Damen Naval colleagues sail aboard HNLMS Tromp

Two Damen Naval employees recently made an unforgettable journey: they were allowed to sail on board HNLMS Tromp from Curaçao to Den Helder. For twelve days, they were able to immerse themselves in life on board and discover how the crew handles a frigate designed and built by Damen Naval.

After nearly six months at sea, ten port visits, the largest naval exercise in the world and thousands of nautical miles on, among others, the Red Sea, the South China Sea and the Panama Canal, Air Defence and Command Frigate (LCF) HNLMS Tromp returned to Den Helder in September. During the last leg of the voyage, from Willemstad to the home port in Den Helder, Team Lead Integrated Logistics Support Lisa-Maria Breschan and Integration Engineer Marine Systems Stefan Neyt were part of the crew.

“It was a really fantastic experience,” Lisa-Maria says. “The people on board were very open and welcoming and enjoyed being heard. We had a lot of conversations and learned a lot. It is good to see how the systems are really used and what works well and where there is room for improvement.”

The passage was arranged through former naval officer and Director of Corporate Strategy & Innovation Richard Keulen. A number of colleagues from different departments were selected to be considered and the choice fell on Lisa-Maria and Stefan. Before leaving, the pair attended an intensive start-up course in Den Helder. On the first day, the programme included ‘Survival at Sea’ with an evacuation and jump into the sea from the ship and various rescue exercises in the water. The second day was all about fire safety and the various fire extinguishers on board were explained. They also had an exercise where they had to navigate the ship in the dark.

During the voyage, a number of weekly exercises were carried out, such as man-overboard training, but the most impressive training was the Fighter Watch exercise when the ship is put into the highest state of readiness. “For us, the exercise started in the command centre while simulating a missile attack. There is fire, there is smoke, and water is coming in,” Lisa-Maria says. “We were taken through the ship by a crew member and saw all parts of the exercise: fixing the leak, putting out the fire and what happens in the Technical Centre. It was a very impressive interplay.”

But the duo was mainly on board to discover as much as possible about the operational side of the ship. “On the first day, we were asked what our objectives for the trip were. Then we were paired with the Head of Technical Services who arranged a series of appointments for us,” says Stefan. These included speaking to the team doing generator maintenance, the hull team dealing with everything fixed to the ship, the nautical service and the propulsion, communications and weapons and sensors teams.

Amid all the exercises and talks, there was fortunately also time for relaxation. There was a pub quiz and a culinary world tour. “The Tromp had sailed around the world and from all the countries they cooked some highlights. I really enjoyed that, because it allowed us to experience a bit of what they all experienced,” Lisa-Maria says.

The arrival in Den Helder was of course an emotional and festive occasion, especially for the crew members who had not seen their families for months. Stefan was also expected: “My wife and son had come to Den Helder to pick me up; it was very nice. You enter the harbour and see the families already waiting. But then it takes another 45 minutes before the ship is alongside and the crew is allowed to disembark. That was emotional for a lot of people.”

Now that the two are back in the office, the photos and stories are being shared and a photo presentation summarising all the crew’s suggestions is being prepared for other colleagues. “I notice that I look at my work differently,” Lisa-Maria says. “When I look at a general arrangement plan now, I notice things I wouldn’t have noticed before the trip. It is much more alive now that I have been on board the ship and seen how certain things work.”

Stefan also found it a very successful experience: “It was incredibly fun and educational. I would go again in a moment and hope we can do this more often in the future, because it is very valuable to get such a look on board.”