THE journey of a “cool, calm and collected” Jersey seaman – from a 14-year-old deckhand to becoming a respected lifeboatman and harbour pilot – has been chronicled by his good friend in a recently-published biography.
Written by journalist Mike Fennell, Navigating a Passage Through Life, which tells the story of Frank ‘Hurricane’ Lawrence, includes tales of treacherous waters, near-collisions in dense fog and battles with hurricane-force winds.
Mr Fennell said that he had put the book together through a combination of detailed research and regular conversations with Mr Lawrence, who had “a lot to tell”.
“It was an interesting process,” he added, noting that it was the first biography he had written.
“His [Frank’s] whole life was about making sure he did everything spot on.
“When he has found himself in life or death situations it was usually because of elements completely outside of his control. You can plot your passage plan, you can look at the weather, but you don’t know what it is going to throw at you at the end of the day.
“Some of his lifeboat journeys in the Force 12 [winds] that he has encountered, when you talk to the people who were with him, they are just gobsmacked with admiration for the way he handles himself – so cool, calm and collected.”
Mr Lawrence said he was “quite happy” with the book.
Reflecting on his maritime career, he added: “I had to work my way up.”
Navigating a Passage Through Life is available on Amazon and Islanders interested in purchasing it can also contact Mr Fennell directly via email on mlpfennell@googlemail.com.
