Photo: Dutch Yachting
The fact that Rotterdam may have to dismantle a vintage bridge to let Jeff Bezos’s gigantic yacht pass sparked major outrage all over the world. But Rotterdam's mayor claims no request has been made just yet, although publications claim that the city is already making plans for the dismantling of the structure.
Jeff Bezos, founder of giant retailer Amazon and Blue Origin, has commissioned a yacht for an estimated $500 million that, once completed, will become the world’s largest sailing yacht, according to Boat International.
He has been collaborating with Dutch company Oceanco, and they are building the massive vessel nearby Alblasserdam, a city in the Netherlands near Rotterdam. Once completed this year, the yacht, currently known as Y721, will be 127 meters long (approximately 416 feet).
Its three masts will also be taller than the iconic piece of infrastructure called Koningshaven Bridge, known as De Hef by the locals, which has a clearance of just over 131 ft (almost 40 m). The yacht must pass through Rotterdam to reach the open seas. So, naturally, there has been a lot of talk about dismantling the iconic bridge, which was restored in 2017.
Currently, the exact plans, timetable, or costs have not been set, but Bezos will have to take money out of his pockets to make it happen. Unless the yacht builder offers to pay for the move.
However, the city’s mayor denied that any decision has been made, despite the fact that a municipality spokesperson confirmed to AFP that Oceanco's request has been green-lit.
“I find the turmoil quite peculiar. No decision has yet been taken, not even an application for a permit,” Mayor Ahmed Aboutableb told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad on Thursday. He added that, if the project were green-lit, it has nothing to do with the request coming from the world’s richest man on Earth. “It’s about the facts. I want to know them first,” he stated and explained that they have to consider the economic and technical sides, and go ahead with it if it means there won't be any permanent damage to the vintage bridge.
One thing is for sure. As tall as it is, Jeff Bezos' superyacht won't have the same luck as Galactica, which seemed inches away from hitting a bridge on its way to the open sea last month.
He has been collaborating with Dutch company Oceanco, and they are building the massive vessel nearby Alblasserdam, a city in the Netherlands near Rotterdam. Once completed this year, the yacht, currently known as Y721, will be 127 meters long (approximately 416 feet).
Its three masts will also be taller than the iconic piece of infrastructure called Koningshaven Bridge, known as De Hef by the locals, which has a clearance of just over 131 ft (almost 40 m). The yacht must pass through Rotterdam to reach the open seas. So, naturally, there has been a lot of talk about dismantling the iconic bridge, which was restored in 2017.
Currently, the exact plans, timetable, or costs have not been set, but Bezos will have to take money out of his pockets to make it happen. Unless the yacht builder offers to pay for the move.
However, the city’s mayor denied that any decision has been made, despite the fact that a municipality spokesperson confirmed to AFP that Oceanco's request has been green-lit.
“I find the turmoil quite peculiar. No decision has yet been taken, not even an application for a permit,” Mayor Ahmed Aboutableb told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad on Thursday. He added that, if the project were green-lit, it has nothing to do with the request coming from the world’s richest man on Earth. “It’s about the facts. I want to know them first,” he stated and explained that they have to consider the economic and technical sides, and go ahead with it if it means there won't be any permanent damage to the vintage bridge.
One thing is for sure. As tall as it is, Jeff Bezos' superyacht won't have the same luck as Galactica, which seemed inches away from hitting a bridge on its way to the open sea last month.
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