First, Jeff Bezos’ new megayacht was too big to pass under a bridge in the Netherlands. Now, the massive vessel’s size — it’s more than 400 feet long — has played a role in preventing it from keeping company with other private yachts in Port Everglades, Fla., where it is anchored.
Instead, the megayacht, named Koru, is hanging with huge oil tankers and general container ships. The yacht is docked there because of its size and also because of what berths were available in the seaport, according to a spokeswoman for Port Everglades.
Koru is a sailing yacht, unlike the much bigger diesel-powered boats popular with other billionaires. It is the largest sailing yacht in the world, according to Oceanco, the Dutch company that finished building the boat earlier this year.
The deck space of the three-masted schooner has three Jacuzzis and a swimming pool. The inside has a “timeless, contemporary style,” according to Oceanco, with natural wood tones, warm neutrals, and patterned textiles. It also includes a mermaid on the bow that appears to resemble Mr. Bezos’ partner, Lauren Sánchez.
Koru, which Bloomberg estimated cost about $500 million to build, arrived to the Florida port on Nov. 22 after departing from Gibraltar earlier this month, according to Marine Traffic, a real-time maritime data platform.
It was unclear why exactly Mr. Bezos docked his yacht there, but earlier this month he said that he would be moving back to Miami to be closer to his parents and to Ms. Sánchez.
Mr. Bezos had since 1994 lived in Seattle, where he started Amazon from his garage. He has already purchased two mansions in South Florida, one for $68 million and another for $79 million, according to Bloomberg News.
Bloomberg estimated his net worth to be $171 billion.
Port Everglades charges yachts larger than 400 feet at least $309.50 per 24 hours. Ships that have been closest to Koru include a more-than 610-foot-long oil tanker named Magnolia State.
Koru is Maori for “coil” or “loop” and has come to symbolize new life, growth, and peace in traditional Maori art.
Mr. Bezos’ journey with his new yacht started off rocky. Last year, city officials in Rotterdam, the Dutch city, initially agreed to dismantle De Hef, a 95-year-old bridge, so that Koru could pass through it from the nearby city where it had been built. The dismantling process would have taken more than a day, and putting it back together would have too. But after uproar from the community — including calls to throw eggs at the boat as it would have passed — Oceanco decided against it and the yacht was towed to a different location to have its masts attached.
Jack Begg contributed research.
