Admiral Deb’s First Trip on Lollipop

I finally made my first trip on Lollipop this September. We took Lollipop from Alred Marina to Goose Pond Marina on Lake Guntersville in Alabama. It was a rainy morning as we traveled up the Tennessee River. I learned how to keep Lollipop in the channel using the auto-pilot. Tessa was aboard and in the pilothouse with Tom and myself, and she and I were a little nervous.

Along the trip, we were using an app called NEBO. This free app helps with your trip logs. It keeps track of your speed, the weather, time, and date, among other information. The app also lets you see other NEBO boats around you. I didn’t realize you could send messages to other boats until I looked down and we had a message. Another boat, Spirit, had sent us a message. I found out Spirit would be at Goose Pond the next day, and they were another Great Harbour boat, an N37.

The docking was a little difficult because of the wind, but Captain Tom prevailed at docking Lollipop at Goose Pond Marina’s transient dock. We were greeted by the captains of two other looper boats to help us tie our lines. I was glad to have help with the lines, and we instantly met two new looper friends.

The day we arrived, there were two other looper boats at the transient dock; Into the Mystic, with Jim and Jeanette from Grand Haven, Michigan, and Apre’s Sail with Kathleen and Michael from Annapolis, MD.

The next day Apre’s Sail continued with their journeys. During the day, Spirit arrived, a Great Harbour N37 with Russ and Carol from Seabrook, TX. Sharon and Ted arrived a little later aboard Sea Duck 2. Everyone toured each other boats and got to know a little about each other.

Spirit’s Captain Russ got his drone out and showed us how it works. Then, he took some photos of Lollipop with Tom, Tessa, and myself on the deck. I think I’ll have to look at adding a drone to my Christmas list.

That evening, we all had dinner at The Docks.

The next day Spirit and Sea Duck 2 continued on their journeys. We left on Lollipop to go back to Alred Marina. While Lollipop was coming into Alred Marina, Christi in the office snapped a few shots of Lollipop in the channel.