeing the listing multiple times, Willson—who was working on virtual reality tours—decided to investigate further.

“I sort of pretended to be a serious buyer, even though I wasn't truly interested in purchasing the ship,” Willson tells Dinogo Travel. “It definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone.”

When Willson made the journey to Northern California’s inland river delta and stepped aboard, he was taken aback by the severe neglect the 2,496 gross ton ship had suffered over the years.

However, as he explored the ship further, Willson began to see past the clutter and realized that beneath it all lay an impressive five-deck vessel.

Closing the deal

“This ship has one of the most stunning layouts I’ve ever seen,” he says. “The staircases are absolutely breathtaking.”

“It’s like finding an old ’60s Corvette in a dusty garage. You can tell the craftsmanship is top-notch, but it’s been so neglected that you almost feel sorry for it.”

After researching the ship’s history, Willson discovered that it was built by the Blohm and Voss shipyard in 1955 and was the first major passenger liner constructed by Germany after WWII.

The more he uncovered about the ship, originally named Wappen von Hamburg, the more he became convinced this was a restoration project worth pursuing.

After weighing the challenges of owning a mini cruise ship, Willson crafted a restoration plan and decided to take the leap.

While he’s reluctant to disclose the exact price, Willson mentions he was able to negotiate “a fantastic deal with the ship’s owner.”

“Before I knew it, I was the owner of a ship,” Willson recalls.

Once the deal was done, Willson needed to figure out where to dock the vessel. Fortunately, he managed to secure a lease in Rio Vista, a city in California, and arranged for the ship to be towed there.

A labor of love

That’s when the restoration kicked off. The first step was clearing the ship of all the clutter—Willson recalls finding hundreds of bags of household trash, old mattresses, and blankets—and then recruiting volunteers to lend a hand.

“I knew it was going to be a long-term project,” says Willson. “The scope of the work was enormous. It’s almost like renovating 15 homes all on your own.”

After commuting for several months from his home in Santa Cruz, traveling about three hours to work on the ship, Willson made the decision to move aboard with his partner Jin Li. This would allow him to focus entirely on the project while ensuring the ship’s security.

“When I first moved aboard, many of my friends and family couldn’t believe it,” he admits. “It was a big lifestyle shift. But I see it as an upgrade, even though we’re off the grid and rely mainly on generators and solar power.”

As Willson dug deeper into the ship’s history, he discovered that not only had it inspired the iconic TV show 'The Love Boat,' but it also served as the setting for the headquarters of the Spectre criminal organization in the 1963 James Bond film, 'From Russia with Love.'

The ship operated as a cruise liner for about two decades, passing through several different owners and names before being docked in Vancouver, Willson explains.

After several failed attempts and more changes in ownership and name, the ship was towed to Alameda, California, in 2005. There were ambitious plans to convert it into a luxury yacht, but those plans ultimately fell apart.

The vessel stayed in Alameda for years until it was purchased by a businessman and moved to the California Delta. It was believed to be on the verge of being scrapped when Willson spotted it for sale on Craigslist in 2008.

A piece of history

“The more I uncovered about the ship’s history, the more I thought it could become a major shore-side attraction, much like the Queen Mary,” he says. “I envision turning it into a museum where visitors can take tours of the ship.”

With no prior shipbuilding experience, Willson has dedicated around 14 years to restoring the vessel, receiving assistance from a team of volunteers.

“I’m fairly handy,” he explains, noting that he had rebuilt numerous cars in the past and worked as an electrical mechanical engineer in disaster recovery.

After spending his first night on board, Willson decided to rename the ship the Aurora.

“I woke up to one of the most breathtaking sunrises I had ever seen,” Willson recalls. “The sunrise created an Aurora-like effect with the clouds and water. At that moment, I knew ‘Aurora’ was the perfect name for the ship.”

With the help of volunteers and his partner Li, who Willson credits with playing a pivotal role in preserving the Aurora, he has completed renovations on several passageways, a lounge, and multiple cabins.

“Our biggest accomplishment so far has been tearing out the old wood from the decks and spending countless hours welding new steel plates to fully seal the decks,” he explains.

“The real challenge isn’t the actual work on the ship, it’s dealing with the politics around it. Does the city or county want your ship docked there?”

After several years in Rio Vista, Willson was offered a berth at San Francisco’s Pier 38 and moved the Aurora there. However, things didn’t go as planned, and he was later asked to relocate the ship.

He moved the Aurora back to the California Delta in 2012, docking it at a marina in Little Potato Slough, about 15 miles from Stockton in California’s Central Valley.

The Aurora has been anchored in 'fresh shallow water' here ever since and is expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future.

Although the ship isn’t capable of sailing, Willson emphasizes that it has a 'solid bottom.' After consulting with several maritime engineers, he feels confident that, 'with proper upkeep and oversight,' it can safely stay where it is.

“As long as we don’t take her into waters with high levels of electrolysis and other damaging factors,” he adds. “She’s safe for now, but we plan to move her closer to the bay once restoration progresses further.”

Willson hopes to secure enough funding to lift the ship out of the water and eventually restore the underside.

Funding efforts

“When it comes to working on the ship, I’ve learned an immense amount,” he says. “There’s nothing I can’t fix. But getting it all done requires a significant amount of money.”

Apart from a few small donations, Willson has personally funded the majority of the renovation work so far.

He’s managed to raise money for the project by purchasing items at flea markets and state auctions, then reselling them on platforms like eBay, as well as consulting on other historic ship restoration projects.

While this income has kept the project moving forward, it’s still far from enough to cover the entire restoration, but Willson is determined to see it through to the end.

After discovering the YouTube channel 'Ship Happens,' which follows a UK couple renovating an 80-year-old WWII ship they bought on eBay, Willson was inspired to share his own journey on the platform to drum up interest and raise funds.

He launched the 'Aurora Restoration Project' in February, and the channel has since attracted nearly 70,000 subscribers.

“Since starting the YouTube channel, we’ve had hundreds of people offering to volunteer,” he says.

Willson is optimistic that the channel’s growing success will help accelerate the restoration process, and he’s already seeing positive results.

“Things are moving quickly now,” he says.

However, balancing video production with ship renovations has been challenging, and he’s still 'getting the hang of it' when it comes to managing both tasks.

“Once I become more efficient at managing both, we’ll hopefully start having volunteer groups come in several days a week,” Willson adds.

Looking ahead to completion?

Although there’s still a long way to go, Willson is gradually getting closer to his goal of turning the Aurora into a museum.

While he’s also considered repurposing the ship as a bed and breakfast or even a wedding venue, he believes a museum is the most 'realistic' option.

“This project is about giving back to the people,” he says. “We don’t want to restore it just to make it our private yacht.”

And there’s certainly no shortage of things to see on the Aurora. The ship features 85 cabins, an upper lounge with its own private forward deck, a swimming pool, a large galley, and even a theater.

“We’ve completed a few cabins so far, but there are still many more to restore. We’ll soon be offering the public the chance to sponsor the restoration of a cabin,” he says.

Willson and his team of volunteers are currently focused on restoring the fantail (the rear) of the Aurora and plan to fully renovate the galley and dining area through the end of 2022.

In recent years, Willson has received furniture donations from other historic ships to furnish the Aurora.

“We were fortunate to receive a large donation from the Island Princess, the ship used in filming 'The Love Boat,' which was recently decommissioned,” he says.

For now, Willson is enjoying life aboard the ship and looks forward to the day when he can finally open it to the public.

“There’s nothing quite like working on and living aboard something this extraordinary,” he adds.

But does he still hope that this magnificent vessel might sail again one day?

“If the funding comes through, she could definitely set sail again,” he says. “If not, she will make an amazing museum.”