Kim Hess moves aboard her first boat

“Tonto he was smart, one day said Kemosabe, Kiss my ass I bought a boat, I’m going out to sea.” Lyle Lovett’s, If I had a Boat

I could not wait to make this the ring tone on my phone, and I did November 20, 2009 as the selling broker and I were bringing ‘my’ boat back to her home at Florida Sea Base after the survey.

Since that day my entire life has changed. I have moved aboard, left my full time yoga teaching position in Miami Beach and am preparing to receive my first Boy Scout crew for the ten weeks I will be running at Sea Base in the Florida Keys.

When I purchased Rainbow Connection, I had zero knowledge of diesel engines, electrical systems or any kind of ‘boat system’ for that matter. I knew how to sail, period. I had been crew on several boat this size (she is a 41’ Morgan Classic) but had only handled boats 22’ or less. What a leap of faith!

Since that time, I have learned about the cooling system on my engine, naturally after she overheated; I have also learned about the electrical system by being without shore power for the last couple of months.

I have learned that by stepping back and breaking things down detail-by-detail, troubleshooting can solve any problem and that Nigel Calder
is a Godsend.

I know that I need to replace the discharge valve in my aft head (not really looking forward to this one).

And I also have learned that there are a million and one ways to do the same thing!

Some days I feel totally confident and other days I wake up filled with anxiety and wondering what the heck I got myself into.

I will be perfectly honest…I imagined myself doing all of this with a partner, but refused to let both dreams slip through my fingers while I waited for one.

So, here I am, learning, growing, knowing my fears and facing them, one day at a time.

I believe one of the biggest lessons for me is that no one that owns a boat does it all alone. The captains here on the docks at Sea Base and other friends of mine have been so helpful and reassuring in the fact that they have felt the same chaos that I am feeling right now at some time or another and they ask for help when they need it.

This morning I am going to fuel up, then into the engine room for an oil change and fuel filter change. After that I will be zipping into West Marine to pay another weeks salary for one of their employees.

Tuesday I get my first crew: six scouts and two counselors; followed by nine more crews, taking me into the first week of August. We will sail, fish (I still have to learn how to fish!) snorkel, pray to the weather Gods and teach each other about life.

All is good in the Florida Keys!

Peace, Love and Laughter
Captain Kim Hess
SV Rainbow Connection

About Kim Hess

Kim Hess is a sailor, a captain, a yoga instructor and the author of Yoga Onboard, a practical guide to adapting traditional yoga postures or asana to your vessel.

It’s available as a book and DVD.

Related articles (on this website)

• Why Kim Hess got her captain’s license
• Debbie Leisure: What I learned on my first solo trip to the Bahamas
• A medical crisis leads Marti to buy a sailboat and learn to cruise
• Women and Cruising’s List of Maintenance-related Resources

More info (external links)

• Visit Kim Hess’s website, Tropic Yoga or check her book  Yoga Onboard: a guide for cruisers and live aboards at Amazon.com.
• The boat maintenance “most revered bible”: Nigel Calder’s Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual

How did you learn your sailing/cruising skills?
Let us know. Email kathy@forcruisers.com or leave a comment below.