Milwaukee's iconic abandoned boat 'Deep Thought' to be auctioned off starting July 22

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- After two months out of the water — and even longer as a bizarre beachside attraction — the abandoned boat known as "Deep Thought" is heading to the auction block.

Milwaukee County officials confirmed the two-week online auction will begin Tuesday, July 22, and is open to the public.

“July 22, it’s going to run for 14 days,” said County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman.

The vessel ran around between McKinley Beach and Bradford Beach in October 2024 after it ran out of fuel. It became a local spectacle — drawing onlookers, graffiti, even DJs and a mock funeral — before Milwaukee County crews partnered with All City Towing to remove it on May 6. The removal cost taxpayers about $50,000, with private donors helping offset around $30,000 of that amount.

Still, Wasserman says the county hopes to recover the remaining $20,000 balance — and ideally more — through the auction.

“We want high bidding, we want to sell the boat, we wanna pay our cost, we’d love to make some profit off this,” Wasserman said.

He believes the boat’s cultural status might drive interest beyond typical buyers.

“I think there’s a lot of interest, there’s also a lot of people who want to have a part of that boat,” he said. “So the owner might want to break it up, sell chunks of it off — there’s potential money-making idea here.”

Wasserman says Deep Thought will never sail again but its story is anchored in Milwaukee’s memory.

“Somebody’s buying a piece of Milwaukee history here,” he said.

Deep Thought will be auctioned off on a Milwaukee County website, but Wasserman told CBS 58 exact details are still being worked out. As for what happens after the auction, he says the new owner will be responsible for removing the vessel after the auction closes in early August.