I put together this short feature for the daily newspaper I worked at in Southeast Missouri as a photojournalist. On a slow news day, I would jump in my car and drive around and talk to folks doing something interesting or unique. On this particular day, it led me to the Missouri Dry Dock and Repair Co on the banks of the Mississippi River. I’ve always focused on the visual aspects of storytelling, but I enjoy writing when I get the chance. Link to the story

Give ‘em props

The Mississippi River is a highway for goods moving through the heartland. Towboats push huge barges with the help of massive propellers driving them.

For the folks at Missouri Dry Dock and Repair Co. in Cape Girardeau, keeping these boats moving smoothly up and down Midwest rivers is their job. While the family business has many aspects, the propeller repair shop seems most lively at the moment.

These propellers are often trucked in or pulled from a boat at one of the business' two dry docks and then sent for repairs. Many different factors can cause damage, but hitting driftwood dislodged from the shoreline during high water is the most common.

While welding, grinding, and bending are essential parts of the repair, getting the pitch of the blades just right is at the top of the list, and there is a formula for that. It takes into consideration the gear ratios, revolutions per minute, and horsepower.

"Some of these props have been out here since the '60s and '70s, even, and still operating, if you take care of them," said Robert Erlbacher III, vice president of Missouri Dry Dock and Repair Co.

Several hundred props move through the shop each year, ranging in size from a few feet across to up to 10 feet. Some of the larger propellers can weigh as much as 8,000 pounds. After repairs have been made, the propellers are ground down to a shiny finish that makes them look new.

"If anything about this, is it's not boring," Erlbacher said. "Our propeller shop is arguably about the best one on the river."