Jeff Bezos’ $500m superyacht is in limbo because the Dutch firm that was building it decided not to demolish a historic Rotterdam bridge after an uproar from the public and threats of an egg-throwing demonstration in an article.
A billionaire Amazon founder was willing to buy the middle part of the closed Koningshavenbrug to be taken down so that his huge 412ft sailing yacht, called Y721, could be launched into the ocean from the shipyard.
The ship, at present the second largest in the world, can’t cross the “De Hef” bridge without modifications being made. The plan has since been pulled by the company that built it, Oceanco, due to the backlash it received in the wake of criticism, as reported by Dutch newspaper Trouw.
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It was reported that Oceanco had requested that the city temporarily remove the bridge. It was built in 1878 and last renovated in the year 2017. Marcel Walravens, who managed the renovation project, said to RTV that the project was “not practical” to partially finish the vessel while completing 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.”
The history groups of Rotterdam were against the project in the city, with hundreds of Facebook users signing a petition pledging to continue to egg the boat when it left the city to the 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,” organizer of the event, Pablo Strormann wrote on social media.
The company Oceanco has advised city officials that It is reported that, according to The NL Times, Oceanco has “informed the municipality that it is canceling its current logistical plans.”
The news organization also said that employees of this company “feel threatened and the company fears it will be vandalized” according to DutchNews.nl
