MILWAUKEE— There’s an old saying that the two best days for a boat owner are the day they buy it and the day they sell it.
On Tuesday, that was the case for Milwaukee County officials as they finally sold off the abandoned boat “Deep Thought” that had captured the attention of many in the community for several months.
“Deep Thought” was abandoned near McKinley Beach last year on October 13th when it ran aground.
Months later, the boat was finally removed from the shores of Lake Michigan by All-City Towing where it was transported to the towing company’s lot and waited for weeks to be sold.
The county had attempted to sell “Deep Thought” for $20,000 dollars, but the highest bid was at $2,525 dollars, submitted by none other than the owner of All-City Towing, Jeff Piller.
“Have you ever had something when you’re cleaning out your house and you just can’t get yourself to throw it away? My staff and I and everyone involved has really grown to love the boat in our lot and we would just love to keep doing good stuff to it,” said Piller. “To tell you the truth, I totally made up my mind on buying the boat thirty minutes before it got sold. It’s been something that’s been lingering with me for a bit.”
Piller says he plans to have “Deep Thought” chopped up into parts and sold to organizations or members of the public who want to own a piece of Milwaukee history.
In the time since “Deep Thought” ran aground, the boat itself became a local attraction with people taking pictures of the boat on the beach, covering it with spray-paint and stickers from bars such as Wolski’s, even composing songs to honor the vessel that was now nicknamed the SS Minnow on Google Maps.
3rd District County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman says he’s glad to have the boat out of the county’s hands as it works towards other County projects.
“I don’t know what will happen with the boat,” said Wasserman. “I will tell you there has been a strong interest from the public in owning pieces of the boat. When you have a ballerina dancing on the boat the day it was going to be towed, to the number of restaurants and bars that have contacted me, they all want portions of it. I think the boat’s going to be sold in pieces and I think it’s going to go to public and private auctioneers as well.”
Piller hasn’t revealed any specific details yet about which organizations he plans on talking to who want portions of “Deep Thought”, but he has left an open invitation for people to come see the boat at the All-City Tow lot.
“Even to artists, who weren’t able to do the water side of the boat, there’s a blank canvas on the other side that looks like it’s ready to take shape,” said Piller.
Milwaukee County Parks is now working with the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Fleet team, the auction platform provider, to verify bid details and confirm payment from Piller. All decisions will follow the required procurement and legal processes to ensure accountability and transparency.
