On the water with Captain Ruthanne

Baby Ruth Too © Hinckley Yachts

"If you don't use it, you lose it," says Baby Ruth Too owner, Captain Ruthanne. A boat fanatic and Greenwich resident, she is one of the rare female owners and captain of a Hinckley 38 Runabout. After her husband passed, she took "command control," and now during boating season, can be found running friends from Connecticut to Long Island, or to her favorite place growing up, Jones Beach.

A natural raconteur, Captain Ruthanne spins tales of Frank Sinatra-serenaded summer days aboard her boat, noting that one well-known yacht club asked her to join just so they could have the head-turning Baby Ruth Too docked in front of their marina. Indeed, her boat's design is remarkable, sporting a red interior and green hull, but when asked what most entices her about captaining, she emphasizes the technicality. "Even though it's technical, it's pretty easy to use, yet there's always something to learn, and you have to know the intricacies of it."

Enter Hinckley's mechanical, service, and even sales teams—all of which have helped her learn those intricacies over the years. She has also taken many courses on boating, including coast guard courses. "I can't sail by the stars yet," she jokes. On a more serious note, experience has been pivotal, too, as she's braved fierce storms and swells, including a particular dicey night in which she broke down in the middle of a rowdy sound near Nantucket. She called a Hinckley team member in Portsmouth, who immediately helped guide her to safety.

The Hinckley Yacht Care Program has been integral, she notes, in keeping Baby Ruth Too in tip-top shape. "Since 2008, the service and whole mechanical team have done an amazing job. [The boat] houses with them, in a gated warehouse all winter long. And if anything needs attention, they take care of it."

Citing that she has yet to meet another female Hinckley captain while traversing her favorite waters, there are no shortage of women who want to come along for the ride. She often captains friends over the East River, past the Statue of Liberty, then back up and around Manhattan Island. The quintessential entertainer and a music buff, Captain Ruthanne's favorite interior appointments? "The sound system and the refrigeration system, because you have to have the beer and wine," she laughs. "It's a great party boat. It's a convertible and really wide open, with a lot of dance floor and a beautiful 10-foot back cushion that you can lounge on when anchored in a beautiful cove."

Seamless Service

Hinckley’s Yacht Care Program

Time on the water is a precious commodity. As such, Hinckley owners experience impeccable service, perfected since 1928. Nine world-class service facilities are available from Maine to Florida, and an unmatched service network provides effortless and worry-free ownership.

Hinckley has fine-tuned the art of delivery, providing a seamless experience from owners' first day on the water to the last, season after season. Hinckleys remain secure and dry in state-of-the-art, indoor climate-controlled storage facilities. What's more, a new, 40,000-square-foot Category 5 storm rated storage facility has been added to the Hinckley service location in Southeast Florida. This world-class infrastructure is designed to provide peace of mind in the off season; boats are completely covered until ready to make their grand debut again come spring.

Learn more about Hinckley Yacht Care and the capabilities of Hinckley Yacht Services here.