With only a few days left, online auction bidding has been slow for “Deep Thought,” the abandoned boat pulled from Lake Michigan this spring after capturing the public’s attention for months while stranded on the shore near Downtown,
Milwaukee County Parks is nearing the end of a two-week online auction for the boat, also known as “Milwaukee’s S.S. Minnow.”
Crews finally removed the vessel from its spot between McKinley Beach and Bradford Beach in May after several failed attempts.
Milwaukee County Parks, with support from several other County departments, led a complex removal process that ended up costing about $50,000. The vessel is being auctioned in an attempt to recoup the public expenses associated with its removal, which amounted to about $20,000.
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An anonymous donation of $20,000 and a $10,000 contribution from the Daniel W. Hoan Foundation covered a portion of the cost tied to the vessel’s removal.
But an effort to raise funds to cover the remaining costs appear to be sinking, with bidding showing that there’s little interest in acquiring the boat, which currently sits at the South Side lot of All City Towing, which successfully pulled the boat out of the water.
So far, the top bid is a mere $1,125, according to Milwaukee County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman, who issued a release on Friday urging potential bidders to boost the bidding for Deep Thought.
“Let’s be honest, we didn’t ask for this boat,” Wasserman said. “She was abandoned near McKinley Marina, landed in the County’s lap through a legal headache, and now we just want her off the books. While she’ll probably never float again, she still deserves a second life.”
Wasserman, who is chairman of the Parks and Culture Committee, is sounding the alarm with the auction set to expire.
He reminded potential bidders that the large yacht is being sold as-is – “unusable, unmovable without heavy equipment, and undeniably captivating.”
“While currently unusable as a boat in the traditional sense, she’s ripe for reinvention: unique art installation? Boutique bar? Milwaukee’s strangest Airbnb? The auction ends soon. Bring your creativity and maybe a crane,” he said.
The online auction ends on Tuesday.
