Milwaukee County to auction off 'Deep Thought,' but there's a catch

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- An update on the saga of "Deep Thought" -- the boat that became an unexpected fixture on Milwaukee's lakefront after it ran out of fuel, came to a rest between Bradford and McKinley beaches, and sat abandoned there for months. 

Several attempts to remove it were unsuccessful, and the boat attracted tourists, graffiti, a DJ set, and even a mock funeral before it was finally removed. 

On Tuesday, the Milwaukee County Parks and Culture Committee convened to provide a significant update on the vessel's journey -- from the cost of removal to the next chapter in its history. 

A lot of people loved the boat, and many have expressed interest in grabbing a piece of the boat as a souvenir or a keepsake. 

If you're one of those people, Milwaukee County supervisors have some good news for you and some bad news. 

In a marathon 17-hour session on May 6, All City Towing removed Deep Thought from the shores of Lake Michigan. 

"The boat, in the end, had over 100,000 pounds of wet sand or mud-essentially cement- at one point, in the basin of it," said Jim Tarantino, deputy director of Milwaukee County Parks. 

The county parks department updated supervisors Tuesday on the status of the boat.

The total price tag for removal is $50,000.

"We did receive a quote of hourly rates and an expectation of how many hours it would take," Tarantino said. "They did exceed the amount of hours that they quoted us for, but the 'not to exceed' amount of $50,000 capped the invoice."

While it's gone from Lake Michigan, the boat is not gone from our hearts, and the county wants to give you the opportunity to buy it. There's just one catch. 

"We're in the process of pursuing a public auction to sell the boat," Tarantino said. 

You can't buy a piece of a section of the boat -- it's all or nothing. The county looked at selling smaller pieces, but that takes too much work. 

"Cut it up into hundreds of pieces and do an auction, we may be able to recover something like $10-15,000 in the end, but it would cost us $4-8,000 in labor."

The $50,000 cost is expected to be offset by two donations totaling $30,000, plus whatever Deep Thought gets in a public auction. 

"We're hopeful we can get something for it because of the interest that has been in the community," Tarantino said. 

Supervisors also set legal counsel on a job -- come up with an action plan if another boat should ever become stranded. The county does not want another Deep Thought, ever. 

"If anyone's watching, do not abandon your boat on the shores of Lake Michigan," Tarantino warned.

The public auction is expected to take place in the coming days or weeks. 

The county says they consider this abandoned property, so they have the legal right to sell it, and they want to strike while the iron is hot to get the best price.