One of the most exciting events in the world yachting world is the "maiden voyage" of the "Galactica" earlier this month. The huge superyacht was towed toward a port in the north of the Netherlands caused heated discussion as it was crossing a low railway bridge.
The Galactica, a 265-foot superyacht built by Heesen, was launched from the southwestern Dutch city of Oss in early January for the northern port city of Harlingen for final outfitting and testing as it prepared for sea trials on the high seas. Last week, The Boat Information shared some of the images of the boat's movement through the river network in the Netherlands, but the lack of detail was not enough to reflect the thrill of the transport. Now this set of photos offers a glimpse into the ship's spectacular journey through challenging canals, as well as close-ups of its massive, convertible apron.
Originally known as the Cosmos project, the all-aluminium yacht "Galactica" debuted at the end of 2020 and will be Heesen's flagship yacht after completing the final outfitting and sea trials, as well as the world's largest and fastest all-aluminum superyacht.
To reach its final destination, the superyacht had to travel slowly and painstakingly through small canals and rivers in the Netherlands.
The locks and bridges of the route were reportedly very tightly spaced, and the huge boat almost got stuck several times, so it was not easy to pass through the slender waterway, and the bridge across the river was the biggest danger facing such a huge ship – initially, when the yacht was almost stuck under the railway bridge near Denbosch, the crew quickly realized this. As shown above, the Galactica is moving in the direction of the bridge, with less than 6 inches of space left under the bridge.
But Heesen project coordinator Arjan Veldman is confident the yacht will arrive safely at its final destination. "The media and the public watching from the riverbank are not aware of all the precise measurement operations we make," he said, "we've been walking under locks and bridges like this for more than 40 years!" ”
This incredible set of photos shows the superyacht seemingly passing under a low bridge – with less than 6 inches of clearance. Dutch shipbuilder Heesen is tasked this month to transport the 80-meter-long Galactica from its dock in Oss to the North Sea for sea trials.
The shipyard shared the last leg of the journey from Oss to The Port of Harlingen. The flagship ship barely passed under the low bridge, delayed due to the high water level, and eventually passed the bridge unscathed.
According to Dutch newspaper BN De Stem, the superyacht then continued to travel along the Maas River, but was stuck again on January 10 because the water level was too high for it to pass under another bridge near Hesden.
Sara Gioanola, manager of Heesen's PR and Press Office, said a voyage like this would take 3-4 months to prepare and would require a lot of permits and certificates to pass through the Netherlands' complex network of rivers and canals, when "Galactica"
When the ship began its first voyage, the shipyard team had to constantly measure each step.
The 265-foot yacht has attracted considerable attention in the Netherlands, and it is certainly a sight to behold when passing through those low bridges, and many onlookers cannot believe that such a large ship can sail in the country's canals. But for the Heesen team, it's a routine, and they go through the same steps when each superyacht is launched.
The "Galactica" in the fog
At the same time, we also saw the ship's huge helipad, which is reported to be converted into a stunning open-air cinema. Below the tarmac is an accessory garage that can accommodate a Winch-designed custom luxury boat. Equipped with four MTU 4000 M73 engines with a total power of 19,000 horsepower, it stands out that the huge "Galactica" will also be the fastest all-aluminum yacht in this size.