Kansas auto tycoon’s 270-foot $100m superyacht dwarfs homes as it inches beneath lifting bridge
Published on Feb 15, 2026 at 11:52 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Feb 13, 2026 at 8:53 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
This Kansas auto tycoon attempted to squeeze his 270-foot $100 million superyacht beneath a lifting bridge, even though it’s bigger than most people’s houses.
The superyacht in question is Project 289, allegedly built for American owner Larry Van Tuyl, a billionaire and an auto tycoon.
The huge ship was recently spotted in the Netherlands, transiting through Gouda, as it headed to an outfitting facility in Kaag.
Cue the almost surreal sight of this giant yacht traversing down the narrow canals of the Netherlands, and dwarfing all of the houses as it cruised past them.
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Why was the huge superyacht transiting through the Netherlands?
According to reports, Project 289 was heading to the Feadship Royal Van Lent facility in Kaag.
This is an outfitting facility, where the superyacht would get its new, luxury interior.
The yacht looked mighty impressive as it was escorted through the canals, past the small Dutch waterside houses.
The images in the canals were alarming enough, but the most terrifying part was when it tried to pass under a bridge.
The lifting bridge was opened to allow the giant ship to pass through, and from images shared online, it looked like there was barely enough room for it to cut through.
As it was such a tight fit, tugs, pilots, and bridge operators were all in attendance to guide the vessel through.
Images like this probably explain why you shouldn’t take a superyacht through a canal regularly.
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Destined for use by a Kansas auto tycoon
Reports state that this huge ship belongs to billionaire Larry Van Tuyl, the CEO of the Van Tuyl Companies.
This is an enterprise overseeing the business interests of the Van Tuyl family.
He is also the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, one of the largest automotive dealership groups in the United States.
With such huge wealth, it is little wonder he was able to afford the superyacht Project 829.
The giant yacht is currently not fitted out, hence its journey to the Dutch shipyard.
All being well, Van Tuyl will take delivery of this massive ship in 2027.
What lies on the inside remains to be seen, but we expect it to be as luxurious as it gets.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a leading heritage steam railway in England.
