Jeff Bezos Spotted Onboard Superyacht in Panama Canal | SY News

Koru's Panama Canal Transit

• 💡 The sailing yacht Koru recently completed a transit through the Panama Canal.
• 📌 Initial reports suggesting the vessel needed repairs were inaccurate; the actual reason for a stop was its exceptionally tall masts.
• ⚠️ The masts had to be hinged down to safely pass under critical bridges, specifically mentioning the Atlantic Bridge and the Bridge of the Americas.

Jeff Bezos Onboard

• 🚀 Surprisingly, Jeff Bezos was observed on board Koru during its transit through the Panama Canal.
• 💬 It is considered unusual for superyacht owners to be present during such transits, as they typically join their vessels once they reach their destination.
• 🔍 Bezos was seen taking an interest in the transit, likely observing the yacht's close proximity to the canal's side docks.

Mast Hinging Mechanism

• 📐 Koru's masts are over 90 meters high from sea level, necessitating a specialized arrangement to reduce their height.
• 🛠️ The unique mast hinging system was designed by Southern Spars in New Zealand to enable the yacht to access various locations, including San Francisco.
• ✅ A dedicated rigging crew was likely flown in to manage the complex process of hinging and re-erecting the masts.

Post-Transit Operations

• ⚓ After successfully transiting the canal, Koru anchored overnight in Chapiro before proceeding to Panama City.
• ⚙️ The specialized rigging crew then returned to the vessel in Panama City to re-erect the masts, positioning the yacht on the Pacific side of the canal.
• 🌍 Jeff Bezos had recently been in South America, visiting Machu Picchu in Peru.