“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, is now up for auction.
On Tuesday, Milwaukee County Parks opened a two-week online auction for the boat, also known as “Milwaukee’s S.S. Minnow,” which was finally removed from its spot between McKinley Beach and Bradford Beach in May after several failed attempts.
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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 now being auctioned off as a way to recoup the public expenses associated with its removal.
“This is more than an auction, it’s a creative way to recover public funds and close the loop on an unusual challenge,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said on Tuesday morning while standing in front of the damaged boat, one side of which is almost entirely covered with spray-painted graffiti. “Thanks to interdepartmental coordination and community interest, we’re turning a problem into an opportunity.”
The vessel, which remains filled with sand and sediment, currently sits at the South Side lot of All City Towing, which successfully pulled the boat out of the water.
Crowley noted how the community became intrigued by “Deep Thought” during what he described as the vessel’s extended “residency” on Lake Michigan.
He’s hopeful that the intrigue generated by the boat will spark interest in the auction.
“This auction isn’t just a quirky headline. This is actually about fiscal responsibility,” Crowley said. “This boat’s removal was not only complex but it was a costly process. Now, we are working to recoup some of those public dollars.”
The auction will allow for the transformation of “an eyesore into an opportunity,” Crowley said.
“This is an opportunity for someone to take ownership of this vessel and give it a new purpose and this gives us an opportunity to focus on continuing to be good stewards of not only our public spaces but of our taxpayer dollars, as well,” he said.
Removing the boat was also essential in assuring that Milwaukee’s shoreline remains safe, clean and accessible, he added.
The Chris-Craft Roamer is owned by a Mississippi couple, Richard and Sherry Wells, who previously told local reporters that they planned to retire on the boat but their plans went awry when they were caught in a storm and their vessel ran aground on Oct. 13. It remained stuck in the sand about 15 feet from shore for seven months.
While stuck along the lakefront, the vessel became something of a local landmark, a cultural institution even, worthy of T-shirts and a Google maps placemarker.
The boat will be sold as-is, with all of its faults. No minimum bid is required. The winning bidder will be responsible for transportation and removal. Although no certificate of title exists, the Milwaukee County Office of Corporation Counsel has created a process for legally transferring ownership, Milwaukee County Parks Director Guy Smith said.
“This is your chance to own a piece of Milwaukee’s lakefront story,” Smith said. “Whether you’re a salvager, an artist or someone with a unique vision, we invite you to participate in this auction and help us turn local history into new opportunity.”
A public pre-bid inspection will be held at All City Towing, 1213 W. Mallory Ave., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 29. Interested bidders will be able to view the vessel in person during that time period before placing their bid online. The auction listing, along with bidding instructions and full details, is now available here.
Updates and reminders will be posted on Milwaukee County Parks’ social media channels throughout the auction period.
The listing describes the boat as measuring about 44 feet in length (46 feet when including the rear dive platform).
A crew from Jerry’s Silo Marina, launched a failed attempt in late April to remove the boat from the waters of Lake Michigan after an anonymous donor stepped forward with funds to assist in the effort.
On May 6, after 205 days stuck on the shore, the vessel – nearly unrecognizable after extensive vandalism and tagging – was finally removed, via land, by All City Towing after about 14 hours of work. The boat has remained at the All City Towing yard ever since and on Tuesday occupied a spot next to the burned up trailer of a semi-truck that was heavily damaged when its brakes caught fire.
“I bring my daughters here sometimes on the weekends and they love seeing it but everything will overstay its welcome so it’ll be nice to see it go,” All City Towing owner and CEO Jeff Piller said.
The possibility of having a successful auction and a prompt removal of the boat comes as a surprise to Piller.
“I didn’t expect this to happen so fast,” he said. “We have cars they stay here longer.”
Smith noted that 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.
He’s hoping for a winning bid of at least $20,000, which would then cover the entire cost of the removal effort.
“We had folks that donated $30,000 to help recoup the costs and they didn’t get anything physically for that, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are people who are interested,” Smith said. “I’m excited to see who bids.”
Smith said the county had conversations with a couple entities that were interested in setting up a temporary viewing of the boat, but it wouldn’t have been cost effective.
“That’s why we are doing the auction,” he said.
If the auction turns out to be a bust, the county will consider other options, Smith said.
“The most cost-efficient way would be to sell it as-is,” he said. “If not, maybe we’ll look into cutting it up and selling it in pieces, like we have talked about previously.”
What about displaying it at a museum?
“I’m open to doing that if they are willing to pay for it,” Smith said.
But, for now, all of the focus is on the auction.
“We want to recoup the cost,” Smith said. “It’s kind of a cool story and keepsake. I think it’s worth $20,000 or more.”
