Captain stats
- Born 1956 in Barry, South Wales
- First went to sea April 1972 as a Catering Boy
- Married to Carol in 1982
- 2 children: Gareth (25) and Carys (22)
- Lived in Wolverhampton since March 1980
Captain Roger Chamberlain
I have mostly liked my life on the high seas – visiting those places I dreamt about as a lad, meeting nice, indifferent, dour, menacing, jolly people along the way.
But what is the very BEST thing?
Just like Captain James Cook’s ‘Endeavour’ we are ALWAYS on a voyage of discovery. I have seen the sea at its very best with moonlight phosphorescence bewitching your very soul and I have seen the 25-30 metre waves driven by 90-120 MPH winds tearing and testing the very fabric of my vessel.
In my time in this profession scientists I have been associated with have named features on the Mid-Atlantis Ridge (there is a small feature named after my late hamster, Rupert believe it or not!), sampled the sea bed 4 MILES BELOW with enormous logistical support using giant piston cores, 25 metres long and weigh 5 tonnes when they are down on the sea bed. Pulling out the cores from the sea bed can see 10-15 Tonnes registered on our winches which are very special pieces of machinery.
I have been part of expeditions to the Arctic and to the Antarctic and cut the waves alongside whales, dolphins, penguins and flying fish. I have seen so much BEAUTY and RAGE on this precious planet that I can honestly say I feel a very lucky man.
But who has made this possible – The SCIENTISTS and their need to understand more of this wonderful planet.
This particular undertaking is called Cruise JC039 and involves Scientists from the Plymouth Marine laboratory. Also on the scientific team are scientists from the Universities of Oxford, Brest, Warwick, Oregon, Washington, Philippines, Bigelow Labs, and the UK National Oceanography Centre.
Although this is the first time I have sailed with many of the scientists aboard, there are many I have sailed with numerous times, such as Andy Rees (the boss we call the Principal Scientist or Expedition Leader), Carolyn Harris, Claire Widdecombe, Glen Tarran, John Stephens, Ross Holland, Libby Ross, Joanna Dixon, Rachael Beale and Mike Zubkov. The scientists mentioned here I class as colleagues due to the many times we have sailed together.
My job and that of my officers, crew and technicians is to take the ship onto (or into) the area of interest (such as the NAG and SAG sites featured in this mission) and enable the scientists to cast their instruments and nets into the water for as long and as much as they need to. No doubt the rest of the website will explain the instrumentation and what they measure.
The scientists are a demanding lot and push the envelope as much as they can and my job (along with my Senior Officers) is to assess if we can do it taking into account weather, sea, time constrictions etc. But as usual my decision is final.
Hopefully the website will also give you an insight into the social aspects of this cruise, such as the ‘Crossing the Line’ ceremony and our marking of different occasions with a get together of some kind.
My word on board is law as far as the ship is concerned, but Andy’s word is law as far as the venture (sometimes adventure) is concerned.
I hope I have given you an insight into the Captain’s role in this great undertaking of ours.