jeff bezos yacht stuck in rotterdam

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Breaking news, jeff bezos’ unfinished mega yacht towed away after bridge drama, threats of egging.

Jeff Bezos’ unfinished mega yacht was towed away from a Dutch shipbuilding yard before dawn Tuesday just weeks after Rotterdam residents threatened to pelt the luxury vessel with eggs if the city went through with plans to dismantle a landmark bridge to make way for the $500 million ship.

The 417-foot long, three-masted yacht, which goes by the name Y721 , was relocated from the Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam to the Greenport yard just 24 miles away in Rotterdam, according to the German-language daily Der Spiegel.

Video of the towing was posted to YouTube by Dutch yacht enthusiast Hanco Bol.

“We never saw a transport going that fast,” Bol writes of what he witnessed. It took less than three hours for the ship to travel southwest along the Noord canal even though it normally requires nearly twice as much time to traverse the route, according to Bol.

He speculates that Oceanco, the company that was commissioned to build the yacht, chose the timing of the move in order to keep it under wraps given the considerable publicity it has generated.

Rotterdammers who were furious about plans to dismantle “De Hef” bridge , also known as Koningshaven, had threatened to pelt the yacht with eggs if it made the journey.

Bol writes that the yacht’s route was designed to avoid traveling through the Rotterdam city center and underneath “De Hef” — even though it would have saved more time.

Oceanco last month announced that it had dropped its request for the Rotterdam city council to approve the temporary dismantling of the bridge.

The company had indicated that Bezos, the Amazon founder and second-richest person in the world, was willing to foot the bill for the removal of the middle section of the span so that the yacht would be able to sail through the Nieuwe Mass River.

Bol speculates that Oceanco intentionally avoided towing the unfinished yacht underneath “De Hef.”

“I think that was intentional,” he told Der Spiegel. 

“When I was standing on one of the bridges, they shined a searchlight on me, so it wasn’t easy for me to take pictures.”

According to Dutch media reports, it will take several more months for the ship to be completed.

The Post has reached out to Amazon and Oceanco seeking comment.

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Jeff Bezos’ $500m superyacht stuck after firm decides against dismantling historic Dutch bridge, says report

The 421ft y721 sailing yacht is being built by oceanco in rotterdam, article bookmarked.

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Jeff Bezos ’ $500m superyacht is stuck after the Dutch firm building it decided against dismantling a historic Rotterdam bridge following a public backlash and threats of an egg-throwing protest, says a report.

The billionaire Amazon founder had offered to pay for the middle section of the decommissioned Koningshavenbrug to be removed so that his monster 412ft sailing yacht, which is named Y721, could reach the ocean from its shipyard.

The yacht, currently the second-largest in the world, cannot get under the “De Hef” bridge without the modification taking place. But the plan has now been cancelled by manufacturer Oceanco after the criticism it faced, according to Dutch news outlet Trouw .

Back in February, it was announced that Oceanco had asked the city to temporarily remove the bridge, which dates from 1878 and was last renovated in 2017.

Marcel Walravens who managed the renovation project, told RTV that it was “not practical” to partially finish the vessel and complete construction elsewhere.

“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.”

And he added: “From an economic perspective and maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project. Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe.”

History groups in Rotterdam opposed the works, with thousands of Facebook users signing a petition promising to egg the yacht as it travelled through the city towards the open ocean.

“Calling all Rotterdammers take a box of rotten eggs with you, and let’s throw them en masse at Jeff’s superyacht when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam,” wrote event organiser Pablo Strörmann on the social media platform.

Now, the NL Times reports, Oceanco has “informed the municipality that it is cancelling its current logistical plans.”

Employees at the company “feel threatened and the company fears it will be vandalised”, according to DutchNews.nl

It is unclear how the yacht will now be moved from the construction site to the open water.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Bezos and Oceanco for comment.

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Rotterdam Now Won't Dismantle a Historic Bridge for Jeff Bezos's Superyacht

The Amazon founder's new sailing yacht is too tall to pass under the historic Koningshaven bridge.

Update 8/11/22 : Rotterdam now won't dismantle the Koningshaven Bridge for Jeff Bezos's boat. After backlash, the ship's builder Oceano decided to not move forward with a request to alter the bridge to sail the yacht. According to a Rotterdam deputy mayor , Oceano will "for the time being not request the environmental permit for the removal of the bridge."

"We’re happy it’s not happening," Marvin Biljoen, a councilman for GroenLinks, the Dutch Green Party, told the New York Times . "T he bridge is a national monument, which shouldn’t be altered too much. That you could still do that with money anyway bothers us."

Last week, Oceano quietly towed the yacht up the river in the early hours of the morning to a different shipyard, and now, Bezos's boat is nearly completed. The YouTube channel Dutch Yachting shared a video of the boat, and it has three large masts completed:

Expect the superyacht to be on the open seas soon.

Original 2/7/22 : The European port of Rotterdam will dismantle part of its iconic Koningshaven bridge for Jeff Bezos. The billionaire's new yacht is being built in Alblasserdam, in the western Netherlands, and will be too tall to pass under the bridge.

"It's the only route to the sea," a spokesperson for the mayor of Rotterdam told AFP , confirming the news of the bridge's dismantling. According to Dutch news , ship builder Oceanco convinced the city to dismantle part of the bridge. The Rotterdam mayor's spokesperson also confirmed that Bezos would pay for the dismantling and rebuilding of the bridge.

In November, Oceano's chairman, Omani businessman Dr. Mohammed Al Barwani, spoke of the 127 meter (416 feet) sailing yacht the company was working on without mentioning Bezos. Later, Boat International identified the 127m yacht as the one commissioned by the Amazon founder.

The Koningshaven bridge, known locally as the De Hef bridge , was built in 1877. During World War II, the bridge was significantly damaged and rebuilt, subsequently recognized as a historic monument. Between 2014 and 2017, the bridge underwent a restoration, and officials promised it would not be dismantled again.

"From an economic perspective and maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project," Marcel Walravens, the leader of the proposed dismantling project, told Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond . "Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe. Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are therefore an important pillar for the municipality." Walravens says the project will likely take place sometime this summer.

Dennis Tak, a Labor Party city councilor, said he was OK with the dismantling of the Koningshaven bridge because Bezos is paying for it, and it would create jobs. "As a city, this is a great way to take some of his money," Tak told the New York Times .

Dutch residents are not happy, however; they plan to throw rotten eggs at Jeff Bezos's superyacht as it passes through the Rotterdam harbor. Business Insider reports Rotterdam locals are planning an event called "Throwing eggs at Jeff Bezos' superyacht" in protest.

"Calling all Rotterdammers, take a box of rotten eggs with you and let's throw them en masse at Jeff's superyacht when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam," the event description reads on Facebook. "Rotterdam was built from the rubble by the people of Rotterdam, and we don't just take that apart for the phallic symbol of a megalomaniac billionaire. Not without a fight!" 3,300 people have RSVP'd as going, and 11,600 are interested in the event.

When Bezos's yacht, known as Y721, is delivered later this year—after the bridge is dismantled—the boat will become the world's largest sailing yacht, a title that has been held for nearly a century by American socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post's 1931 boat Sea Cloud .

Along with making history as the largest sailing yacht, Bezos's Y271 is the longest yacht to have ever been built in the Netherlands, and Oceano's largest ever superyacht. It is also rumored to come with a "support yacht," also called a shadow vessel. The superyacht likely cost more than $500 million to build, per Bloomberg .

Bezos is also reportedly the owner of the Flying Fox, a $400 million megayacht.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.

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Rotterdam Won’t Dismantle Bridge to Allow Jeff Bezos’ Superyacht Through

The Dutch city faced an uproar as it considered dismantling a section of a 95-year-old bridge. Now the boat’s builder has decided not to apply for a permit.

By Claire Moses

Jeff Bezos will not be able to sail a new, more than 400-foot-long superyacht through the waters of the Dutch city of Rotterdam anytime soon.

The port city faced an uproar months ago as it considered dismantling a section of a 95-year-old bridge to allow the Amazon founder’s yacht to pass. But now the boat’s builder, the Dutch company Oceanco, has decided to refrain from applying for a permit, according to a Rotterdam City Council member.

It was unclear how Mr. Bezos’ yacht would leave the area or whether Oceanco would finish the boat. The company did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday and Thursday. An Amazon spokeswoman did not immediately return a request for comment.

The yacht was supposed to sail through the Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as “De Hef,” over the summer and was on track to become the largest sailing yacht in the world at 417 feet, according to the superyacht industry publication Boat International. The bridge does not have enough clearance for the yacht , which was being built in a nearby town.

Because Oceanco is no longer seeking an application, the middle part of the bridge will not be removed for now, according to a public letter from the councilman, Vincent Karremans . The dismantling process takes about a day, as does putting it back together, according to Peter van Druten, a spokesman for the city of Rotterdam.

De Hef opened in 1927 and was the first vertical lift bridge in the Netherlands, but it is no longer in use. It has been dismantled before — most recently in 2017 for a renovation, Mr. van Druten said. The bridge is “an icon for the city,” he said.

The full cost of the dismantling would have been covered by Oceanco, the city said, and the bridge would have immediately been restored afterward.

City officials told reporters in February that Rotterdam had agreed to briefly dismantle the bridge to allow Mr. Bezos’ yacht to go through. But after backlash, they walked back that statement and said a decision had not been made.

A Facebook event at the time invited residents of the city to throw eggs at the boat. “Dismantling De Hef for Jeff Bezos’s latest toy? Come throw eggs … !” the event’s organizer wrote in February.

Then last month, the Dutch newspaper Trouw reported that Oceanco had decided not to apply for the permit out of fear of vandalism and threats.

“That’s worrisome — the ship builder is just doing his job,” said Dieke van Groningen, a Rotterdam council member for VVD, the Dutch liberal party.

Responses so far were mixed. Some people applauded the fact that the city would not have to bend to the will of Mr. Bezos. Facebook posts by the Dutch public in response to the news included sentiments like: “Class! Keep your spine straight for such oligarchs,” and “Let him get that thing with his own rocket.”

“We’re happy it’s not happening,” said Marvin Biljoen, a councilman for GroenLinks, the Dutch Green Party. “The bridge is a national monument, which shouldn’t be altered too much. That you could still do that with money anyway bothers us.”

But others believed it would have been a good opportunity for the city.

“I talk to a lot of residents of Rotterdam,” Ms. van Groningen, the VVD councilwoman, said. “They’re incredibly proud that these kinds of ships sail through our city.”

Rotterdam is the biggest port in Europe and a main hub for shipbuilding, including superyachts.

“This is the Netherlands at its best,” Ms. van Groningen said. “It’s about the image of the port, and you should be proud of that.”

Claire Moses is a writer for The Morning based in London. Before joining The Times in 2017, she worked at BuzzFeed News and other news outlets. She is originally from the Netherlands. More about Claire Moses

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Jeff Bezos’s Superyacht Was Quietly Towed Out of a Dutch Shipyard After Local Pushback

The amazon founder's yacht was relocated after local residents in the netherlands refused to dismantle a historic bridge for it to sail through..

A newly built superyacht reportedly owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was quietly removed from a shipyard in the Netherlands this week after an attempt failed to have a local historic bridge dismantled to make room for its passage.

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The 417-foot-long vessel, called Y721, was towed from a shipyard in Alblasserdam, Netherlands to Rotterdam, located about 13 miles away, in the early morning of August 2, according to the German magazine Der Spiegel .

Dutch Yachting, a yacht fan club, posted a video on YouTube of Bezos’ yacht leaving the shipyard in the dead of night. The video has garnered more than 240,000 views.

Y721 has been under construction by Oceanco, a Dutch shipbuilding company, commissioned by Bezos, since 2018. The giant vessel is about half the length of the RMS Titanic and estimated to cost $500 million. Upon completion, it will be the world’s largest sailing yacht, according to Boat International .

Y721 became the center of controversy in February after Oceanco requested that the city of Rotterdam dismantle part of a historic bridge to allow Bezos’s yacht to pass through. The bridge was in the way of the ship’s only route to the sea and had a clearance too low for it to sail through.

The news caused a stir in the local community, because the bridge, officially called Koningshaven Bridge and locally known as De Hef, is a cherished landmark. Some local residents organized protests on social media, despite the Rotterdam government promising to rebuild the bridge back to its original form and Oceanco agreeing to pay for the operation.

Pressured by the pushback, Oceanco in late June decided not to apply for the relevant permit to dismantle the bridge, Bloomberg reported.

Hanco Bol, a Dutch Yachting member who shot the viral YouTube video, speculated that Oceanco chose to move the yacht in early morning hours to avoid public attention, he wrote in the YouTube video’s description section. He said the relocation started at about 1 a.m. on August 2 and the yacht departed at 3 a.m.

The vessel was towed without its masts, so it could have fit under the Koningshaven Bridge. But the ship took a route that was longer than necessary and avoided passing through the bridge and the Rotterdam city center.

• SEE ALSO : Disney’s Last Magic Trick: Who Will Take Bob Iger’s Throne in 2026?

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Jeff Bezos’ superyacht gets stuck in Rotterdam

The luxurious shipyard Oceanco has decided not to dismantle the bridge in Rotterdam after criticism received from the Dutch people. This was the only passage to the ocean for Jeff Bezos’ $500M superyacht. 

Following public criticism and protests that included the tossing of rotten eggs at Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the Dutch firm has now decided not to dismantle the historic bridge in Rotterdam.

Jeff Bezos was even ready to buy the middle part of the ‘Koningshavenbrug De Hef’ in order to take it down and allow the 127m sailing yacht named ‘Y721’ pass to the ocean. This will be the largest in the world, but its launching will have to wait a bit as Oceanco finds a new way to get it into the water. 

Koningshaven Bridge

Although its official name is Koningshaven Bridge, it is also referred to as De Hef. It is a vertical-lift bridge that elevates above the Koningshaven (Kings Harbour) channel at the port of Rotterdam, Netherlands. 

Built in 1927, the bridge is today a Rijksmonument heritage site. Before this bridge there used to be one dated from 1878, but its configuration was an obstacle for shipping, and therefore replaced with the lift bridge in 1927. This was the first of its kind in western Europe. 

Although in February 2022 it was announced that the middle section of the bridge would temporarily be removed to allow the Y721 superyacht to pass, Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb stated it had no permit applied for yet and the proposal to dismantle the bridge was shelved. 

Not  practical to move somewhere else

Marcel Walravens , manager of the renovation project, has told RTV that it was “not practical” to finish the vessel partially while completing 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.”

“From an economic perspective and maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project. Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe.” 

Jeff Bezos’ yacht is being built in the Netherlands by the same company that created other luxurious vessels as the Black Pearl , still the largest DynaRig sailing yacht in the world. 

Related article: Jeff Bezos is building a yacht that needs its own yacht

Opposition from the Rotterdammers

Meanwhile, hundreds of Dutch Facebook users signed a petition asking everyone to egg the yacht during its inauguration. 

“Calling all Rotterdammers take a box of rotten eggs with you, and let’s throw them en masse at Jeff’s superyacht when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam” -Pablo Strörmann, organiser of the event.

There was a strong opposition from Dutch citizens to dismantling the 140-year-old bridge to provide a way for the $500 million vessel. This criticism has been heard by the Dutch council that has pledged it would not let the landmark be dismantled due to its historic significance. 

Currently, Oceanco has informed officials of the city that it will be cancelling its current logistic plans. According to the organisation's news, the company’s staff “felt threatened” and feared being vandalised. For the moment it is not clear how the yacht will be moved from the construction spot to the ocean. 

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Jeff Bezos’s Yacht Narrowly Avoids Egging

Residents of Rotterdam, rejoice, for Jeff Bezos’s giant superyacht is officially (almost) out of your waters. Rotterdam citizens were furious earlier this year when reports suggested that Bezos would be paying to disassemble (and then reassemble) the city’s Koningshaven Bridge, also known as De Hef , to allow his massive 417-foot-long yacht to pass through.

Now, months after the initial uproar, Bezos’s boat has been quietly rerouted, slinking away in the middle of the night — not an easy feat considering the boat is being built to house three deck levels, a swimming pool, and a helicopter landing pad (not to mention the accompanying baby yacht).

Citizens of Rotterdam swore in February that, should Bezos’s superyacht traverse the De Hef bridge, they would pelt it with eggs in protest. So, naturally, when it finally came time to move the still-unfinished vessel, called Y721 , out of its current Dutch shipbuilding yard, the decision was made to tow it away under cover of darkness. Like a huge, 200-foot-tall bandit.

According to a video captured by Dutch Yachting , a yacht-enthusiast news channel on YouTube, Bezos’s pet project left the shipbuilding yard at 1 a.m. and arrived at the yard in Greenport, Rotterdam, sometime around 3 a.m. The website claimed that the yacht actually took a roundabout way out, passing by four bridge openings to make a 24-mile route, supposedly opting out of an alternative 14-mile route to avoid passing under De Hef.

The superyacht’s construction will continue in the Greenport yard, far away from De Hef and the angry, egg-holding residents of Rotterdam.

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It’s Official: Rotterdam Will Not Dismantle Historic Bridge for Jeff Bezos’s Superyacht

Five months ago when it was announced that Jeff Bezos had plans to dismantle a historic bridge in Rotterdam so his half-a-billion-dollar superyacht could make it out of the Koningshaven channel, frustrated residents from the Dutch city came up with a plan of their own: Throw rotten eggs at the Amazon founder and his watercraft. 

Last week, according to a report in The New York Times , it became apparent that neither proposition will come to fruition. The company responsible for building the ship, Oceanco, reportedly told the Rotterdam City Council that it will not be requesting a permit to temporarily take apart the Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef, or “the lift” in Dutch. It was unclear how, or if, the massive yacht will make it out of the port city. 

For the vessel to pass through, the central lift span would need to be removed, which would take about a day according to city officials. 

Bezos hired Oceanco to build the custom vessel, but its three large masts are too tall to safely pass under the bridge. In order to get the boat into the open ocean, the company toyed with the idea of dismantling only the middle part, then putting it back together. Though it was never a done deal (Rotterdam officials briefly confirmed they would allow the bridge’s deconstruction, then quickly retracted the statement saying the decision was still up in the air), when word first spread that the bridge could’ve been taken apart, the sheer possibility was enough to cause public outcry. 

Lift bridge decks can accommodate heavier materials, and, as such, are popular options for railways. 

De Hef, finished in 1927, is a vertical lift bridge designed by architect Pieter Joosting. Originally part of the Breda-Rotterdam Railway, the bridge was saved from demolition even after the railway suspended use in 1993. De Hef has a long history with the city, and was the first of its kind built in Western Europe. It was also the first structure restored after the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940 during World War II. Though it has been dismantled in the past—most recently in 2014 for repairs—at least for now, it will stay put. 

The Dutch company building Jeff Bezos' megayacht scrapped its request to take apart a historic bridge following public outcry and threats to egg the ship

• The shipbuilder behind Jeff Bezos' megayacht has scrapped plans to dismantle a historic bridge.
• Bezos' yacht was too tall to pass underneath the bridge, but public outcry halted the plans. 
• The company worried locals would vandalize the ship as it passed by, Dutch newspaper Trouw reported.

The Dutch shipbuilder constructing Jeff Bezos' megayacht scrapped its request that a historic bridge be dismantled to accommodate the Amazon founder's vessel. 

Oceanco, a Netherlands-based custom yacht builder, informed the city of Rotterdam that it would no longer be requesting a permit to remove the center portion of the Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef, to allow Bezos' yacht to reach the North Sea. That is according to a letter written by a city official and translated from Dutch to English using Google Translate. 

While the city didn't rule out the possibility of a future permit to dismantle the bridge, Oceanco isn't going forward with the plan for the time being, the letter says.

It seems that Oceanco may have abandoned its plans to take apart the bridge following public outcry earlier this year. Dutch newspaper Trouw obtained documents from the city through a freedom of information request that showed the shipbuilder was taken aback by the uproar and had opted to drop its plans. 

"As a result of the reports, shipyard employees feel threatened and the company fears vandalism," Trouw reported, according to a translation. 

It's unclear how the yacht will now be transported if it doesn't fit under the bridge, though Trouw reports that Oceanco could choose to finish it at a shipyard closer to the sea.

The company did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. 

Related stories

A $500 million megayacht.

Bezos' yacht saga began back in February, when  Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond reported that the 417-foot vessel would need to pass through Rotterdam — and underneath De Hef — on its way out to sea.

But Bezos' ship appears to be sail-assisted, which means it has three large masts, masts that are too tall to pass underneath the bridge despite its clearance of over 131 feet. The shipbuilder's solution was to temporarily remove the center portion of the bridge, then replace it once the vessel passed through. 

Frances van Heijst, a spokesperson for the municipality of Rotterdam, confirmed to Insider at the time that the city is able to grant permission to the maritime sector to take a ship to sea. But van Heijst told the Washington Post that the city would not pay to dismantle the bridge and reassemble it — that cost would fall to Oceanco.

Objections to the plan were swift. Locals began organizing an event on Facebook to throw rotten eggs at the yacht when it passed by, describing Bezos as a "megalomaniac billionaire." 

The existence of Bezos' megayacht was  first reported in Brad Stone's book , "Amazon Unbound," in May 2021. Photos and videos published last October showed the yacht in a shipyard in Zwijndrecht, Netherlands — though the vessel was clearly unfinished, it appeared to have a black hull and multiple, massive decks.

Currently known only as Y721, the yacht is predicted to cost $500 million and is expected to be "one of the finest sailing yachts in existence," Stone reported.

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