One day the very likeable gentleman approached The Anguillian and asked: “When are you going to write about my boat there in the surf?”

Another day, he introduced himself: “I am a diver. I dive for lobsters, conchs and whelks and I have been doing this from 1960 when I was 16 years old. I am now 63 and I have a new boat.

“It was built out of plywood and fibreglass by Bullet (Rupert Richardson) and I travel 14-16 miles out to fish and have eight pots,” he reported. “Fishing means a lot to me. It is a lot of joy to me whether I catch or not.”

The fishing boat Victoria

Connor, who is unmarried and has no children, spoke briefly about his family roots before getting back to his boat. “My mother was a woman that you called ‘Lucia’ from South Hill. Before she married she was a Gumbs and then she married to a Connor and I became a Connor.”

What do you want to say about your boat,” he was asked.

“I paid the builder of this boat US$1200 but I still owe for the engine. That was not the real price. He charged me that because we are relatives. Before that I had a small boat but someone stole it from the harbour. I believe it was taken out of the island.”

“Why did you name your new boat Victoria?” he was questioned.

“Because I was born on the 24th day of May (not the year) with the British Queen Victoria,” he responded. “I know that in 1901 Queen Victoria died and her son, King Edward the Vll, took over the throne. I learnt that through the ‘Black Penny.’

“I have always admired the Royal Family and I named my boat ‘Victoria’ because I was born on the day and month of Queen Victoria,” he added.

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