Chefs at Sea

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Comment by Marcello 1 day ago

I'm here to share italian recipes to cook on board. And of course: I'm italian.

Comment by bella on January 8, 2009 at 10:12pm

you need a knife for sushi... and some soy sauce and pickled ginger and wasabi. oh and a fish... yeah a fish might be good to have.. hahaha

Comment by bella on January 8, 2009 at 9:15pm

oh I won't... I cook with the Bright Hills Cooks Guild.. we can teach anyone to cook. including reluctant comm sgts... (my son)...

Comment by Dave Skolnick on January 8, 2009 at 9:12pm

Don't scare him away 'bella!

Comment by bella on January 8, 2009 at 9:02pm

Dean might want to add a fork, spoon and a few spices to that mix.. cooking is pretty easy.. in fact it is real easy..

Comment by bella on January 8, 2009 at 5:33pm

really all fruits and vegies would be dipped in a solution of bleach and water before being brought aboard....not only bugs and stuff but you have no idea the lack of cleanliness in those 3rd world countries...

Comment by Dave Skolnick on January 8, 2009 at 3:07pm

Many many more options. If you have one knife, a can opener, and a corkscrew the options are already incredible.

Comment by Ocnvoyager on January 6, 2009 at 8:11am

I think the spiders and snakes story is probably true but like most superstitions it got a little twisted over the years. Some guys don't even allow fruit of the loom underwear onboard. On my boat I don't want to take any chances so I don't allow any underwear at all!

Comment by Dave Skolnick on January 6, 2009 at 6:40am

As I understand the banana thing goes back to sailors in the Caribbean who inadvertently brought poisonous spiders aboard inside hands of bananas.

Comment by Ocnvoyager on January 6, 2009 at 1:03am

Actually I have dragged lures all around the world only to find out at the bar later that we should have been there yesterday or last week. I know your pain.
I have had some success. In my former life as a sportfishing aficionado I had a good run on ESPN2 in a couple of local fishing tournaments. My 15 minutes.

I find the biggest mistake people make when fishing from sailboats is failing to flatten out the line. The bait or lure has to move through the water in a somewhat natural way. If it's being pulled from a rod on a davit arch or some other structure on a sailboat that means the line has a very steep entry into the water. You can do alot to help that. One way is to put out a lot of line. Not the best option but helpful. The best is way is to bring the line down to the lowest place on the boat you can without having it snag when you hook up.
I like to use metal twisty like you close a bread bag with. They make outrigger release clips specifically for the job but the little wire twisters things are cheap and work. You set the lure then pull the line down from the rod tip and take a couple wraps with the wire around the fishing line. The twisty should be secured to a cleat or tow rail or some similar piece of structure. when the fish strikes the line will pull free and you will know instantly something hit the bait. Hopefully something edible and not just trash or grass.
Make sure you are using a lure that's meant to catch fish offshore. The best all around jig or lure for cruising is a cedar plug with a stout hook. My opinion here of course. Paint the lure blue and white. Any pattern. Using very heavy line on the reel, 80 test, and a very strong leader, 150 or bigger test. Sailboats don't stop and back down easy so you will have to horse the fish aboard meaning lots of reeling. A gentle turn can help but nothing drastic.
When pelagic fish, tuna, mahi etc, are reeled to the boat in this manner they will usually be DOA or near so. Pelagic fish have lots of blood. When cooking anything you catch offshore I find its best to bleed the fish completely before cleaning. The best way to do that is to clip a gill with some wire cutters. Keep the fish over the side for that obviously.
This method will have a positive impact on the taste of the meat. Even Bluefin will benefit from being bled in this manner. Fishing offshore isn't much more complicated than that but....
We could probably start a fish from sailboats Group and get some great input from around the world. Like the proper way to hold your mouth. That's also important. No bananas on board, ever...a biggie.

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