One family, two engineers: Hans and Vincent Cretier

They both strive for perfection and think building ships is one of the most beautiful things there is. Father Hans and son Vincent Cretier have found their place in the Engineering Department of Damen Naval. But where one is almost exclusively concerned with stability and weight, the other chooses to work in different departments and projects.

Officially, Hans Cretier (68) has been retired since 2017, but because of his specialist knowledge combined with an enormous love for his work, the Senior Engineer still works a fair few hours for Damen Naval. “A lot of people don’t understand that I have been doing this work for so long. A few times, I have done other jobs, but I never really liked them. I have always seen this work more as a hobby for which I happen to be paid. I really like the job and I still enjoy it.”

That is also the reason why Hans has so far signed four zero-hours contracts since his retirement. “I still work about two days a week. My knowledge and experience are needed, and I couldn’t bear it if things went wrong. Errors in calculations can lead to unpleasant problems later, which may influence the behaviour of the ship.”

The Senior Engineer began his career at Nevesbu in The Hague in 1976 working closely with Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde during those years. In 2002, he joined Damen Naval. As an expert in weight and stability, he knows how to make reliable calculations like no other. He also regularly carries out stability tests on existing and new naval vessels. “Calculating the weight of a ship is complex. Everything on board affects the weight and stability and it is important to make reliable calculations,” explains Hans. “The ship is sold with an expected draught and weight. If it turns out to be heavier after construction, it will be deeper in the water and due to resistance, will not achieve the speed, range, et cetera, specified in the contract. And the responsibility for this lies with us as the builder, not with the client.”

Son Vincent Cretier (33) began his adventure at Damen Naval in 2010 when he came to do an internship during his course in Shipbuilding. “I liked it so much that I also did my graduation project at Damen Naval. I did research on the stability of small combat ships. Originally the idea was that I would work with stability, just like my father, but since then, I have had many different functions within Damen Naval.” He started as a design engineer in a small team led by Leon Goossens, “the spiritual father of the SIGMA ships”, says Vincent. “That was a very interesting and informative time, but after his retirement I was integrated into the Products & Proposals department where I worked on proposals for SIGMAs for various countries.”

When an Engineering colleague retired, a position became vacant specialising in Law & Regulations. “I worked with him for a year, and he shared his knowledge and experience with me. It’s a very broad subject and includes how systems should be designed and what safety and environmental requirements we should meet,” Vincent explains. “I was placed in the Outfitting department, and I stayed there. After a few years, I became Team Lead Outfitting in 2018. In 2020, I took a step back and started working for the F126 project: first for nine months in the role of Law & Regulation Specialist, but now I’m back at Outfitting. I work with a small team of engineers and am a bit more hands-on with technology again.”

It is clear that Hans is proud of the fact that his son has also come to work at Damen Naval. “You used to hear that a lot more, nowadays it is almost a unique thing.” Vincent in turn was inspired by what his father told him about his job. “His stories had something magical, especially for a little boy. I found naval ships and defence very interesting and when I finished my studies Damen was one of the few companies where ships were designed at a high technical level and built at their own yard. It’s so nice to be able to see the result of your work immediately. Hopefully, ships will once again be built in Vlissingen in the future, because as a technician, you want to see what has become of your designs.”

According to both father and son, it is very important for engineers to be able to take a look on board the ships to see what their designs look like in reality. This has been difficult in recent years, but fortunately Hans has a handy alternative, explains Vincent. “As an engineer, it is essential to be able to see what a certain room or machine looks like in real life, but I can always go to Dad. He has photos of a lot of ship parts. For example, we recently had to integrate an ammunition lift, but it was difficult to imagine what that would look like in reality. So, I call him up and almost immediately I have a number of photos of ammunition lifts in my inbox.”

Hans adds: “During the stability tests, I am constantly looking at what is too much or what is missing and what’s in the wrong place, because that all affects the stability of a ship. A floor plan of the ship is essential, but it’s also handy to take photos so you can look back at it later. Whenever I’ve been on a ship, I always come back with between 200 and 600 photos and there’s always something that is of use to a colleague. I have had colleagues waiting at my office upon my return asking if they could see the photos. I always share everything. You have to share knowledge.”

In the years they have worked together at Damen Naval, they have sometimes worked simultaneously on the same project, but never really together. “It didn’t bother me that I came into a company where my father already worked. Everyone knew me as ‘Hans’ son’, but the company is so big that you don’t see each other every day,” Vincent concludes. “I am proud that my father is still working and of the quality of his work as well, according to the reports I hear. He has instilled the same work ethic in me. If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. We both strive for perfection.”