Rotterdam bridge to be dismantled so Jeff Bezos' yacht can pass through

[catsudon]

Source: Dutch News. NL

A massive steel bridge in Rotterdam is to be partly demolished so that the pleasure yacht being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos can sail through it to the sea, local broadcaster Rijnmond said on Wednesday.



Read more: https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2022/02/rotterdam-bridge-to-be-dismantled-so-jeff-bezos-yacht-can-pass-through/

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well... i know someone's ship is going to be pelted with garbage at a certain day.

[Irish_Dem]

1. Rich oligarchs are in control of the world's power and wealth.

[CrispyQ]

2. Damn! His yacht can't pass through that?

Last edited Thu Feb 3, 2022, 04:28 PM - Edit history (2)

Is this photo really the part of the bridge they're going to take apart? Cuz it looks huge in this image.



on edit:

Another pic of the bridge from a different perspective. Perhaps it's the smaller bridge in front?

[Polybius]

3. Perhaps it's not wide enough

Hard to tell by the pic.

[dickthegrouch]

15. But Jeff won't be onboard at that point!

Nevertheless it’s pretty poor planning on the designers part to build something so big it can’t be accommodated by existing infrastructure.

I hope someone loses their engineering or architectural certification over this.

[Old Crank]

40. The width isn't the problem

It is the height, The cross member will have to be removed or partially removed.

[LudwigPastorius]

10. This is his boat (without the masts on it yet).

[question everything]

36. Can't they add the masts after it has been towed beyond the bridge?

[canetoad]

56. Funny you should say this

Because that's SOP with boats and masts and rigging.

I don't believe this story. Amateurish BS. There's more than enough true stuff about the world's wealthiest for this not to be necessary.

[IronLionZion]

11. It's the largest yacht in the entire world

and he's a supervillain

[EX500rider]

23. No, largest sailing yacht it says in the article. There are bigger yachts.

[csziggy]

60. It's the world's largest sailboat so the masts would be too tall

Three Things to Know About the Jeff Bezos Super Yacht
The Washington Post owner's very big boat is a record-breaker.
Written by Marisa M. Kashino
| Published on February 4, 2022

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. The Bezos boat will be the world’s largest sailing super-yacht.

The yacht measures 127 meters in length, which is about 57 feet longer than a football field. According to Boat International, it’s a three-masted schooner, constructed of aluminum and steel, set to be completed this summer.

More: https://www.washingtonian.com/2022/02/04/three-things-to-know-about-the-jeff-bezos-super-yacht/

What I don't understand is, isn't it possible to take the thing through the bridge, then put up the masts? I know little to nothing about boats/ships but I have heard of taking masts down ("shipping the masts" I think the phrase is).

[EX500rider]

61. It's stepping the mast...

..and was more common on older Tall Ships because their masts were not all one piece, usually 3, called:
The lowest piece was called the mast or the lower.
Then Topmast.
Then Topgallant mast.
&
Royal mast, if fitted.
They would bring down the Royal/or Top at sea if a big storm was coming.

But I don't see why his masts couldn't be fitted elsewhere, might be the shipyard wants the $, I believe they have done this to the bridge before.

[csziggy]

62. Thank you for the correction - as I said I know nothing about ships/boats nt

[Thtwudbeme]

4. Gross. Seriously- how embarrassing

I wouldn't admit to even knowing that jerk.

[LoisB]

5. What's next? Remove Portugal and Spain because they're in the way of my yacht getting to

Italy? Hope I've got the geography right.

[IronLionZion]

14. We can find efficiencies by removing Florida

[LoisB]

20. AMEN!!

nt

[flying rabbit]

31. Imma sharpen my saws.

Let's do this

[GB_RN]

6. This Is Wrong...

Jeff can get a new fucking yacht that can go under it, or find a new fucking place to dock...

[House of Roberts]

7. As I understand it,

the yacht is being built in the port where the bridge is. The bridge being dismantled is so the yacht can put to sea after completion.

To not agree to moving the bridge would have meant not getting the profits from building the yacht.

[TheBlackAdder]

8. The shipbuilder should do 2-stage construction, adding the taller masts at another shipyard.

[iscooterliberally]

9. What shape is the yacht? Asking for a friend.

[dchill]

34. I see what you did there.

[Vinca]

12. Isn't it great to know that we pay taxes so Bezos doesn't have to?

[brooklynite]

13. "Bezos have approached the council about temporarily dismantling the bridge at their cost"

Explain what this issue is?

[Diamond_Dog]

16. And Bezos wants the city council to authorize funding to do this.

He’s not even paying for it!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

19. That's not what I read.

Dutch Bridge To Come Down For Bezos Super-Yacht

February 3, 2022 Business, News

The New York Post reports:

A Dutch city has agreed to spend weeks taking down a historic bridge so Jeff Bezos’ new gigantic superyacht can reach the open seas this summer.

The Amazon founder’s 417-foot-long, three-masted ship is under construction in the Netherlands, but the pleasure boat will be too tall to pass under Rotterdam’s landmark Koningshaven Bridge.

As a work-around, the megabillionaire and the boatmaker Oceano reportedly asked Rotterdam officials to temporarily dismantle the iconic bridge, and pledged to reimburse the city for expenses.

{snip}

The bridge comes down temporarily, Rotterdam has a chance to perform some repairs to it after 95 years, and Bezos picks up the tab.

What's the problem?

Wait, there's more. The bridge was restored five years ago. It's not even in use, at least for rail traffic. Maybe people can go out on it, or it's used for vehicles. I haven't checked.

{snip}

Word of the planned deconstruction of the 1878 steel structure took a toll on preservation officials, who said the city pledged not to take apart De Hef again following a 2017 restoration.

{snip}

The bridge was one of the first Rotterdam landmarks to be restored after the city was bombed in World War II. It became obsolete after a tunnel was built for train traffic in 1993, but residents balked at demolishing the span, and it was converted into a national monument, the {NL Times} reported.

{snip}

[gristy]

17. I'm not seeing the problem here.

If Bezos or the shipbuilder are paying for this, it's not a problem, right?

[PSPS]

24. Bezos "paying" means US taxpayers are paying. Much of Bezos' wealth is from not paying taxes.

[EX500rider]

27. What taxes is he supposed to be paying that he isn't?

[cadoman]

47. legally he's most likely paying 100%

It's just that he has access to credits and rebates that the rest of us could only dream of, effectively giving him a 0% rate.

If you ever get in proximity of wealth you'll see that progressive taxation is an illusion. The "tax rate" only matters for salaried Bickles and small business owners.

[DBoon]

30. Not entirely true

Much of his wealth *is* from the blood and sweat of Amazon workers. Tax trickery allows him to keep the wealth thus generated.

[EX500rider]

42. "Tax trickery" By which you mean the tax code as written?

[DBoon]

46. Yes, the code resulting from heavy lobbying by big coporations and wealthy individuals

the best tax code money can buy

though of course the IRS tends not to enforce tax code violations by wealthy corporation and individuals, as they find it consumes excessive legal resources attempting to prosecute these cases.

Enforcement tends to go after lower income individuals who do not retain expensive laws firm,s and drag out cases for years.

[EX500rider]

48. If you can show me where Bezos lobbied to have the tax code changed, otherwise i don't

blame him for not paying more then he is suppose to.
The issue is most these billionaires don't take big salaries so they don't pay much income tax, they own billions in stock of their company is why they are billionaires.

[DBoon]

53. If I made a personal call to Bezos would that satisfy you?

[EX500rider]

54. In other words he has zero to do with the current tax code as far as we know?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

52. I have a brother and law who works for Amazon and is paid pretty well

Or so he says.

[Hoyt]

18. According to BBC, Rotterdam officials agreed to this because of jobs

it brought. It will take two weeks to dismantle and replace. Bezos is paying.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60241145

[intrepidity]

50. I hope the workers get adequate pee breaks nt

[truthisfreedom]

21. I hope the bridge is ok in the end.

It’s difficult to fathom that he can buy a toy like this and avoid taxes.

[PatSeg]

22. This is so bizarre

Hard to believe it is real life, not some movie.

[question everything]

57. When one of the space shuttle was transferred to the museum at USC in LA

it was transported through major streets in LA, not freeways. And many trees had to be removed to make room for it. I don't know if new trees were planted.
.

https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/09/05/endeavour-shuttles-final-trip-to-l-a-museum-forces-removal-of-400-trees/

[PatSeg]

59. The residents must have been furious

Not as bad as a billionaire's luxury yacht, but still very destructive and expensive.

[George II]

25. Bezos will be paying the cost of the dismantling and replacement.

[uncle ray]

35. I hear they'll be renaming the bridge America.

[Chainfire]

26. Its good to be da king...

[Evolve Dammit]

28. That is truly disgusting. I'd rather see his vessel cut up to accomodate the bridge. WTF?

[DBoon]

29. They should dismantle the yacht so it will fit the bridge

[2naSalit]

32. ...

Hope the fucking thing sinks within year one with him on it.

[BarbD]

33. This is simply obscene.

[Lulu KC]

37. Ugh

So irritated that I JUST ordered a book about pollinators and gardening from Amazon, and we're hooked on a series that's on Prime.
People like me are part of the problem.
I need to address this.

[inthewind21]

38. Actually

People who go all hysterical without knowing what they are hysterical about is the problem. And it's on full display in this very thread.

[Lulu KC]

39. Two different problems

I'm disgusted by the excess and the attitude of, "It's all mine." I should have turned away from Amazon after his rocket ship ride, but it was inconvenient for me to do so.
But that's just me.

[EX500rider]

43. Billionaires furthering space travel & research seems like a better thing then what most of them do

Lots of huge houses and tons of hyper cars seems less useful to me. ymmv

[Old Crank]

41. I would have thought

That the masts, or the top parts of them could be installed after teh ship is pulled under the bridge.

[EX500rider]

44. Mast aren't on it yet so maybe it's a width issue.

[Old Crank]

58. Article that I read

Said removing the center section. That implies a height issue.
Here from Fortune .
Masts are much taller than the bridge opening by far.

https://fortune.com/2022/02/03/jeff-bezos-historic-dutch-bridge-dismantled-koningshaven-rotterdam-500-million-superyacht/

[Kid Berwyn]

45. It will be one of the greatest yachts ever to set sail.

https://www.bosshunting.com.au/motors/jeff-bezos-superyacht/

Thing is, once you drive it off the dealer lot…

[EX500rider]

49. Certainly greener then a diesel motors only superyacht. nt

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

51. Apparently, he is paying to rebuild the bridge

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jeff-bezos-paid-megayacht-pass-231740273.html

[Hoyt]

55. Maybe the criticism is why he had it made overseas.