09-06-2025
'We don't want to pay for it': County readies to auction off 'Deep Thought' abandoned boat
You want to bid on Deep Thought, Milwaukee? Now could be your chance.
Milwaukee County is floating the idea of publicly auctioning off the infamous abandoned boat that became a staple of Lake Michigan's Milwaukee shoreline, according to Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Sheldon A. Wasserman.
"Deep Thought captured the hearts and minds of Milwaukeeans," Wasserman told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "At the same time, we don't want to pay for it."
And, the good news doesn't stop there. The auction might supplement the $30,000 in donations received following the epic saga of Deep Thought's removal near Milwaukee's Bradford and McKinley Beaches, Wasserman said.
In May, the Daniel W. Hoan Foundation donated $10,000 to the effort. Now, the anonymous donor who contacted Milwaukee's Mayor Cavalier Johnson to provide financial support for part of its removal has offered up $20,000, Wasserman said.
The money will go toward paying off the $50,000 bill from Milwaukee-based company, All City Towing, for removing the boat in early May.
An MATC student even sold a handful of salvaged pieces of Deep Thought for $10 the day it was removed from Lake Michigan.
County Board Supervisor Steve Taylor expressed his concerns that taxpayers would be left to foot the bill for the boat's removal in an email to County Executive David Crowley and other department officials on May 7.
Deep Thought's journey began when it was left stranded by a Mississippi couple, Sherry and Richard Wells, who ran out of gas during a thunderstorm in mid-October, landing on the lakeshore. For weeks, efforts were unsuccessful to remove the boat, turning it into a temporary tourist site. On May 6, a crowd of roughly 100 onlookers gathered to cheer and mourn as Deep Thought was finally dragged off the shoreline.
In May, the county was still considering pursuing legal avenues for reimbursement. But, given the tenuous nature of the boat's ownership and the Wellses' inability to pay for the boat's removal, it was later determined that Milwaukee County was responsible for salvaging the boat.
The county will provide an update on the status of the boat and its future during its Parks and Culture meeting June 10.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Deep Thought readied for auction, after abandoned boat raises $30K
