By Jesse O’Neill
(MAINNEWS) – Amazon honcho Jeff Bezos’ $500 million superyacht Koru, codenamed Y721, is finally sea ready — spotted in the North Sea after leaving Rotterdam Feb. 13, footage posted by the organization Dutch Yachting sbows.
The massive 417-foot vessel‘s test run came months after it was originally set to be delivered to the 59-year-old billionaire.
It requires an 250-foot support vessel that houses a helicopter landing pad for the Blue Origin founder.
Facebook/Dutch Yachting
AP
AP
Bezos’ mega boat created controversy last year after a report that Dutch officials would have to dismantle the historic Koningshaven Bridge because the 130-foot steel structure wouldn’t allow the vessel and its 229-foot masts pass through.
Following an uproar from residents, local leaders decided the plan was a bridge too far — and the boat was towed from its construction location to another shipyard in a nearby town without its masts, according to Jalopnik.
The uproar likely played a big part in how and when it would float away.
Citizens of Rotterdam reportedly swore in February that, should Bezos’s superyacht traverse the De Hef bridge, they would pelt it with eggs in protest.
AP
And when it finally came time to move the vessel out of its Dutch shipbuilding yard, the decision was made to tow it away under cover of darkness, The Cut reported.
Koru costs about $25 million a year to run. The pleasure boat can accommodate 18 guests — and requires a crew of 40 sailors.
It is far from the world’s most expensive yacht. That dubious honor is reserved for the $4.8 billion History Supreme — a gold and platinum-plated vessel featuring a Tyrannosaurus rex bone wall made of meteoric stone. It was bought in 2011 by an anonymous Malaysian businessman, according to The Richest.
Yet the half-billion price tag is a relative drop in the ocean for the Amazon founder, whose net worth was valued at $181 billion by Forbes.
Koru will join a fleet of superyachts, helicopters, and planes already owned by the entrepreneur and his millionaire girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez.
The aluminum and steel schooner reportedly boasts three decks including one with a swimming pool.
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The smaller 250 foot support vessel that will sit alongside the mammoth one will include a helicopter landing pad for Bezos or his celebrity guests. This smaller yacht is also expected to be loaded with an array of toys including luxury cars, jet skis, speedboats, and perhaps even a personal submarine, the Daily Mail has reported.
