Jacky Cruijsberg (43) has been working at Linssen for over 17 years, but started his career...
Jacky Cruijsberg: “I only get one chance...”
Jacky Cruijsberg (43) has been working at Linssen for over 17 years, but started his career spraying trucks. “After my secondary technical school training in automotive engineering and body repair, it was more or less a natural progression. I learnt the whole technique of spraying truck cabins in practice. There was no separate training for sprayers back then. After several years in trucks, I felt I wanted something different and was investigating the possibilities. My father knew this too, of course, and he spoke to Harry Linssen about it, as they were singing in the same choir. Harry then invited me to come and see him and that’s how I ended up here. And I haven’t regretted it for a moment.”
New spray booth
“When I joined Linssen in 2006, the new blasting and spray booths had just been completed, meeting the latest environmental requirements. The booths were equipped with underfloor heating, modern spraying equipment and most importantly: the ‘Wallmans’. These platforms are attached to the cabin wall on both sides of the boat. They can move along the whole wall and also slide forward so we can easily reach the entire ship. Ladders are almost impossible to find at Linssen anyway. Everything is done using elevated work platforms in the Logicam halls and aerial platforms in the preservation area.”
Back and forth between spray booth and preservation
Every Linssen yacht receives an important protective coat: a coating consisting of several layers that ultimately ensures that the steel is optimally protected. «Before the boat comes to us, it first goes to the blast booth. There care is taken to ensure that the welds are clean, that the hull is free of any impurities that got on it during welding, and that the steel has the right ‘roughness’ for the coating.
It then enters our primer booth and the first protective layer is applied in the form of an epoxy primer. The boat then goes to my colleagues in preservation, who apply filler where needed. The boat then comes back to us for a double coat of high-build epoxy coating. Once again, the boat goes to preservation for touch-up fillings and sanding. Internal transport takes the boat back to the spray booth for a triple coat of epoxy coating. And again the ship goes back to preservation for final sanding and preparation for final coating. We clean and degrease the hull. All parts that should not receive paint are carefully taped off. The parts below the waterline are also completely covered. That preparation often takes longer than the ultimate spraying process.”
I only get one chance...
“Then the vessel enters the final coating booth and the last thing it gets is a polyurethane paint, which we spray in three coats. Despite spraying being quite quick in itself, it is a particularly precise process. It involves a lot of experience and knowledge. For the first spray, we can still see a clear difference from the previous coat, but for the second and third spray, for example for the Egg Shell White of the superstructure, we spray purely by experience and even ‘by feel’. The visual difference between the layers is minimal. Too little paint is certainly not good, but neither is too much. We spray every yacht in the same way in great detail, so we always touch every nook and surface the right way. We only get one chance. Everything has to be right in one go.”
“In addition, it is important that people from outside never enter the spray booth. Not even when spraying is not taking place. Why? Most perfumes and aftershaves people use contain silicones. If these get into the air of the spray booth, they also get into the paint. Then the spraying process is affected and we may have to start all over again.”
Jet skiing and water skiing
It is not only at work that Jacky is involved in water sports. In his spare time too, he can often be found on - and even under - the water. «I have my own jet ski and a fast sports boat behind which you can water ski. I regularly go out on the water with my girlfriend and son or friends. We live in Blerick near Venlo, which is on the River Meuse, just like Maasbracht. As a result, we are very close to the harbour where we have the boat, which we enjoy immensely. I also go diving regularly. I have pretty much all the diving qualifications.”
