Set your watch back...

25 years or so.  That was around the time we first visited this area.  Back then, shrimping was the main industry... not so much these days.  Every now and then, we like to take a boat tour through the Port Isabel Shrimp Basin.

It was blowing in the mid-20s this morning, we predictions of more of the same through the day.  Around 2:00, I looked out and the trees weren't moving as much.  The wind was down to 18 miles per hour; checking the hourly predictions, it looked to be about that for the rest of the afternoon.  Yes, I agree - we should probably take the boat out for a short cruise.

With the wind coming from the south southeast, we decided to skip heading towards the ship channel, when we generally find dolphins.  Oh, we poked around in the turning basin, but it was still pretty choppy looking down the channel.  Still, it was nice to be out...

Upper 70s, low 80s - the neck gators we're wearing are for sun protection, not to keep us warm.

We turned the boat to the east, staying in the protection of our island...

From here, it is just a bit north to the old shrimp basin.  Along the way, these crewboats that don't seem to have moved in quite a while...

There are a few shrimpboats in this channel - used to be scads of them...

We continued up this channel a ways.  It gets narrow and there is no passage through unless you are in a kayak or a dinghy.  Some of the covered slips that are left along here...

Nothing fancy, it is a place where people can keep their small fishing boats.  We turned around and headed for the old shrimp basin.  Last year, new docks were built here - surprising, because there are hardly any shrimpboats left.  We found out it was for the pipeline operation.  I would imagine that when the LNG plants bully their way into the Brownsville Ship Channel, these same docks will be a temporary home for some of their work boats.  For now, they are mostly empty...

Those few shrimp boats that you see to the far right are being worked on.

The local economy has been transitioning from shrimping to tourism during our time here.  The changes have been interesting.  Some can only be seen from the water.  Like today.