As a confessed build thread junkie, I declare this the Mothership of all build threads. I was once impressed by a team that was cutting down the trees to make the wood to build a 40' boat, then I found real crazy. Even more impressed by the Grassroots budget and approach to the whole thing.
They have their own University of Tubes page- https://www.youtube.com/c/AuroraRestorationProject
The work they have already done to remove all of the rotted wood decking, and then patching it all up with steel is pretty impressive. They have asked for some expertise to start the Maybach V12's. So if you know anything- they would like to fire them up.
Even on a DIY-grassroots budget I can't imagine the cubic dollars required to fully restore something like that.
In reply to NOHOME :
You sir, win the internet!!
Thats amazing!!
If I was uber wealthy I would own a ship like that as my private yacht. I'd put it in the yard and spend whatever it took to restore it to usable condition before I'd buy a new one. New super yachts are so unappealing to me. Give me something old
In reply to Toyman! :
They said it was the Spectre yacht in From Russia With Love, so you would be in good company!
Awesome project!!!
I'm willing to bet a good amount that the man doesn't have any woman in his life.
In reply to fanfoy :
That's not what the article says!
Awesome videos. I agree the scale of this restoration is just massive. I also agree with toyman! On owning this versus a new yacht. They are both awesome but there is something timeless about these old ships.
You sir would be a connoisseur! (Insert Gif from Gone in 60 seconds)
Incredible. I am in love.
bgkast said:In reply to Toyman! :
They said it was the Spectre yacht in From Russia With Love, so you would be in good company!
A life of crime is the only way I could afford it.
There is a very long story about how he came to own the thing and the travails of restoring it on a layman's income. No lack of shady individuals in the floating relic business.
https://museumships.us/shipsbytype/other/aurora/87-aurora-restoration-project/398-aurora-part-01
I will warn you that the story just stops at the edge of a cliff as our hero is facing down unsurmountable bureaucratic foes in San Francisco. The YouTube vids pick up after that without mentioning any of the current bureaucratic challenges.
In reply to NOHOME :
I got as far as mid 2009 to see that he seems way over his head.
Given the situation, securing power and water would be pretty darned important, and it's now 14 years later, and the engines have not been started. Those would drive everything- including probably a water cleaning system. Although to do that these days would require some exhaust modifications- not insurmountable changes, but changes none the less.
I wonder if the best plan is to have some major crowdfunding thing where you sell cabin space. Then dry-dock it, refurb, and be done with it. It will cost a lot of money, for sure, but it will also offer some payback on the investment in a reasonable time frame.
That ship would be a good fit for the Great Lakes, given it's small size- as in it would fit up the various locks to get there.
I have not clicked and watched but the first thing that comes to mind....
Do you know how hard/expensive it to find that much dockage? I don't yet see how long it is must it's got to be 100+ft. It's not like dockage for 100ft is just like 3 times the expense of 33ft dockage.
In reply to alfadriver :
There are YouTube videos that are up to date. But yea, I do like the great lakes idea.
Problem is I don't think it is big enough to have economy of scale in today's world. It was built for the Roclefellers and Rothchilds and today's billionairs would not subscibe to such a thing.
In reply to NOHOME :
One of The Big Ones on The Great Lakes is 163ft yacht named Legacy owned by Dick and Judy DeVos. You might recognize his main company, Amway. She was the recent US Secretary of Education (which she never had any qualifications for.) Net worth, $5B
In reply to NOHOME :
I've watched the videos, and kind of thought it was a decent idea. I didn't know this dated back to 2008, though.
Knowing your market will define what you need to do to the ship. Like the Great Lakes Cruse lines already cruise the Great Lakes- they are small ships, too. Those ships also define the size of cabins people will be willing to pay a premium for- like $600/night double occupancy as the low point. (as a comparison, that's the same price as the big ships for a very large suite)
That part is where I think the guy didn't really anticipate a solution. As I see it, given the speed he's going, its at least another 5-6 years minimum, more like 10 for real. Where what is needed is a bunch of millions now to send that to a proper dry dock. Which can get the job done within a few months if there are real plans. The drydock in Freeport, Bahamas, do this all the time, for much larger ships on very tight time frames.
Then again, a naval architect would be needed to make sure that's even possible. At the same time, I also think there is a real market for that kind of ship. Even in US waters (meaning it's staffed by US citizens, which are more expensive).
I’ve watched a couple of the videos and while I truly admire all the hard work and progress, I have to say from a lapsed marine engineer’s perspective there are some major obstacles to ever returning the ship to any kind of operation.
They did a brief tour of the engine room, it looks like a lot of the switchgear in the main electrical distribution panel has been removed. I believe the ship dates from about 1955 and was the first ship built in Germany post war. It’s going to be very difficult to replace 65 plus year old components if they’re not somewhere on board.
The main engines reportedly “look good” according to the owner. They’re actually the main generators as the ship uses what look like direct current propulsion motors to turn the propellers. The mid 1950’s vintage training ships we ran back in the 80’s had all DC motors on pumps, fans, etc. and they were getting more and more difficult to service 35 years ago. The propulsion motors have been sitting a very long time in a marine environment and one is said to be missing some parts. Who knows about the rest of the motors around the ship.
There are more than likely some major environmental issues between asbestos insulation, lead paint and lack of any onboard sewage treatment systems. ( Yup, they had holding tanks for in port and would discharge to sea outside the 12 mile limit.). It’s difficult to say the last time she’s been in dry dock, all sorts of below the water line maintenance needs to be done periodically to keep the hull, propeller shafts and so on in good shape. She’s a pretty thing and in a way modern ships will never be. I hope they can find a way to keep her going but they have a very long road in front of them.
I was curious where it was docked. One video said the Delta of Stockton, CA.
For scale, it is docked next to what looks like a 20ft fishing boat
Looking up it's wiki- this ship was originally a ferry ship with a capacity of 1600 people. So all of the cabins were added later- meaning they can all be altered.
It was also pretty slow...
It was used for both Arctic and Antarctic trips, but that was a long time ago.
The nice thing about those huge generators/engines- there's a LOT of scrap metal in them to sell. But it sure seems that the powertrains need updated a lot. It's interesting that it has 4 motors- having multiple engine is really common on cruise ships so that they can operate mostly at peak efficiency. It would be interesting if the whole thing can be updated to include better fresh water generation and sewage treatment.
There would need some major updates to sail in international waters, though; let alone the US.
I'd restore it in art deco style, leave the power train inop and moor it set up as a floating restaurant and lounge club. There'd be a big band ballroom, a jazz floor, all done in roaring 20s fashion. I'd also attempt to get approval for a small high roller gaming floor with $500 minimums. And I'd have a handful of the cabins available as air bnbs.
That's beyond a flex.
I'm reading through the saga. Wow. Wow.
This former Coast Guard cutter popped up on FB about 3 years ago & I've been watching the price drop ever since. For a landlubber like me it seems like a bargain. Then I realize I couldn't even begin to afford the fuel to get it home.
In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :
The training ship was a bit bigger ( 560’) and had oil fired boilers / steam turbines but my memory on fuel economy was that it was in barrels per mile. There are 42 gallons of oil in a barrel. 
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