Amazon
founder Jeff Bezos’ vast fortune is partly based on quick delivery.
But he faces shipping issues himself—his superyacht, under construction in the
Netherlands, is apparently too tall to pass under a historic bridge in the port
city of Rotterdam because of its trio of masts.
According
to Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond, Oceanco, the local ship
builder, has convinced city authorities to dismantle a part of the bridge,
which dates back to the 19th century.
Oceanco is
currently building Bezos’ 127-meter-long sailboat, which will take the title of
the world’s largest sailing boat from Sea Cloud, which was
commissioned in 1931.
Bloomberg estimated the project
is costing about $485 million.
Bezos and
Oceanco will cover the costs of the necessary bridge work.
Demand for
superyachts—as for many other luxury goods—has surged during the pandemic. As
of December, 1,024 such yachts were on order, according to Boat International,
a 25% increase from a year earlier. It isn’t clear when Bezos ordered his
yacht, but it can take three to five years for a custom-made boat.
Rotterdam’s
Koningshaven bridge dates back in one form or another to the late 19th century.
It was rebuilt after being bombed in World War II. From 2014 to 2017, De Hef,
as locals call it, underwent a restoration. Though trains are not crossing
over it now, it remains an important part of the city’s industrial history.
While some Rotterdam
residents see this as a symbol of the privileges of billionaires, for
Rotterdam authorities it is a logical step to support the maritime sector,
which is vital to the Dutch economy. The Netherlands is home to Europe’s
busiest port, and the Dutch shipping industry employs tens of thousands of
people.
Marcel
Walravens, a city official involved in the restoration project, defended the
dismantling, saying he doesn’t think it is practical to remove the masts and then finish
the boat again elsewhere.
“From an economic perspective and maintaining
employment, the municipality considers this a very important project,” Walravens
said.
From Quartz (edited)
