Jeff Bezos’ yacht towed after plans to dismantle Bridge Nixed

• Bezos’ yacht was moved from a Dutch shipyard before dawn on Tuesday, likely to avoid local attention.
• After public outcry from local residents, it did not involve dismantling a historic bridge.
• Watch Bezos’ yacht make its journey.

Jeff Bezos’ megayacht has quietly left the Dutch shipyard where it was built, without the dismantling of a bridge and crowds of onlookers.

The 417-foot vessel, known as Y721 and estimated to cost $500 million, has been under construction by shipbuilder Oceanco at a shipyard in Alblasserdam, the Netherlands. It was towed to the Greenport shipyard in Rotterdam in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to German magazine Der Spiegel.

The controversy surrounding Bezos’ yacht began in February, when Oceanco asked the city of Rotterdam to dismantle the Koningshaven bridge to allow the vessel to pass through the city. The beloved bridge, known as De Hef, is considered something of a landmark by locals. It is almost 100 years old. Upon completion, the yacht will have three masts too tall for the bridge’s clearance, which is approximately 131 feet.

Dutch residents were furious and planned an event to throw eggs at Bezos’ yacht if it required the bridge to be dismantled for passage. Within days, Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said no decision had been made to dismantle the bridge and that Bezos or Oceanco might have to foot the bill if that were to happen.

Earlier this month, Oceanco withdrew its request for dismantling after the public outcry.

Hanco Bol, a local yachting enthusiast from yacht fan club Dutch Yachting, saw and recorded a video of Tuesday’s move, which he posted on YouTube, Der Spiegel reported. He said preparations for the move started around 1am and the yacht left at 3am

Bol speculated that Oceanco “tried to keep the launch and transport hidden” because the vessel took a route that was longer than necessary, but avoided going through the city center and past the Koningshaven bridge.

“We’ve never seen a transport go so fast,” he wrote in the caption of his YouTube video, adding that Bezos’ yacht arrived at the Greenport shipyard three hours and 24 miles later.

On its voyage Tuesday morning, Bezos’ yacht was towed without the masts, which will be installed later, Der Spiegel reported.

Watch the video of Bezos’ yacht moving yards here: