A Utah man spent $1 million renovating a cruise ship he bought off Craigslist – only for it to sink.
In an interview with CNN Travel , technology entrepreneur Chris Willson admitted that he and his partner Jin Li spent 15 years renovating a 293-foot vessel called the Aurora after purchasing it off Craigslist in 2008. From a swimming pool to an indoor theater, the ship boasted many amenities and tons of space for guests, with 85 cabins.
After learning more about its history, like how it was originally named Wappen von Hamburg, built in Germany after World War II as well as being featured in the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love, Willson fell in love with the idea of restoring the boat to its former glory.
Willson was able to “work out a really good deal” for the boat, and set about his passion project, first docking it for a year in Rio Vista, California, then in San Francisco’s Pier 38 for three years, and was docked for a year at Herman & Helen’s Marina by Stockton, Calif. However, he ended up selling the boat in 2023 after locals took issue with the ship.