Amazon boss Jeff Bezos’s $500 million megayacht Koru is gearing up for the upcoming summer season. However, it is not undergoing the refits or repairs at the Oceanco facility in The Netherlands where the yacht was built but at the La Ciotat shipyard in France. The 416-feet Oceanco vessel sailed from the port of Palma to La Ciotat, one of the Mediterranean’s most noteworthy shipyards for a possible touch up. The barely three-year-old yacht ditched the Oceanco facility despite still being under warranty, which does strike as rather odd.
But on jogging my memory, it brings to mind the unpleasantness Koru, the world’s largest sailing yacht, encountered on her maiden journey through Rotterdam. The stunning schooner in February 2022 left the Zwijndrecht shipyard in West Netherlands with three gigantic masts that were too tall to pass through Koningshaven Bridge.
The Dutch city would have to dismantle the iconic bridge temporarily to accommodate the vessel to pass through. This created outrage among the locals who resorted to protest and even planned on egging the luxury vessel with rotten eggs when it crossed the historic bridge.
In the end, Koru’s towering masts measuring 230 feet were installed at a separate facility. It is obvious why the billionaire chose to avoid havoc and take the route that leads you to the excellent care of La Ciotat shipyard, without getting involved with a national monument. In fact, the centibillionaire worth $201 billion seems to be fond of the excellent shipyard as Koru was in La Ciotat only a few months ago in November 2023 after extensively cruising the Mediterranean.
By dint of location and also exceptional services, the shipyard accommodates the most mammoth mega yachts over 100 meters with ease and witnesses most billionaires and their boats at their facility. Per Marine Traffic, the Oceanco goliath is moored at La Ciotat, and their technicians would have flown in from the Oceanco facility to the shipyard, as that seems like the more reasonable option. Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sanchez have made the most of their $500 million floating asset and its support vessel $75 million Abeona that carries around the helicopter for pilot Sanchez.
Last year, the much-in-love power couple started their summer escapade in May 2023, and sailed through the Balearic Islands, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Capri, Sardinia, Portofino, and the Baltic countries. The 416-footer was sent to La Ciotat first in September and then in November for maintenance with the support vessel Abeona in tow. In no time, Koru superyacht will be in ship-shape for the journey that lies ahead.
