Just another day at the office for skipper Chris Connors. (Courtesy photo)
Chris Connors, of Shaker Road, has always had a love of the ocean. He is primarily a stay-at-home dad to his and his wife Susan’s children— Kate, 12, and Will, 8. However, when time allows, he does freelance work in the nautical world. Chris has been lucky enough to travel to some exotic locations.
Press: When did you start sailing?
Connors: My family moved to Edgewood, Rhode Island, on Narragansett Bay in 1978, and I started sailing Sunfish and 420s at the Edgewood Yacht Club.
Press: What does a professional sailor do?
Connors: I help sailboat owners get their boats [race boats in the 30- to 60-foot range] ready for regattas both off-shore and round-the-buoys [NASCAR for boats]. This includes boat preparations, crew coaching, and most importantly getting the boat to the location of the race. Occasionally, I’ll also deliver cruising sailboats for owners who want their boat in Florida or some other warm destination for the winter. They just want to fly down and have it waiting for them.
Press: When did you start doing this professionally?
Connors: I’ve been doing it on and off since 1990 when I was at Old Dominion University as a way to earn tuition money
Press: How often do you transport boats?
Connors: It varies from year to year depending on which boat’s seasonal race program I’m sailing with, but it probably averages out to five or six times a year.
Press: Do you do any individual or team racing?
Connors: I race for other people, and it is definitely a team environment. Some of the boats have a core group of four or five regular crew and fill in the other spots depending on people’s availability. Other teams sail with the same 10 to 12-person crew every race.
Press: Where are some of the places your job has taken you?
Connors: I’ve sailed the entire Eastern seaboard from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Key West, Florida, Bermuda, Antigua, St. Martin, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Press: Do you have any stories of peril or an exciting tale to tell about one of your trips?
Connors: The most perilous trip I’ve ever had was double handing [only two people aboard] a 40-footer from Florida to Virginia. We were about 60 miles south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, when the boat dropped off a very large wave and the hull cracked below the waterline and we began to take on water. Fortunately, between bilge pumps and buckets, we were able to keep from sinking and made it to a marina in North Carolina for repairs.
Press: Do you have any deliveries or races coming up?
Connors: I’m leaving April 10 to deliver a 52-foot boat to Charleston, South Carolina, for Charleston Race Week. I’ll then be racing on a 41-foot boat in Charleston and then sailing it back to Rhode Island. After that, if all stays on schedule, I’ll be racing from Newport, Rhode Island, to Bermuda in June and then my calendar opens up until the next offer comes along.
Press: What does your family think about what you do?
Connors: My wife is very supportive of my sailing and encourages me to find boat deliveries. That’s especially true if it’s been a while since I’ve done one because she says I always come back refreshed and smiling. From my children’s perspective, my older daughter Aly [19], is in Navy ROTC at Miami University and shares my love of the water. My two younger kids don’t like me being gone for long trips and probably think it’s all fun and sunbathing when in fact it’s usually cold, wet, and lonely. When I’m on deck alone at 3 a.m., that’s the time I think of and miss them the most.
