Annual Reports for year ending December 31, 2017.
Rockport Harbor Department
2017 Annual Report
The year was a busy boating season with a large variety of transient boats
visiting the harbor from early spring to late fall. Rockport has become an
extremely popular destination from both north and south of Cape Ann. The
harbormasters assisted hundreds of transient boaters, disable vessels, medical
emergencies and routine calls of a wide variety of reasons during 2017.
The Massachusetts Harbormaster Association is continuing to work in
conjunction with USCG Sector Boston to in cooperate a coastal camera project
that was awarded to the Massachusetts Harbormaster Association in 2016. This
project is for security cameras along the coast in cities and towns from the New
Hampshire boarder to the Cape Cod Canal. Rockport has had two cameras installed
and is looking forward to several more.
In mid-June tall ships that participated in Sail Boston, left Boston Harbor
and headed north to Thacher's Island, the Island was the starting point of the
next leg of their voyage north. Over a dozen tall ships of all shapes and sizes
embarked on the voyage 8 miles out of Rockport. These vessels could be seen in
their entire spender from several vantage points in town.
The weekend of July 13 6- 44' Navy training vessel entered Rockport Harbor to
secure to the front moorings at T Wharf. Vessel tours were given to the public
and the mid-shipmen were treated like royalty by their host families. Sporting
events and special activities were planned for the community.
The summer of 2017 proved to be a spectacular season for whale watching in
Sandy Bay. Whales could be seen from the shore at Granite Pier, Bear Skin Neck,
Old Garden Beach and several other locations along the coast. If you were
fortunate enough to be boating in the area the whales put on amazing shows just
a few miles off shore.
Commercial fishing continues to be a significant part of the waterfront
activity in Rockport. In 2016 according to the most recent statistics provided
by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, there were 48 active
commercial lobstermen in Rockport; who landed 1,360,000 lbs. of lobster worth an
estimated $6.2 million to the fishermen. Rockport ranks second in pounds of
lobsters landed in the state. The Harbor Department continues to work
cooperatively with Rockport’s commercial fishermen on the issues that include
bait storage, which there are now 4 bait storage coolers in the trap storage
area at Granite Pier, moorings and shellfish enforcement.
The Rockport Harbormasters are active members of the Massachusetts
Harbormaster Association, the Governors appointed Harbormaster Training Council
and North Shore Harbormaster Association.
Rockport Harbormasters
Rosemary Lesch, Scott Story
Assistant Harbormasters
Ron Petoff, Story Reed
978-546-9589
rockportharbormasters@rockportma.gov
