Building a $200 Million 260-Foot Yacht Wasn’t the Hard Part, but Rather Getting It to Sea in Perfect Condition

Imagine living in a quiet village near Rotterdam, where, when you look out of your window, you see a 260-foot-long, 46-foot-wide colossus towering before you. This is the reality for the residents of Alphen, a quiet village in the Netherlands.

According to local media outlet AD, residents recently spotted a $200 million superyacht in the town’s canals. The Project 714 yacht belongs to Lawrence Stroll, the owner of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team. The yacht maneuvered its way to the sea, navigating narrow canals and avoiding bridges and several obstacles on its journey.

The Odyssey of the Megayacht

Feadship is one of the world’s leading superyacht manufacturers. Its shipyards in Aalsmeer in the Northwestern Netherlands have produced giants like Launchpad, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s 388-foot yacht. Every vessel must undertake an intricate journey through narrow canals, testing the expertise of the engineers involved in the transfer. The ships also encounter traffic disruptions in the towns along the route.

These operations aren’t easy. They require meticulous planning and flawless execution at every step. Any miscalculation or error in maneuvering could result in damage to the hull of a vessel valued at more than $200 million. More worryingly, it could also jeopardize people’s safety. The epic journey of Project 714 was even videotaped for the Dutch Yachting channel.

Some sections of the transfer were particularly tense. For instance, the yacht passed over one of Alphen’s drawbridges, with only inches of clearance for the hull. Tight turns in the canals also added an element of excitement during this mesmerizing journey to the open sea.

The Project 714 yacht leaving the shipyard.

When Money Can’t Solve All Your Problems

Project 714 is neither the first nor the last superyacht to make a challenging crossing, but its complexity is remarkable. Notably, Stroll has an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion, according to Forbes.

The launch of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Koru from the Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam in the Southwestern Netherlands presented similar challenges. The yacht also had to navigate canals. During the Koru process, the Dutch builder faced a major issue. A historic drawbridge built in 1927 wasn’t high enough for Koru’s 230-foot masts to pass beneath.

As a solution, the builder proposed temporarily dismantling the bridge to allow the yacht to cross. However, local residents opposed this suggestion, which led to the city council’s refusal. As such, the builder had no option but to complete the crossing without the masts so that Koru could be finished at the shipyard in Greenport, New York.

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A Floating Mansion

AD reported reactions from Alphen locals who witnessed Project 714 glide through their narrow canals. According to a translation provided by Google Translate, comments included, “Not normal,” “The closer you get, the more impressive,” and “We are first class.”

Feadship has created this floating mansion for leisure. It features five decks, wooden floors throughout, and a tapered foredeck that could accommodate a helipad. It also has a beach club with a swimming pool at the stern. Additionally, the yacht is equipped with a more efficient diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system, which reduces vibration and enhances onboard comfort.

The yacht builder isn’t revealing many details about the interior design and finishes while the yacht is still under construction. It’ll disclose this information after the yacht successfully completes its sea trials.

Images | Feadship

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