Rockport got its name from the rock ledge that runs along the shore of bay. Its main economic drivers are tourism, shipping, and fishing. We have been here for three months and spent many hours at various marinas and scouted out interesting piers. Here the marinas are filled primarily with what we call ‘working’ boats. Very few boats are fancy. Boats go out to dredge for oysters and then when the shrimping season opens they trade their dredging buckets for shrimping nets. Both activities are highly regulated and areas where either oysters or shrimp can be harvested are limited and the quantities are also restricted. Both industries have suffered major setbacks in the past few decades from the effects of flooding (too much fresh water dumped in the bay), pollution such as oil spills and then hurricanes! On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall over Rockport. The devastation was horrific! While some areas in Rockport are fully recovered there are many areas where one sees destruction that can only be attributed to a major hurricane.
Rockport Sea Fair
Rockport sits right on the coast of Texas and is sometimes considered part of the San Pedro Island winter escape destination for snow birders. It has scenic fishing piers, abundant birdlife, great beaches. It was also ground zero for Hurricane Harvey!! My brother is staying at an RV park not far from the beach. He has been there for several months and was quickly welcomed into the community and put to use as the resident photographer. When the city had its annual Sea Fair, the Chamber of Commerce asked him to photograph as much of it as he could. He spend three days waking around the venue with two cameras, several lens and a huge flash. Here are some of the photographs he took of the activities.
A very special thanks to Steve for sharing.