I spent $2 million restoring a cruise ship I bought on Craigslist. The project took over my life, but I don't regret it.

Courtesy of Christoper Willson

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Christopher Willson, a 52-year-old retired engineer who spent more than 15 years renovating a cruise ship he named Aurora. The following has been edited for length and clarity.