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Jeff Bezos’ new yacht is so big, it won’t make it out to sea unless a Dutch city removes part of a historic bridge. The 417-foot vessel is currently being built in the city of Alblasserdam, Netherlands. Once finished, it will need to pass through Rotterdam in order to reach the ocean.
… There’s only one problem: The megayacht has three masts, and the masts are too tall to pass underneath the Koningshaven Bridge in Rotterdam, despite its clearance of over 131 feet.
… The bridge, which locals refer to as De Hef, is nearly 100 years old, and while it no longer functions as a railroad crossing, it’s become something of a monument in the city. It was renovated and then put back together in 2017, after which the city pledged it wouldn’t be taken apart again. But now, the city is reportedly planning to remove the center portion of the bridge to allow the vessel to pass through.
… A spokesman for Rotterdam said the city will not be paying for the cost of dismantling the bridge and reassembling it — the shipbuilder, Oceanco, will pay for it.
… The custom yacht, currently known only as Y721, is predicted to cost $500 million. In addition to the mega-yacht, the Amazon founder — who is currently worth $176 billion — has reportedly commissioned a second, smaller “support yacht” that will include its own helipad.