| Oceanco | 127M | "Koru" ex. Y721 | 2022 |

The the mayor is already rowing back!!

Town Major "Ahmed Aboutaleb" (look at that name) gave an interview in the newspaper the "Algemeen Dagblad" on Friday morning, that there where no request by the yard or the owner of the yacht as of jet, for the inner part of the bridge to be demolished. Before a decision for such a demontage would be made, guarantees would be necessary, that there would be no damage to this national monument.

"Only with this guarantees would the decision be weighed. The economical perspective, namely the maritime imago of our region and the technical ones: Is this possible without damage to the bridge? And we want to know, if the costs are actually reimbursed by the buyer / yard". That sounds to me like a backout from anticipatory obedience.

Just my 2 (Euro) cents

The town major of Rotterdam gave a new interview, saying that there is still no request by either the yard or Mr. Bezos for the removal of the central part of the historical bridge.

But the people of Rotterdam are organizing already a gauntlet run for the new ship, when being towed along the canals. There are several calls on the social media and the internet for a big happening along the canals, to throw rotten eggs and tomatoes on the ship when passing and on the residenz of the town major. And they already asking the major to resign, if this bridge will gets demolished. The response to these calls is really huge.

Ants can bring down a wall too, you just have to have enough of them!

That will be a funny event and for sure worth a few Youtube videos. As I said, do not underestimate the combined force of the Dutch people, Mr. Bezos . That would give definately a few dark spots on his image, just in case he would care!

Well, exposing his wealth in public is a difficult thing for a person as controversial as Mr. Bezos...

Dear Mr. Bezos,
Thanks, but no thanks, for spending millions of dollars in our country, providing many jobs and the prestige of building one of the largest yachts in the world. Please, next time, go to Germany and build your yacht so we won't be inconvenienced having to take down and put up a non working bridge at your expense.
Sincerely,
Citizens of Rotterdam

Well, yes, obviously it´s not about the bridge. Seems to be more about Mr. Bezos who isn´t popular with everybody. I guess it´s easy for certain people to pick on him for taking huge profits of the situation during the last two years. There´s nothing wrong with wealth, but when wealth translates to excessive power you´ll harm fair competition and give a lot of people a hard time. It´s no surprise someone like Mr. Bezos becomes a target of resentment when exposing his wealth to the public. Justified? Anyway, I guess some of it is driven by malicious joy, or, as we say in Germany, Schadenfreude.

Ychtcptn, I do understand Your irony but in this case (the bridge), the blame will only go to the Oceanco yard. They have choosen these building places and this specific assembly process purely for inhouse and profit reasons. And they have most likely told Mr. Bezos, the bridge would be no problem and they would not dare to stand in their (the yards!) way.

But the people of Rotterdam dare and how they dare !!!

It is just a very little work around procedure to transport the not jet errected masts on a barge beyound the last bridge or lock between the yard and the open sea. Most of the Dutch build yachts go on barges to deeper harbours with sufficient clearance height. This is only the typical stubbornness and arrogance of the yard ownership. And playing the card of blackmailing the local politicians with the possible loss of jobs in Ablasserdam, when they don't get their way, is really below any standards. But that's what I expect from this yard ownership.

I do not like Amazon either, because he is the dead of all retailers, at least here in Europe but in this case, he is innocent.

If somebody would have told me in the past, one day I would stick up for Mr. Bezos, I would not have believed him .

I honestly don’t get the issue. Don’t they step masts at other locations all the time? I think this is common for Vitters. Just sail her to another port, barge the masts, and set up the rigging there.

I mean, just go to one of the Damen yards and do it. Feadship uses those a lot post their yachts transiting the canals. I’m curious if this was ever a consideration or something the media jumped on or made up. Was the bridge down for Black Pearl and Aquijo? What was done there?