The next chapter for Deep Thought, the boat abandoned by its owners on Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan shoreline, has begun.
Bidding began at 9:15 a.m. July 22 and ends on Aug. 5. Bids can be made in the online auction at Chris-Craft Roamer “Deep Thought” aka “Minnow” | GovDeals The boat is being sold as is and its new owners must pick it up from its current location at All City Towing.
Bidding topped at $1,000 after four hours on the market, with 27 people having placed bids on the 43-foot-long boat.
Serious bidders will have the opportunity to inspect the boat from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 29.
It cost $50,000 for All City Towing to pull Deep Thought — or the SS Minnow, if you prefer — out of the shoreline on May 6.
The Daniel W. Hoan Foundation donated $10,000 toward removal attempts, on top of an undisclosed amount by an anonymous donor, leaving Milwaukee County to spend $20,000 to get the graffiti-ridden boat out of the water.
The county’s auction goal is to recoup the $20,000 it spent on salvage efforts.
Guy Smith, director of the county’s park department, didn’t miss a beat when asked by reporters if the boat is worth $20,000.
“It’s priceless,” Smith said.
Milwaukee County contracted the Milwaukee-based towing company to lead the removal effort after several failed attempts to remove the Chris-Craft Roamer. Throughout the May morning, crew members used two cranes to rotate the boat 90 degrees and drag it out of the water and onto the lakeside rocks.
Deep Thought found its way to Milwaukee in mid-October when its owners, Richard and Sherry Wells of Mississippi, ran out of gas, missed the entrance to McKinley Marina and ran ashore during a thunderstorm. The couple, who had just purchased the boat, did not have the money to get it back home.
Deep Thought became a point of interest but began to drawn concerns as the weather warmed. The decision was eventually made to remove it for safety reasons.
“This auction isn’t just a quirky headline,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said. “It’s about fiscal responsibility.”
This story was updated to add information, photos and a video.
Jessica Van Egeren is a general assignment reporter and assistant breaking news editor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at jvanegeren@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee’s abandoned boat, Deep Thought, up for sale: Auction begins
Reporting by Jessica Van Egeren, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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