City dock is a cutting-edge location for a ship-shape salon

EVAN WILLIAMS/FLORIDA WEEKLY Marcia Schwalm, owner at Rumours Hair Design on the water. Rumours Hair Design, a salon in downtown Fort Myers for 24 years, is moving to a two-story, canary yellow boat docked at the City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin.

Owner Marcia Schwalm envisioned moving her salon to the marina five years ago, when renovations began in the space Rumours occupied in the Earnhardt Building. It turned out the renovation work wasn't nearly as much of a hassle as building the boat for Rumours Hair Design on the Water.

"This has not been an easy last four or five years," she said. "Once I got the boat away from the original builder, angels helped me."

The boat maker, recommended by a client, quoted one price, then asked for more money later. At that point, Ms. Schwalm said she had already paid him $100,000 more than his original offer. Because the boat was on his property and the deal wasn't on paper, she had to either pay up or take a total loss. Financing the project was also a greater challenge after the economic meltdown.

EVAN WILLIAMS/FLORIDA WEEKLY Owner Marcia Schwalm inside Rumours Hair Design on the water "It was ugly, but God helped get us through that whole thing," said Ms. Schwalm, who declined to name the boat maker. But now, "It's totally exiting. The people here at the marina have been really supportive."

Back in August, her mother, brother and sisters flew to Florida for Rumours Hair Design on the Water's maiden voyage along the Caloosahatchee River to the yacht basin downtown.

Dockmaster Leif Hans Lustig hasn't seen anything like it in his 17 years in the industry. "I believe this is the only floating beauty parlor in the United States," he said. "The big question is 'What's next?'"

The 1,400-square-foot boat has been approved for its use by state inspectors, the U.S. Coast Guard and the State Board for Cosmetology, which considers it a "mobile salon." It's kept steady by rings holding it to posts on the dock, so it will hardly rock, even on a windy day. It is handicapped accessible and has room for six styling stations and additional services such as manicures, pedicures and massage.

Everything has a marine theme. There are "Captain's Cuts" (for ladies), "Mate's Cuts" (men), and "Skipper's Cuts" (kids). "May Day" is a color correction. "All Hands on Deck" is a manicure. "Toe the Line" is a pedicure. "The Wave" is a perm.

Rumours Hair Design on the Water is painted robin blue inside, and has expansive views of the marina from upstairs, which is accessed by a spiral staircase. French doors lead out to the deck where customers can wait.

The boat's ceilings are made from wooden planks taken from the walls of the Earnhardt Building. "I'm really bringing the old Rumours into the new Rumours," Ms. Schwalm said.

"It's a great little boat, and I hope it will change the way we look at the water and use it," she said. "It could be a bar, a restaurant — really anything that someone had the vision to turn it into. But for right now, it's going to be a hair salon."

When the ship-shape salon celebrates its grand opening Nov. 15, Ms. Schwalm, her husband and two daughters all will be there. And Ms. Schwalm is relishing the chance to get the last word on an old promise.

"When I was little, I used to tell my mom, 'When I'm a millionaire, I'll take care of you,'" she said. "And she used to say, 'I know, Marcia. When your ship comes in, you'll do that.'"

Millionaire or not, her ship has come in.