Jeff Bezos’s New $450 Million Yacht Delivery Might Require Dismantling Of Historic Dutch Bridge

Jeff Bezos’s gigantic superyacht is about to be completed soon. However, getting it delivered to the proud owner will also need taking out a portion of a bridge first built-in 1927. The 417-foot-long Y721 is being constructed by Alblasserdam, Netherlands-based Oceanco.

For it to hit the ocean, it’ll have to sail through Rotterdam and also navigate a steel bridge called De Hef. De Hef’s central span can possibly be raised over 130 feet, but it will still not be high enough for accommodating the three giant masts of the yacht.

So temporarily, the city has agreed on taking apart the central section of the bridge in summer for Bezos’s yacht to sail through. This was informed by a Rotterdam spokeswoman named Frances van Heijst. The NL Times disclosed the bridge plan Wednesday.

The Y721 is expected to be one of the biggest sailing yachts to be ever constructed in the Netherlands, which is recognized as the unofficial capital of boat construction for wealthy people. The Rotterdam council project’s leader named Marcel Walravens defended the city’s choice to permit the bridge to be temporarily dismantled, telling broadcaster Rijnmond how it has been the “only alternative” to finish off what the municipality refers to as an essential assignment economically.

Van Heijst added that Oceanco is going to foot the cost of the bridge’s demolition. It is more likely that some of the costs entailed are going to be passed on to Bezos, the second-richest individual in the world with a net worth of about $175.8 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

De Hef, a well-known icon of Rotterdam’s heritage, is also a shipbuilding hub. The news of partial demolition has resulted in a massive stir, especially among the locals.

This is not the first or only problem that popped up due to Y721’s huge masts. The enormity of the yacht’s sails will make it insecure to help land a helicopter onboard. Hence, Bezos decided to commission a support yacht that is has a helipad and will help trail alongside.

Rising levels of personal wealth have pushed superyacht sales to make a record in 2021. About 887 similar ships have been sold in 2021, a 77% hike from a year before, and more than double the number noted in 2019, per a report from VesselsValue, a maritime data company. Burgess, a boat building major reported over 2 billion euros in superyacht sales in 2021.

Reference: livemint.com