Dead ship tow brings abandoned vessel Aurora from Stockton to Mare Island
MARE ISLAND – The former cruise ship Aurora has been towed from the San Joaquin River Delta near Stockton to Mare Island.
Earlier in 2024, the decommissioned ship started sinking into the Delta in the Potato Slough area.
A safety zone was implemented around the vessel and an operation was undertaken by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Spill Prevention and Response unit to refloat the ship.
While the old ship – which had a storied past in Hollywood – was leaking diesel fuel and oil, officials stated they hadn't seen any impacts to local wildlife. It's unclear how long the ship had been moored near Stockton.
The former cruise ship Aurora has safely moored at Mare Island after a dead ship tow was conducted Friday.
— USCGNorCal (@USCGNorCal) December 21, 2024
The Captain of the Port approved the dead ship tow plan proposed by contractors hired by the City of Stockton, after weeks of marine inspections to ensure safety. pic.twitter.com/cK2iKRSxMs
Fish and Wildlife officials stated more than 21,000 gallons of oily water had to be cleaned due to the situation.
With the ship refloated by September, local agencies coordinated moving the old vessel out.
On Friday, Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard of Northern California announced that a dead ship tow had been undertaken to move the Aurora from Stockton to Mare Island.
Notably, Mare Island is home to the now-closed US Navy base Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
It's unclear exactly what will happen to the old ship. It's also unclear who will pay for the operation that refloated the ship and cleaned up the spill, but the Office of Spill Prevention has said officials will look for recovery costs from those responsible.