The gift-wrapped yacht, a Wajer 55 of the Wajer brand, had gone that day from the Heeg shipyard in Friesland to Amsterdam for a photo shoot, says Dries Wajer (35). “We enjoyed taking a picture of the ship for our annual Christmas card at this location. Because where can you buy nice gifts? On the PC, of course.
With the help of two escort vehicles, the sixteen-metre-long ship navigated the city, on narrow streets and busy trams. A video shared online shows traffic having to wait a while as the Wajer column on Hobbemastraat turns into PC Hooftstraat. Bystanders are filming the scene on their phones.
It was a “centimeter job,” according to Wajer. “We had checked in advance whether it would fit, but you have yet to do it. Luckily, the drivers were very good at assessing that.”
Christmas stunt
It’s not the first time that the Amsterdam company Wajer has come up with a funny Christmas gimmick. Last year they left a Santa behind a yacht to go water skiing. The year before, a decorated tree sailed the canals.
The Wajer 55 – with a price tag of 2.5 million euros – was finally photographed unharmed and then returned to Heeg. “He’s safe again among his friends until someone gives him a present.”
