Own The Boat! Deep Thought / Minnow / Milwaukee Boat auction is live

Want to own an unlikely piece of Milwaukee history? Now you can!

Yes, the legendary Milwaukee Boat—a.k.a. Deep Thought, the Minnow, the S.S. Minnow, the S.S. Milwaukee, or just The Boat—is officially up for auction. A GovDeals auction listing notes that the boat is being sold “as is, where located, with all faults.” Back in June, Milwaukee County officials said the boat would likely never sail again, and would be sold not as a functioning vessel, but as a “piece of art.”

The two-week online auction ends August 5 at noon. The winner will be responsible for moving the thing. Bid early! Bid often!

The Mississippi owners of the 43-foot Chris-Craft Roamer, Richard and Sherry Wells, ran the boat ashore between Bradford and McKinley beaches on October 13, 2024. The boat stayed there—accruing graffiti, fame, and failed salvage attempts—for nearly seven months. Milwaukee towing company All City Towing finally towed the boat on May 6, 2025. The thing has been sitting in the All City tow lot ever since.

The cost of the successful towing operation? Fifty-thousand dollars. Who’s on the hook for that $50,000? With the original owners out of the picture and the craft legally classified as abandoned, Milwaukee County is on the hook, and is the new owner of the boat. The Daniel W. Hoan Foundation donated $10,000 to the cause, and an anonymous donor kicked in an additional $20,000. Milwaukee County is looking to recoup the remaining $20,000 with the auction.

“There’s been tremendous public interest about this boat,” said Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman, Chair of the County’s Parks & Culture Committee, on Tuesday. “Our goal is to raise $20,000 to cover our costs, and this auction gives residents the chance to own a unique piece of our lakefront story.”

Could the County still pursue legal action against the original Mississippi owners? Back in June, county officials said that a legal effort would be akin to “drilling a dry well,” and that “the juice ain’t worth the squeeze.” So there you go.

What if no one successfully bids on the thing? On Tuesday, county officials said they would then explore “cutting it up and selling it in pieces.” We’re way ahead of you, county officials:

“We’ve gone from a curiosity on the shoreline to a full-blown public intrigue—now’s the time to act,” Wasserman continued. “We’ve seen interest from multiple parties and determined that a summer auction, with the boat sold as a sculpture or conversation piece, is the right next step. At the end of the day, this vessel is no longer a working boat—it’s become part of Milwaukee’s story. We see this auction as an innovative way to close this chapter and open another as we return value to our community.”

Anyway, here’s the boat through the months. Is the thing actually interesting now that it’s not stranded on the shores of Lake Michigan? Eh, maybe? Good luck, bidders! We miss you, boat!