Disha Mitra
Report says Jeff Bezos’ $500 million superyacht stuck after firm decides against dismantling historic Dutch bridge.
Source: Marine Industries News
Reports suggest Jeff Bezos’ superyacht worth $500 million is left stuck. This was following the Dutch firm building the yacht changing their decision about dismantling a historic Rotterdam bridge after backlash from the public, along with threats of a protest involving throwing eggs.
The founder of Amazon.com Inc gave the offer to pay for the removal of mid section of decommissioned Koningshavenbrug. Mainly, this was for his massive sailing yacht Y721, 4121ft in height, to go on to the ocean from the shipyard. Currently, it is the second largest yacht in the world.
Notably, the yacht is facing the blockage of not being able to get under the ‘De Hef’ bridge until the modification is carried out. However, the plan is now suspended by the yacht manufacturer Oceanco. According to Dutch reporting agency ‘Trouw,’ this was following it facing intense criticism over the decision.
In February this year, an announcement stated how the manufacturer has requested the city to remove the bridge temporarily. The bridge has been in place since 1878, and the last time it went under renovation was 2017. One who managed the renovation task, Marcel Walravens noted to RTV how it was impractical to partly build the yacht and finish the construction somewhere else.
“If you carry out a big job somewhere, you want all your tools in that place. Otherwise you have to go back and forth constantly. In addition, this is such a large project that there are hardly any locations where this work is finished.”
Additionally, he stated how the municipality looks at this project as very crucial from an economic point of view and for employment maintenance. He added how Rotterdam had also been declared Europe’s ‘maritime capital.’ History groups of the place were against the works, with thousands of users on Facebook signing a petition saying they would egged the yacht as it goes through Rotterdam set for the ocean.
Event organiser Pablo Strörmann made a post on Facebook calling all the people of the city to take a box of ‘rotten eggs’ with them. Along with it, calling them to all eggs at ones at the billionaire’s superyacht ‘when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam.
Currently, Oceanco had let the officials of the city know that It reports that Oceaco had let the municipality about it is ‘canceling its current logistics plans.’The news organisation stated that the company’s staff felt threatened and they feared it being ‘vandalised’. As of now it is not clear as to how the yacht would be moved from the construction spot to the ocean.