Employment History:
Sailing Directions Editor; United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (2005-Present); Master, British Antarctic Survey (1970-2003); Navigator, Canadian Pacific Steamship Company (1960-1970)

Published Works:
Admiralty Sailing Directions: South Pacific; Admiralty Sailing Directions: Antarctic

Public Speaking Experience:

Why M is an Expert:
My expertise is in ice seamanship. There’s a lot of vessel preparation that is necessary before one can travel in ice-covered waters. There’s also the practical navigation of the vessel through those ice-covered waters, including all safety aspects. It’s

Best Advice:

Passionate about:

Biography Excerpt:
To many people, the biting cold waters of the Antarctic Ocean are unknown and far-removed from any semblance of normalcy in their lives. However, Stuart Lawrence, an ex-Merchant Navy captain now working for the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, feels right at home when traversing dangerous courses through polar waters. For 5 years, he has worked full time under the trading fund agency associated with the Ministry of Defense, editing books that provide navigational support for shipping and trading purposes in both the Antarctic seas and the seas of the Russian Federation.

     

Cambridge Who's Who: Have you learned any particularly valuable lessons during your career?  
STUART J. LAWRENCE :  It’s about how to achieve one’s objective against the odds, isn’t it? Operating in perhaps one of the most hazardous parts of the world for such a long period of time, you become very sane and sensible with a strong patience factor, as ice navigation tends to be one part perspiration and nine parts frustration.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your career?
For the 33 years of my command, we succeeded each year in achieving the objective. Our objectives were the resupply of the scientific stations that the United Kingdom operates in the Antarctic. We were responsible for the resupply of the stations and the change-over of the staff because there are not many flights down there. When the stations were being rebuilt, we transported all of the building materials as well. We provided complete logistical support.

What would you like to promote most about yourself or your business?
There are not many people who have been involved in the Antarctic operation sphere of navigation. Americans have ice breakers and other logistic vessels that they take down to the Antarctic, but the United Kingdom doesn’t have any ice breakers as such; we have two ice-strengthened research vessels. One of them tends to do mostly seaborne science in the oceans around the Arctic and Antarctic, while the other carries out the logistic tasks involved in the resupply of the Antarctic scientific shore stations. My role as Captain of the vessel was to command the vessel and I spent my full time on it. The vessels used to return to the United Kingdom once a year for repairs and reparation, and to load the next season’s requirements in support of the scientific stations.