MILWAUKEE — The Deep Thought, a boat that washed up onto the Milwaukee shoreline months ago, finally has a removal date set and a plan in place to haul off the abandoned, tagged and derelict vessel.
According to Jeff Piller, owner of All City Towing, his company is working with the city and anonymous donors to remove the boat on Tuesday.
Piller said he will employ about 11 people to complete the job and they will use heavy equipment to lift and carry the boat away. He will use two 50-ton rotators, which Piller describes as cranes on wheels that rotate, and a specialized trailer to take the boat the the All City Towing impound lot.
A 50-ton wrecker, a crane that does not rotate, will also be there just in case a third crane arm is needed.
The team plans on drilling holes into the boat, stringing cables through the holes and lifting it up and over the rock breaker and onto the trailer.
To protect the environment, Piller is working with the Milwaukee Parks Department and will put down 90-ton protection mats on the grass and beach that the heavy equipment will back onto.
Piller will come back to the park Wednesday and assess if any damage needs to be repaired.
A portion of Lincoln Memorial Drive will be closed to make the removal go smoothly. Both the north and southbound lanes will be closed from Lafayette Hill Rd. and E. Water Tower Rd. from early in the morning to later in the afternoon.
Depending on weather and water conditions, the Deep Thought may not be removed Tuesday.
Jerry's Silo Marina was initially asked to remove the boat, but they were unsuccessful. In the last attempt, one of the marina's barges also became stuck alongside the Deep Thought. It is now covered in sand and water.
According to Piller, Jerry's Silo is responsible for removing their barge, but if it is not removed by Tuesday, then All City Towing may remove it for them.
The Deep Thought has been stuck between McKinley and Bradford Beaches since October in 2024 when the Coast Guard said the owner ran out of gas. Since it gained internet popularity and earned a space on Google Maps.
Some came to see it before one of the attempts to remove the vessel.
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