Jeff Cordell
Voyage Manager and Electronics Support [organisation: CSIRO]
What is your job title?
Normally Senior Technical Officer. On this voyage I will also
be the voyage manager.
What do you study and why is it important?
I work in
a support role. I endeavour to be technically familiar
with our systems so that I can maintain them effectively.
What will you be doing on the voyage?
Voyage Manager and Electronics support. The VM provides an interface
between CSIRO, the Chief Scientist and the Master of the ship
and ensure that CSIRO’s policies and interests are represented
on the voyage. The electronics support role is to maintain a
wide variety of instrumentation and systems that have been installed
on board the ship.
Where were you educated?
In Hobart, Tasmania. I have a Certificate in electrical engineering,
almost a bachelor of science in Maths and computing, and have
completed two traineeships in broadcast engineering and power
engineering.
How did you become interested in the ocean?
I come form a family that have always had boats. We have as a family
been keen on fishing and diving. I’m a keen sailor with
an interest in racing. I own a 36 foot yacht,
Do you get seasick? And if so, any tips on how not to?
Never been seasick. To avoid seasickness sit under a palm tree
and sip a margarita.
What do you enjoy about your work?
The variety. I like the challenge of working with leading edge
technology, and enjoy eeting the challeges of keeping this equipment
working under harsh environments and often tight deadlines.
What are some of the challenges you face?
The equipment is often quite complex and you don’t often
have a lot of technical support readily available. You often work
autonomously with limited resources and therefore when things go
well you get a lot of satisfaction.
What have you learned/discovered? What do you hope to
learn?
Preparation is everything. The best compliment that you can get
is that it appears that you aren’t doing much. An electronics
tech watching a DVD is a good sign that everything is going well!!
How do you spend your spare time?
At sea you can often work long hours, or at a minimum you need
to be able to function if you are woken up when off watch. I
try to relax –relax, take catnaps and try and get plenty
of rest.
