Can someone tell me weather it is possible to feed one-self during a
high sea cruising trip on a 36' sailing boat just by fishing? I just
dream to buy a boat and cruise around the world, but have zero
experience so far.

Have a friend that is beginning his 5th trip to New Zealand from Puget
Sound in April. He sails a homebuilt steel 33 footer.
He carries lots of dried fruits etc (uses his own dehydrator) and regularly
fishes along the way. He watches for birds feeding and when he sees some, he
motors over and throws in a line. He fillets the fish and hangs em on a rail
to dry. He also carries a lot of rice and some onions and spices. Throw the
dried fish and rice and whatever into a pot and make a fish stew or ?
Gordon

"mlw" wrote in message
oups.com...
Can someone tell me weather it is possible to feed one-self during a
high sea cruising trip on a 36' sailing boat just by fishing? I just
dream to buy a boat and cruise around the world, but have zero
experience so far.

On 27 Feb 2005 01:46:22 -0800, "mlw" wrote:

Can someone tell me weather it is possible to feed one-self during a
high sea cruising trip on a 36' sailing boat just by fishing? I just
dream to buy a boat and cruise around the world, but have zero
experience so far.
Wouldn't be a very balanced diet would it? In any event, you can't
count on it. I know people that are accounted good fishermen who
regularly augment their supplies with catch of the day. Yet they have
gone entire passages without even a nibble, for some reason.
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On 27 Feb 2005 01:46:22 -0800, "mlw" wrote:

Can someone tell me weather it is possible to feed one-self during a
high sea cruising trip on a 36' sailing boat just by fishing? I just
dream to buy a boat and cruise around the world, but have zero
experience so far.

It is possible. A lot of us catch plenty of fish as we go. I would
not count on it. Just like water. You can catch a lot of rainwater for
drinking. But I would never go offshore without enough water for the
whole trip. You could take some MREs and stuff like that in case you
did not catch enough fish. There are plenty of fish. But don't count
on fish.

On 27 Feb 2005 01:46:22 -0800, "mlw" wrote:

Can someone tell me weather it is possible to feed one-self during a
high sea cruising trip on a 36' sailing boat just by fishing? I just
dream to buy a boat and cruise around the world, but have zero
experience so far.

Has anyone considered carrying small troll nets behind as they sail?


Weebles Wobble
(but they don't fall down)

"mlw" wrote...
Can someone tell me weather it is possible to feed one-self during a
high sea cruising trip on a 36' sailing boat just by fishing? I just
dream to buy a boat and cruise around the world, but have zero
experience so far.

You might find it useful to browse the 'Cruiser's Handbook of Fishing' by
Scott
Bannerot & Wendy Bannerot in a bookstore or library.

Steven Callahan's book 'Adrift: Seventy-six days lost at sea' describes his
experience of surviving on fish caught at sea while drifting in a life raft.

Some self-reliant cruisers also trail plankton nets. Whether eating the
catch of a plankton net is advisable or safe or palatable is beyond me.

Cheers

Bil

Has anyone considered carrying small troll nets behind as they sail?

IMHO this is not a good idea at all. This has the potential of causing
all sorts of problems, biggest in my opinion is: ecologically - trawl
nets catch (and kill) every living creature in it's path. You'd be
killing alot of creatures you'd never have any interest in eating.

I've never worked on a commercial fishing boat, but have dragged small
purse seines on research ships. Really lousey idea on a small sailing
yacht.

Best two ways I know of catching fish from a sailboat:

1. Use a decent reel mounted to a stanchion (others have used this and
swear by it).

2. Use a hand line (1/8" to 1/4" dacron) with a long leader and lures
(this is what I've used). It's cheap and works. You only catch what
you will eat, and can release those you don't want relatively unharmed.

You'd be surprised how many meals a 20-30 lb ahi will give you...

I've also met a number of "ocean foraging" cruisers. One couple from
Poland comes to mind, claimed they lived on a bag of beans, a bag of
rice, a tin of tea and whatever fish they could catch (including
flying-fish). Not my idea of fun, though...

Get yourself on a cruising yacht as crew for a while and get some
experience. You'll look back at these questions with a giggle ;-)

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On 27 Feb 2005 01:46:22 -0800, "mlw" wrote:

Can someone tell me weather it is possible to feed one-self during a
high sea cruising trip on a 36' sailing boat just by fishing? I just
dream to buy a boat and cruise around the world, but have zero
experience so far.

You have to invest in gear, you have to have some experience at
handling fish, and you have to not be squeamish and realize that some
of what you catch will a) resent it a great deal, b) be stronger than
they appear, and c) might have teeth, poison barbs or just a really
strong ability to smack you. So a gaff and strong net is essential.
More essential is a sense of when to cut the damn line and let
something 500% bigger than your practical needs live on with a sore
lip G.

There are many ways to fish: spear, handline, rod and reef, troll and
the ever popular "a fish ate my towed generator".

Trading fishing gear (lines, hooks, etc.) in parts of the Third World
where fish is a sustainence food is a great way to make friends and
get local produce or products. Asking the locals to fish for you is
frequently more efficient, too.

Lastly, you need to test in many places for ciguatera and other
diseases to which certain types of fish are prone.

Like everything else, it's no free lunch, this fishing for food.

On the other hand, it's a great supplement, it's fresh and there are
hundreds of ways to prepare and preserve fish. I do recall from
reading dozens of cruising tales from the '50s to the present (the
tales, not me) that snatching flying fish from the deck and the
scuppers, gutting them, cleaning them and frying them in butter seems
to comprise a hell of a lot of passagemaking breakfasts.

rhys wrote in
:

On the other hand, it's a great supplement, it's fresh and there are
hundreds of ways to prepare and preserve fish. I do recall from
reading dozens of cruising tales from the '50s to the present (the
tales, not me) that snatching flying fish from the deck and the
scuppers, gutting them, cleaning them and frying them in butter seems
to comprise a hell of a lot of passagemaking breakfasts.



They must have been really hungry! Oh, God, that SMELL!!

On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 09:40:20 -0500, Larry W4CSC
wrote:

rhys wrote in
:

On the other hand, it's a great supplement, it's fresh and there are
hundreds of ways to prepare and preserve fish. I do recall from
reading dozens of cruising tales from the '50s to the present (the
tales, not me) that snatching flying fish from the deck and the
scuppers, gutting them, cleaning them and frying them in butter seems
to comprise a hell of a lot of passagemaking breakfasts.



They must have been really hungry! Oh, God, that SMELL!!

Not my first choice, either, but then I eat kippers and black pudding,
so it probably wouldn't bother me. The old man's favourite dish is
steak and kidney pudding...now THAT bothers me and confirms my
suspicion that British cuisine is based on a dare.

R.