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Working for Damen Naval doesn’t necessarily mean being based in Vlissingen or even the Netherlands. There are currently quite a few Damen Naval people working abroad. In this article, we hear from Erik Walraven, who is currently working as Manufacturing Engineer Structures for the F126 project in Wolgast, Germany.
In the 36 years that Erik Walraven has been working for Damen Naval, he has worked on many projects including the SIGMA frigates for Indonesia, the POLA for Mexico, the Nuyina icebreaker for Australia, and the LCF-Frigates, HNLMS Karel Doorman and the Midlife Update of HNLMS Johan de Witt for the Royal Netherlands Navy. Despite the global reach of these projects, Erik’s work has never taken him away from Vlissingen-Oost. That is, until now. The latest assignment that he is working on is the F126 project for the German Navy, for which Erik is working at the Peene-Werft shipyard in Wolgast.
The view of Wolgast and the Peene-Werft Shipyard.
Erik’s first working visit to the shipyard in Wolgast was in May 2023; this was just for one week. The purpose of that trip was “to see how they worked here and what type of output they needed in order to build a ship”. It was also important to align any differences of working methods. “In general, the process of building a ship is the same at every shipyard, but of course there are small differences between different companies.”
Erik returned to Wolgast with a small team of colleagues in October 2023, a couple of months prior to the project’s first steel-cutting. This time, they worked with the local production team over a period of four weeks to make the improvements necessary to start production.
“It is nice to be working in new surroundings and getting to know new people, and also to be gaining more insight into the building of this ship. Yes, I am away from my home and family, who I miss sometimes, but that’s part of the job. That is what I said ‘yes’ to.” Erik Walraven
“And then from January 2024, I have been working here permanently; working three weeks on, one week off,” says Erik. “My role is the steel work preparation – the manufacturing engineering – for the hull and superstructure of the first F126 frigate. Here in Wolgast we are building the aft of the ship; another team is building the foreship at Kiel.” The majority of the manufacturing engineering takes place in Vlissingen; Erik’s job is to serve as the link between the production team in Wolgast and the manufacturing engineering team in Vlissingen, coordinating any changes and modifications that need to be made.
A key part of Erik’s job in Wolgast is to work with the new engineering software package 3DX. “This is giving us some challenges – getting the correct information out of the system, for example – but implementing a new system does take time.” In solving these challenges, how important is his many years of experience? “I have been working in work preparation for about 15 years now. Before that – starting at Damen Naval in 1989 – I worked in the production hall. That practical experience is very important in doing my job; it gives me knowledge of all the various steps of production.”
Nearby attractions include the impressive Schloss Schwerin.
Looking at Wolgast and the surrounding area on Google Maps, it seems to have a similar maritime atmosphere as Zeeland. “Just east of here is the island of Usedom which is very pretty and very touristic in the summer season,” says Erik. He lives in an apartment in Wolgast. “It is right next to the water so I have good views. And, because I’ve been there for more than a year, it really feels like my own place.”
How is Erik experiencing his first project working abroad? “It is nice to be working in new surroundings and getting to know new people, and also to be gaining more insight into the building of this ship. Yes, I am away from my home and family, who I miss sometimes, but that’s part of the job. That is what I said ‘yes’ to.”
The blue Peene Bridge Wolgast that connects the island of Usedom to Wolgast Castle Island.
Erik organises his work schedule by returning home to Oost-Souburg for his one week of leave. And even though he is officially ‘free’ during that time, he does make time to visit the Vlissingen office for a few hours. “It’s good to see my colleagues in real life to exchange ideas and make sure that we are on the same wavelength. Face-to-face contact is often easier than a Teams meeting,” he notes.
And with Damen Naval having been contracted to build a total of six F126 frigates for the German Navy, how long does he think he will be working in Wolgast? “I definitely want to work here until the aft-ship-part of ship number one is ready to be transported to Kiel. After that, it depends on the priorities; maybe I will be needed elsewhere.”