Paint boat




2/23/02 Sat, (7 weeks left)
finish transom


3/6/02 Wed

5:30 Arnie’s to get registration, bill of sale, ser. Numbers for title

3/23/02 Sat, finish building boxes, cold freezing

Installing the consol and front boxes, fiberglassing them in

3/30/02 Sat
Glassing inside

4/1/02 Mon 
consol, rib
4/2/02 Tue 
front, rear, side, block sand
4/3/02 Wed 
knees, ribs, floor, sand
4/4/02 Thur 
paint rail, box
4/5/02 Fri 
work till 3 AM

4/6/02 Sat
BIG DAY
Honda 50, PICKUP DAY,
816 532 4000 Jim Douglas, Smithville Marine
begin 7: AM work till 1:00 AM

4/7/02 Sun

4/8/02 Mon
work till 12:00 midnight
Paint work till 12:30 AM

4/10/02 Wed (work all night)
Install ribs, paint floor
Half Day-Off, Leave at 12:00

4/11/02 Thur
I am so tired I can not stay awake when I sit down, but coordination is up and I have been able to work out the problems. I feel like painting has moved us forward, I only wish the deadline had not pushed me, not block sanding the front is my only regret.
Painting rear box. Finished 8:45 AM.


4/12/02 Fri
Install box, hang motor, controls, electrical, battery, test run, work through the night, need screws and nuts.
Work till 3:30 AM

4/13/02 Sat, Last work day for Project , Rail wood, front boards,
Noon, take reporter out on first run.
Work through the night till launch time

We made it, took it home to pretty up for the lauching the next day

4/17/02 Wed Vac OFF
11:00 FOK launch, meet at Kaw Point, bring both boats
News channels and reporters at the parking lot, Friends of the Kaw set up tent and speakers. KCK Mayor introduced Mr. Kennedy who spoke about importance of the public using existing laws to reclaim our rivers. Then everyone came over to the bank as the our boat was christened the Kansas Riverkeeper.

RFK jr takes the helm of the Kansas Riverkeeper for the first photos

Travel up Missouri, 50 miles

6PM reception at Grinter House. We cleaned up the boats and parked them next to the reception tent. I would guess about 300 people attended. Many of the local gentry, also local Indian tribes were there. Dancers in tribal dress gave demonstrations. Scott and I were mentioned as the builders of the Riverkeeper and receive appreciative applause. It was a great night and the boat looked good I thought. We had a hamburger at the BBQ afterward. Long day after all the nights of preparation, but worth every minute.



4/20/02 Sat FOK 10:00 parade Lawrence. Took the boat in the parade, we were the largest entry. Hope, Mansker’s daughter, rode in the Riverkeeper.

5/11/02 Sat Worked on getting wiring finished with lights. Late in the day, decided to go out to Independence to see if everything worked. Nice run down to Ft. Osage at slow speed, came back fast as it was getting dark.

5/24/02 Fri,
Check out ride, put in at St. Joseph, Fuel, bags, food, gear, tools, Rain, Lighting, 50 degrees, cold hard night passage, put in at a small cove. Planned to eat and rest but lights from a tow made us leave the cove and race back to a river inlet we took shelter in during the rain. The barge passed without incident and we decided to travel that night. Finally about 2:00 am, I was cold and coordination was a problem. We tried to find a cove but none to find. At last we found a log in the water.

Our shelter from the storm

We tied off and got into sleeping bags to warm up. Woke up about 5:00. Whole trip traveled 190 miles up and back. Next morning was bright but cool, good run, about 25 miles on three gallons of gas, 8 MPG. 32-MPH top speed good cursing speed is 18-20 MPH. Need better rain coverings. Drainage for side box, trailer worked better with bunk boards.



5/25/02 Sat, Checkout trip on Missouri, reached Brownville Bridge. No gas services from St. Joseph to Brownsville. Need bilge pump

Mansker at the helm of the Riverkeeper

5/27/02 Mon OFF, Memorial Day, take family on boat ride out to Independence 291 bridge
7/20/02 Sat
4:30 am Trip to Plattsmouth from Brownville, 112 miles, very hot 100 degrees. We have now traveled all of the navigable Missouri River from ‘mile one’ to the Yankton dam.
8/10/02 Sat
Riverkeeper at Independence to downtown KC
8/17/02 Sat Stockton Lake trip with family, radios from Mansker, boats, it rained all day but it was warm in the water and we had great fun tubbing.

During the fall, we built a cabin cover for the front to give some protection on a trip we were planning to take all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Front cabin construction

Christened KANSAS RIVERKEEPER by Robert F. Kennedy Jr
Launching at Kaw Point, KC 4/17/02

5/24/02    190 miles, Missouri River, St. Joseph to Brownville,
7/20/02    112 miles, Missouri, Brownville to Plattsmouth,
8/30/02    520 miles, Mississippi Nauvoo to Wisconsin River
12/6/02        8 miles, Delaware to Kaw Trip for Senator Sam Brownback,
3/14/03   1565 miles, Missouri to Mississippi, KC to Gulf of Mexico,
6/16/03     310 miles, Missouri River, KC to St. Charles,
6/14/04     310 miles, Missouri River, KC to St. Charles, 
6/26/04   Lead in Lewis & Clark flotilla at Kaw Point,


On 12/6/02 we took Senator Brownback and his aid down the Delaware and onto the Kansas River to give him some views of the rivers. 

US Senator Brownback and Russ during a checkout ride on the Kansas River

Russ on the Delaware River in December