MV Aurora (1955)

Last updated

Wappen Von Hamburg (1) in 1958.jpg
Wappen von Hamburg in 1958 at Helgoland island
History
Name
  • 1955–1960: Wappen von Hamburg
  • 1960–1967: Delos
  • 1967–1970: Polar Star
  • 1970–1972: Pacific Star
  • 1972–1977: Xanadu
  • 1984–1991: Expex
  • 1991–2009: Faithful
  • 2009–present: Aurora
Owner
  • 1955–1960: HADAG
  • 1960–1967: Nomikos Line
  • 1967–1970: West Tour
  • 1972–1974: Xanadu Cruises
  • 1974–1982: J. Eisenberg
  • 1982–1984: Pan Aleutian Seafoods
  • 1984–1985: EXPEX
  • 1985–1991: Xanadu, Inc
  • 1991–1998: Friend Ships
  • 2005–2023: Chris Willson
  • 2023-Present: Unknown
Port of registry
Builder Blohm & Voss
LaunchedFebruary 1, 1955
CompletedMay 14, 1955
In service1955
Identification IMO number:  5088227
StatusPartially Sunk at Stockton, CA 38°03′27″N121°30′02″W / 38.057521°N 121.500494°W / 38.057521; -121.500494
NotesOriginal name Wappen von Hamburg means "Coat of arms of Hamburg" in German.
General characteristics
Tonnage2,496  GRT
Beam13.24m
PropulsionMaybach diesel engines
Speed18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Capacity1,955 (as a ferry): 1,600 passengers

MV Aurora is a cruise ship built in Germany in 1955. After several changes of ownership and name, as of 2024 she was moored in Stockton, California, United States, and was undergoing restoration until May 22 when she began to take on water and sink.

Contents

History

Launch and passenger service

Aurora was launched as the Wappen von Hamburg for HADAG at Blohm & Voss, intended to be used for day-long cruises from Hamburg to Helgoland. [1] [2] Her maiden cruise in the North Sea carried a full complement of 1,600 passengers. [3] Passengers were seated in salons and cafeterias on three decks, and enjoyed the view from galleries and sun decks. In the 1950s through -70s, this trip was a popular getaway, especially on weekends. Private cars were still not the norm, and a mini-cruise provided a change of scenery in comfort. Furthermore, visits to the Island of Helgoland were not possible before 1955. Until 1952, the island had been under UK administration and was used as a Royal Air Force and Royal Navy bombing target, completely devastating the infrastructure. Especially in the first years after starting to open for tourism again, many people were eager to see and visit the island for themselves that had been closed off for 20 years.

Her cruising speed of 17.5 knots meant that the 90 nautical mile trip from Hamburg to Heligoland would take 5 hours. This made day trips from Hamburg less than practical, because visitors would only have maybe two or three hours on the island. Most guests would take the train from Hamburg to Cuxhaven and only take the ship for the 36 nautical miles from that port to the island. Still, the schedule presented a challenge. Therefore, Wappen von Hamburg was replaced after only seven years of service by a second ship of the same name. Her replacement launched in 1962 made 21.5 knots, meaning that day trippers now could spend up to two hours more on the island holding the same departure times. In 1960, Wappen Von Hamburg(1955) was sold to the Greek Nomikos Line. She was renamed Delos and refitted as one of the first luxury Aegean cruise ships, with the addition of a swimming pool and air conditioning in all cabins. [4]

In 1967, the ship was sold to the Alaska Cruise Line (Westtours) of Vancouver and renamed to Polar Star for expedition cruises in Alaskan waters, then in 1970 resold to West Cruise Lines of Panama and renamed to Pacific Star and then Polar Star for expedition cruises in the South Atlantic. In 1972 Donald L. Ferguson bought her, renamed her Xanadu, and added antiques to her luxury fittings. [4] [5]

Post-cruising career

As the cruise industry began to fade, Xanadu was sold two further times and then in 1977 laid up [5] and some of her fittings were auctioned. [4] After repossession by a Seattle bank in Vancouver, she was sold in 1982 to Pan Aleutian Seafoods as a factory ship for crab, and in 1984 laid up again, in Tacoma. [5]

In 1985, a new owner renamed her again to Expex and moored her at Los Angeles for trade show and exhibition use. A forty-foot intermodal container was mounted on her stern. [4]

After this venture was unsuccessful, the ship was sold to Friendships, a Christian sect based in Wilmington, California, who renamed her Faithful. They repainted her hull blue but instead of using her for relief work, housed converts on the ship until she was seized by the Coast Guard. [3] [4]

Dr. James Mitchell bought Faithful from Friendships to use as a hospital ship, but in 2005 sold the Faithful, which by now had rusting metal, fading and peeled paint, and missing railings, to Al Boraq Aviation, who planned to refurbish her as a luxury yacht and had her towed to Alameda. [4] This refurbishment did not materialize; she was declared an abandoned vessel and eventually an arrangement was made to have her removed. [4] In 2010 the Life After People episode "Holiday Hell" featured the ship with an interview with maritime enthusiast Peter Knego columnist for Maritime Matters on her history and condition. [6]

Refurbishment

After seeing a Craigslist ad in 2008, Chris Willson bought the ship from the then owner, a marine salvage dealer who had been ordered by the California State Lands Commission to move the ship from Decker Island, in the San Joaquin River delta, but could not afford to do so. Willson had her towed to Rio Vista, where restoration work began, and then a year later, in August 2010, renamed Aurora, to Pier 38 in San Francisco, with plans to eventually open her as a tourist attraction. [3] [7] [2] The following year, a Port of San Francisco wharfinger gave him three days' notice to move Aurora because Pier 38 was to be shut down due to structural and electrical issues. [4] [8]

Aurora was ultimately towed from San Francisco back to the delta in 2012 and moored at a marina in Little Potato Slough, approximately 15 miles from Stockton. [3] [9] Soon after, the marina went out of business over debts and regulatory problems, so Willson and his partner moved to the ship to watch over it. He worked with volunteers on restoring Aurora, with plans to find a location that would host her as a tourist attraction. [3] [2] In 2023 he sold the ship. [10]

Sinking

On May 22, 2024, the ship was discovered to be taking on water and had partially sunk. The Coast Guard took command of the area to minimize pollution from leaking oil. [10] [11] [12]

The ship was an inspiration for The Love Boat and was used as a filming location for the 1963 film From Russia with Love . [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ocean Countess</i>

Ocean Countess was a cruise ship owned by Majestic International Cruises of Greece. She was completed in 1976 as Cunard Countess for Cunard Line and was a popular ship in the Caribbean cruise market for 20 years. After leaving Cunard service in 1996, she had a number of owners before being purchased by Majestic in 2004. She was retired in 2012 and scrapped in 2014 after a fire destroyed the ship.

MS <i>Formosa Queen</i> Cruise ship

MS Song of Norway was one of the first ships purpose-built as a cruise ship. She was the first ship of Royal Caribbean International when she entered operation in 1970. She was sold for scrap in 2013 and broken up in 2014, after serving her last years as a gambling ship.

MV <i>Discovery</i>

MV Discovery was a cruise ship, which was formerly operated by Voyages of Discovery and was last in service for Cruise & Maritime Voyages. She was scrapped at Alang, India as Amen in 2014.

MS <i>Pacific</i> Cruise ship

MS Pacific was a cruise ship owned and operated by the Brazil-based Viagens CVC from 2002 to 2013. She was built for Flagship Cruises in 1971 by the company Nordseewerke in Emden, West Germany, and named Sea Venture. Between 1975 and 2002 she was owned by Princess Cruises named Pacific Princess.

<i>Spirit of London</i> (ship) Ship built in 1972

Spirit of London was an Italian built cruise ship put into service in 1972. In January 2012, Runfeng Ocean Deluxe Cruises took over as operator, renaming the ship Ocean Dream.

USS <i>Lucid</i> (MSO-458) Aggressive-class minesweeper

USS Lucid (AM-458/MSO-458) is an Aggressive-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing naval mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships. She was launched soon after the Korean War, sailed on five Western Pacific (Westpac) cruises and served four tours in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Lucid was decommissioned at the end of 1970 and placed in mothballs after only 15 years of service, as the Vietnam War was winding down and there was no longer a need for a large fleet of minesweepers. She was purchased by civilians and served as a houseboat for ten years, before being sold again in 1986 and used as a warehouse by a scrap metal dealer on Bradford Island, in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. The scrap metal dealer was murdered in 2004 over a property dispute, and in 2005, Lucid was acquired by a foundation seeking to save a ship of its class. In 2011, the ship was moved to the Stockton Maritime Museum to be restored for use as a museum ship. Lucid is the last Aggressive-class minesweeper afloat in the United States.

SS <i>Independence</i> US built and flagged ocean liner

SS Independence was an American built passenger liner, which entered service in February 1951 for American Export Lines. Originally, she plied a New York-Mediterranean route, specializing in a high-end clientele, sailing one way while her sister ship, SS Constitution, plied the route the opposite. Starting in 1980 she sailed as a cruise ship. She was shortly joined by her similarly graceful counter sterned sibling, the pair sharing the Hawaiian islands together for the better part of two decades until their retirements.

<i>Delta King</i>

Delta King is a 285-foot-long sternwheel steamboat (87 m) and the sister ship of Delta Queen, built in Glasgow, Scotland and Stockton, California for the California Transportation Company's service between Sacramento and San Francisco, California. She entered service in 1927 and continued until 1940. After wartime service with the United States Navy, Delta King served as an accommodation ship at Kitimat, British Columbia in the 1950s and then returned to California for static use at Old Sacramento where she remains as a hotel, restaurant and venue.

<i>Blue Sapphire</i> (ship) Cruise ship operating for ANEX Tour

Blue Sapphire is a cruise ship owned and operated by ANEX Tour. She was originally built in 1981 by Bremer Vulkan of Germany for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises as Europa. In 1999, Europa was sold to Star Cruises and she was renamed SuperStar Europe and a year later, Superstar Aries. In 2004, she was sold to Pullmantur Cruises and renamed Holiday Dream. In May 2008, she was transferred to the fleet of CDF Croisières de France and renamed Bleu de France. In November 2010, she was sold to Saga Cruises, but retained on charter by CDF for a further 12 months. Following an extensive refit in Italy from November 2011 to March 2012, the vessel was renamed Saga Sapphire. Most recently, she was sold to ANEX Tour in June 2020 and renamed Blue Sapphire, scheduled for an official debut in 2021.

USS <i>Hanover</i> WW2 attack transport vessel

USS Hanover (APA-116) was a Bayfield-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946. In 1947, she was sold into commercial service. The ship was scrapped in 1972.

SS <i>Monterey</i> 1931 ocean liner

SS Monterey was a luxury ocean liner launched on 10 October 1931. The ship was completed April 1932 and is shown in registers as a 1932 ship. Monterey was the third of the four ships of the Matson Lines "White Fleet", which were designed by William Francis Gibbs and also included SS Malolo, SS Mariposa and SS Lurline. Monterey was identical to Mariposa and very similar to Lurline. During World War II Monterey was used as a troopship operated by Matson as agents of the War Shipping Administration (WSA). Monterey was a large, fast transport capable of sailing independently and was allocated to serving Army troop transport requirements. The ship was involved in an attack on a convoy near Cape Bougaroun.

USS <i>Crescent City</i>

USS Crescent City (AP-40/APA-21) was the lead ship of the Crescent City-class attack transports that served with the US Navy during World War II. The ship was built as the cargo and passenger liner Delorleans for the Mississippi Shipping Company's Delta Line. After brief commercial operation the ship was among 28 vessels requisitioned in June 1941 for the Navy and the Army. The Navy renamed the ship Crescent City, a popular nickname for New Orleans, Louisiana, upon commissioning 10 October 1941. The ship was decommissioned and laid up in 1948 before being loaned to the California Maritime Academy to serve as a training ship 1971–1995 and then transferred to a foundation in a failed art colony project. The ship left California for Texas scrapping in 2012.

MV <i>Kungsholm</i> (1965) Ship

MV Kungsholm was built in 1964/5 by the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland as a combined ocean liner / cruise ship for the Swedish American Line. She was later rebuilt as a full-time cruise ship sailing under the names Sea Princess, Victoria, Oceanic II and Mona Lisa. In September 2010 she was retired from service as she did not fulfill requirements to SOLAS 2010, becoming the floating hotel Veronica, before being scrapped in 2016.

The General Frank M. Coxe was a steam ferry which was built for the United States Army to provide transportation services among several military facilities that ring California's San Francisco Bay. The Army port facilities, including the vessels, throughout the bay were under the command of the San Francisco Port of Embarkation from its establishment in May 1932 through World War II and the Korean War.

USS Manchineel (AN-54/YN-73) was an Ailanthus-class net-laying ship which served with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific Ocean during World War II. It managed to survive the war without incident, and returned to the United States post-war for decommissioning.

USS <i>Majaba</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Majaba (AG-43/IX-102) was the Design 1049 cargo ship Meriden built in 1919 by the Albina Engine & Machine Works, Portland, Oregon. All the ships were requisitioned by the United States Shipping Board (USSB) for World War I service. The ship was bought by the E. K. Wood Lumber Co., of San Francisco, California in 1923 and renamed El Capitan. The ship was chartered by the U.S. Navy through the War Shipping Administration (WSA) in April 1942 and commissioned as Majaba.

SS <i>Stella Solaris</i>

SS Stella Solaris was an ocean liner built for Messageries Maritimes in 1953. She mainly provided passenger service between France, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Japan.

<i>Hilma Hooker</i> Shipwreck in Bonaire in the Caribbean Netherlands

The Hilma Hooker is a shipwreck in Bonaire in the Caribbean Netherlands. It is a popular wreck diving site.

MS <i>Insignia</i>

MS Insignia is the lead ship of the R class of cruise ships built for Renaissance Cruises. She is now owned by Oceania Cruises as part of its Regatta class of ships, but recently sailed for Hapag-Lloyd as the Columbus 2. She was built in 1998 by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France for Renaissance Cruises as MS R One. On 11 December 2014, three crew members died in a fire that broke out in the engine room when the ship was docked at Saint Lucia.

<i>Crystal Esprit</i>

Crystal Esprit is a cruise ship previously operated by Crystal Cruises. Built by Flender Werft in Lübeck, Germany, she was laid down in 1988 and floated out as Lady Diana in 1989. She was completed in December 1991 as Aurora I. She and sister ship Aurora II were purchased by Star Cruises in 1994. Aurora I was renamed Megastar Taurus and served from 1994 until being laid up in 2008.

References

  1. ↑ "Day cruises from Bremerhaven/Hamburg to Helgoland", Cruise Ship Odyssey, archived from the original on August 24, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 Hardingham-Gill, Tamara. "The man who bought a cruise ship on Craigslist". CNN.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kurtis Alexander, "Shipwrecked On Little Potato Slough", San Francisco Chronicle, October 8, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Chris Willson and Peter Knego, Aurora Yacht News, Wordpress, August 26, 2012, retrieved October 11, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 "M/S Wappen von Hamburg", Faktaomfartyg.se, retrieved October 11, 2020 (in Swedish).
  6. ↑ Martin Cox, "Life after Knego", Maritime Matters, February 6, 2010.
  7. ↑ Peter Knego, "AURORA arrives in San Francisco", Maritime Matters, August 1, 2010, archived from the original on August 8, 2010.
  8. ↑ Carolyn Said, "Pier 38 deemed unsafe; tech tenants evicted", San Francisco Chronicle, September 9, 2011.
  9. ↑ George Schneider, "AURORA - IMO 5088227" at Stockton, Shipspotting, [March 22, 2015], April 16, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Kurtis Alexander, "It inspired ‘Love Boat.’ Now the 1950s luxury liner is sinking in the California delta", San Francisco Chronicle, May 23, 2024.
  11. ↑ Jonathan Ayestas, "Sinking boat in the Delta leaking diesel fuel and oil, San Joaquin sheriff says", KCRA-TV, May 22, 2024.
  12. ↑ Gabriel Porras, "Sinking ship in the Delta is leaking fuel, oil", KXTV, May 22, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.