The excursion was labeled as a "fishing trip," but it also served as a preparation for a general business conference scheduled for late August. While an AP article referred to the three-day outing as a "stag party," Giles Kelly's account suggests that Lou Hoover was in attendance. He wrote, "Lou Hoover... encouraged her somewhat overweight husband to exercise with a medicine ball on the top deck." To ensure the President's safety during these exercises, additional handrails were installed on the deck (Giles Kelly, p. 16).