One man’s trash — in this case a wrecked, 43-foot boat that was gutted and covered with graffiti — may soon be someone’s treasure.
The abandoned boat “Deep Thought,” which became a local landmark in Milwaukee after it was stranded on the city’s lakefront last fall, is up for auction in an effort to recoup removal costs.
“Deep Thought” was stuck for months on a sandbar near downtown. It was abandoned there in October 2024 after the Mississippi couple who owned it ran out of gas.
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During its stay, it became a subject of fascination for city residents, who stopped by to take photos as it was transformed by ever-increasing layers of colorful graffiti.
Locals dubbed it the S.S. Minnow. It was marked as a “local landmark” on Google Maps. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee created a limited edition bobblehead.
By the time it was removed from a sandbar in May by two cranes, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said hundreds of people had visited.
Because it was stuck on county parkland, getting it unstuck became the county’s responsibility. Milwaukee County Parks Director Guy Smith said the tab for the removal was $50,000, with the county on the hook.
Smith said the county has received $30,000 in donations for the removal. Now, they are hoping to recoup the rest of the money in the online auction, which opened Tuesday.
“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, and now we’re working to recoup some of those public dollars.”
Smith called the auction a chance for someone to own a “piece of Milwaukee’s lakefront history.”
“I think it’s … kind of a cool story,” Smith said. “It’s kind of a cool keepsake. So I think it’s worth $20,000 or more.”
After failed removal attempts, the boat was finally lifted and removed from the lakeshore by All City Towing. It has remained at the company’s lot ever since.
Jeff Piller, the owner of All City Towing, brings his daughters to the tow lot on the weekend. He said they enjoy seeing “Deep Thought.”
“It’s nice to have it here, but it’ll be nice to leave,” Piller said.
He said he expected it to be at his lot a lot longer.
“I did not expect this to happen so fast,” he said. “We have cars that stay here longer.”
The auction comes as the county is expecting a budget gap of $46.7 million in 2026, according to a five-year budget forecast.
“At the end of the day, the taxpayer should not be responsible for the cost, but we needed to take it out Lake Michigan,” Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve F. Taylor said.
Before the auction began, Smith said “various folks” had shown interest in displaying the boat.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 28 bids, but so far the offers were far short of the county’s hoped-for price. The auction closes on Aug. 5.
The removal from the tow lot won’t be free for whoever wins the auction.
“While the boat has not been cleaned out of sand or mud, it is ready for transport, and the winner is responsible for transporting it themselves,” Smith said.
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