River Relief

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Our Fleet

Ever since seeing Chad Pregracke’s barge tied up at Easley back in 2001, with plate boats loaded down with trash coming in from all directions, we’ve made it a priority to build up our clean-up infrastructure.

And, since the beginning, it’s been the generosity of supporters that made it happen. Here’s a look at our clean-up fleet and the folks that made it possible.

Boats

RR260 – 60hp Grizzly. (“Char”)

A consistent workhorse,  “Char” did the whole 754 mile MegaScout trip. Most of the time Anthony “Boudreaux” Pettit piloted her and they’ve been inseparable ever since. Named for Charlotte Overby, multi-instrumentalist and conscience of River Relief. Again, Bass Pro Shops & Tracker Marine donated the boat & motor, and we since changed the prop to a jet to be able to run on shallower ozark rivers.  

RR390 – 115hp Aluminum Plate Boat (“Saskia”)

She’s wide,  she’s long, and she can haul an outrageous number of tires. She was handmade by a boatmaker on the Mississippi as the first commercial asian carp fishing boat. Chad taught us that plate boats are the safest way to haul huge loads and we've been collecting them ever since. The boat was paid for by a grant from the Boone Electric Community Trust.

In 2011, we replaced its 90 hp motor with a 115 horse two-stroke Johnson motor donated by Bill Rotts of Rotts & Gibbs Law Firm.

When this motor broke down, it was replaced by a 115hp Mercury motor donated by Bass Pro Shops in 2013

RR490 – 90hp Aluminum Plate Boat (“Hildy Harliner”)

Added in 2007. She was Chad’s first plate boat, and we’re honored to be her caretaker.

She’s already been up to Gavin’s Point dam and down to the Confluence. She was paid for by an equipment grant from the Mid-Missouri Solid Waste Management District with matching funds from the Boone Electric Community Trust. Her first name is for Hilda “Pat” Jones, an amazing conservationist and dedicated MRR sponsor. Her second name recognizes Matt Harline, the former program manager for MMSWMD – a longtime ally in the mid-Missouri area.

RR590 - 115hp Aluminum Plate Boat ("The Robust Anna Deka")

Added in 2011. This boat was custom built by Chad Pumphrey from Fort Madison, IA, with a grant from the Mid-Missouri Solid Waste Managment District. We mounted it with the Saskia's 90 hp Mercury Motor which had been originally been donated by Mercury Marine. Bass Pro Shop made a donation toward outfitting the boat.

The boat was named by a group of students and parents from the River Kids, a student-run non-profit from New City School in St. Louis. They were on the first cleanup with the boat and decided to name it honoring our 10th anniversary ("Anna" for anniversary, "Deka" for decade). Then they decided it need something more and one kid suggested "Robust".

RR 600 - 200hp Passenger Boat ("Lucia")

We added this boat in 2019 to increase our people hauling capacity. She's a sweet ride! 

The boat was purchased with grants from Mid-Missouri Solid Waste Management Dist. , Boone County Community Trust and the Hulston Family Foundation. Missouri American Water and a generous local donor purchased the motor. The boat was built by David Hamm of AAD Welding & Custom Boats in Bartonville, IL. 

Lucia is named in honor of Lucia Cope Hulston. Lucia grew up along the river in Lexington, MO, and loved it. Her family are huge supportors of our mission. 

Vehicles

04 Dodge Ram 4x4 Pickup

This tire-hauling-boat-dragging-beast was donated to us by Chad Pregracke from Living Lands and Waters. 

2 Ford Ecoline 15 passenger vans

People hauler, gear stasher, occasional weather-proof housing. It has helped us cut down on fuel consumption by getting more people to clean-ups. The Charlie van was donated by Memco Barge Lines (now ACBL) and the "Leo Van" (named for conservationist Leo Drey) was purchased through a crowdfunding campaign.

2009 GMC Box Truck – (“Big Red")

This awesome truck is like a storage shed on wheels. It hauls all of our crew camp gear, clean-up tools and supplies, life jackets and more. Thad Lefebvre (Custom Welding of Columbia) and Racin' Dave Stevens built the shelves. This truck was purchased with a grant by the Hulston Family Foundation and has changed our lives. 

2008 Chevy Shuttle Bus

Purchased with grant funds from the Mid-Missouri Solid Waste Management District, this vehicle has taken the load off some of our other vehicles by helping us transport people and gear all along the river. As a transport bus, this incredibly smooth and fun ride has been a great addition to our fleet.

2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty ("Chad")

Thanks to the Robert J. Trulaske, Jr. Family Foundation, we were able to purchase this serious work horse we rightfully nammed after Living Lands and Water's fearless leader Chad Pregracke. It has already been put to good use pulling our new passenger boat, Lucia, and... well, everything else. We are going to try to keep this one clean for as long as we can, but it is the Big Muddy afterall. 

Everything Else

Aluminum Canoe Fleet

Purchased by a donation from one of our huge sponsors, Pat Jones, our fleet of aluminum canoes allows our volunteers to reach places that our boats just can't go. These canoes allow us to get back into creeks and waterways not accessible from our plate boats but still need the attention and stewardship they deserve. 

Kitchen tent (“the Flying Nun”)

An amazing contraption made of a tractor-trailer cover, heavy rope and some scrap pipe, it was the only tent to survive the Alligator Cove Hurricane of 2004. Only Racin’ Dave (the brains behind it) knows how to put it up, but John Brady thinks he knows.