These guys risked everything to try navigate a $70M superyacht through the world’s most dangerous bridge
- Superyacht captain navigated the world’s most dangerous bridge
- It’s located on the island of St Maarten in the Caribbean
- Considering it’s a $70 million vessel, the stakes are high
Published on Oct 23, 2024 at 5:23 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Oct 24, 2024 at 7:38 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
In a truly nail-biting spectacle, this superyacht captain navigated through one of the world’s most dangerous bridges on the island of St Maarten in the Caribbean.
The world-famous Simpson Bay Bridge has got the better of some of the most experienced sailors.
The deck team sailed through the narrow opening as they dropped off their 2023 season’s first charter.
Did they make it? Let’s find out.
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$70M superyacht vs. the world’s most dangerous bridge
The crew of the 221-foot luxury motor yacht, Loon, arrived at Simpson Bay in St. Maartin.
Available for charter for up to 12 guests in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Bahamas, it offers ‘7* superyacht service, spectacular indoor-outdoor living spaces, and an exceptional water sports program’.
Ahead of dropping off their 2023 season’s first charter, the crew prepared to navigate the tight space between Simpson Bay Bridge.
It’s a notoriously challenging task for any superyacht captain.
Speaking on challenging maneuvers, this Boeing 747 captain tackled extreme crosswinds during landing.
The nailbiting narrow passage
First, Captain Paul Clarke briefs his crew on the strategy for passing through the bridge.
He emphasizes that careful positioning and the use of fenders on one side are key to preventing damage to the valuable vessel.
As the yacht approached the bridge, the captain monitored clearance closely.
Off the back of his observations, he adjusted the vessel’s angle and communicated with the crew to ensure safe passage.
With the entire crew breathing a sigh of relief, the superyacht clears the bridge without incident.
Plus it’s certainly worth the effort, as the lagoon is a natural Hurricane Hole surrounded 365° by land.
That means it’s a ‘really nice protected harbor’.
Meanwhile, this 400-foot-long $360 million superyacht owned by a sports billionaire drew some major attention on the River Thames in London, England.
The Kismet is so big that the vessel could dwarf an entire football field.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
