Auction for Milwaukee’s abandoned boat ends with towing company’s owner purchasing it

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -– The abandoned boat that captivated people in Milwaukee while it sat idle for over six months near Bradford Beach is officially anchored to a new owner.

Jeff Piller, the owner of All City Towing on Milwaukee’s south side, purchased the boat through an online auction that ended Tuesday, Aug. 5. Piller’s company was behind the boat’s removal from Lake Michigan. 

“Have you ever had something when you’re cleaning out your house and you can’t throw it away? My staff and I and everyone involved has grown to love it and we can’t wait to keep doing good stuff with it,” Piller said.

Piller purchased the boat for $2,525. Milwaukee County Parks had hoped to sell the boat for around $20,000 dollars to make up for the funds it took for Piller and his crews to get it out of the water.

“It’s a lot of money, so it’s not a drop in the bucket. I wished we could have raised more, but we were not able to,” Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman said.

Once the offer has been verified by Milwaukee County Parks, the official title of the boat will belong to Piller.

Deep Thought washed ashore last October, becoming a social media sensation and local oddity. Its months-long stay on the beach drew everything from DJs to mock funerals and more than a few calls for it to be removed. That finally happened on May 6, when crews lifted the 75,000-pound vessel off the sand and trucked it offsite.

Piller says he plans to cut up parts of the boat to sell, hopefully for charity. He says more information on his plans will likely be announced Monday.