Milwaukee abandoned boat 'Deep Thought' sold to familiar face
Milwaukee County launched an auction for the abandoned boat "Deep Thought."
The winning bid came from the owner of All City Towing, the business that successfully removed the boat from the lakefront.
The county hoped to raise around $20,000 but fell well short fo that goal.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County Parks launched an online auction for "Deep Thought," the boat abandoned at the lakefront – and it sold Tuesday to a familiar face.
Local perspective
The auction went live on July 22 and closed just after noon on Tuesday, Aug. 5. County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman announced the winner with a bid of $2,525 – far short of the county's goal.
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That bid came from Jeff Piller, the owner of All City Towing, the business that successfully removed the boat from the lakefront. He plans to sell pieces of the boat to fuel charitable efforts.
"Have you ever had something when you're cleaning out your house and you just can't throw it away, or you can't let it go?" he said. "I think my staff and I, and everyone involved, has really grown to love it. And we want to keep doing good stuff with it."
Piller encouraged local charities that hold auctions to reach out and collaborate on "some nice pieces of artwork" that could be be of interest to bar owners and other local spaces.
"It's gonna be very labor-intensive, and a lot of time to be able to make this into good charitable pieces, and we may even sell some small pieces to help pay for the labor of getting rid of the boat," Piller said.
Online auction
What's next
The boat will be sold as-is with no minimum bid required. Milwaukee County Parks is now working with the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation Fleet team, the auction platform provider, to verify details of the bid and confirm payment.
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While no certificate of title exists, the Milwaukee County Office of Corporation Counsel has created a process for transferring ownership legally and appropriately.
The winner, in this case Piller, is responsible for transportation and removal – something his business is all too familiar with.
Auction coming up short
By the numbers
The county hoped to raise around $20,000 to recover some costs of the boat's removal. Leaders hoped the excitement that surrounded the vessel would carry over to the auction, only to see those hopes sink.
Despite slow bidding, the county stuck with its plan to sell the 75,000-pound boat (in full size) hoping someone would come along with a higher bid to give Deep Thought a second life.
Removal costs
Dig deeper
Wasserman, chair of the Milwaukee County Parks and Culture Committee, said it cost Milwaukee County $50,000 to finally free the boat. Some donations covered $30,000 of that, but as for the remaining balance?
"I hate saying it, but taxpayers are going to have to pay this bill," he said Friday. "I got senior centers that are falling apart, so $20,000 – it does make a difference."
The Source
FOX6 News interviewed Wasserman and referenced prior coverage related to the boat, its removal and the auction.
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