hopefully catch our dinner. In the 16 days since we departed Mexico we
have landed one Sierra, nine Dorado (Mahi Mahi) and watched a couple of
5-foot long Marlin snap our "like-steel" line in two with dramatic
sword-first leaps into the air. Many of the Dorado were too small to
eat, so we quickly released them. Two we kept for dinner.
Dorado (that's the Mexican name for this fish – the Hawaiian and more
common name is Mahi Mahi) are the most beautiful fish I have ever seen.
Their top is an incredible rich and brilliant blue that matches the
sea, and it changes from top to bottom, like a rainbow, blue then green
then yellow with blue spots, until the belly is whitish. If that isn't
enough to wonder at, when they come out of the water you can actually
watch the life leave them as they transform colors with each step closer
to death. I know, this is a lot of detail and may be hard to stomach,
especially for vegetarians, but it is fascinating, beautiful and sad to
watch and, I think, worth noting.
Over these weeks at sea, we have gotten better and better at catching,
landing, killing humanely and quickly, filleting and cooking these gifts
from the sea. Today was a quiet morning with on and off rain showers,
most of us reading or just resting, when we heard the call – "Fish On!!"
All hands run up on deck, some with cameras, others with gloves and
filleting knives, some manning the sails to slow the boat down as others
slowly reel them in.
Once the fish was landed, bled, and filleted I prepared Carmen's
favorite – "fish and chips" without the chips. Breaded fried fish. The
time from landing it on deck to this succulent meal landing in our
bellies was under two hours. How delicious was it? I really can't
explain in words. Not only was it delicious, though, it was a group
effort from beginning to end. There is something so satisfying about
this kind of hunting and gathering and teamwork.
It is now time to make peach blueberry raspberry cobbler, as I have
been promising this to Carmen for a few days. Oh, and also the ice
cream! Because who wants cobbler without ice cream on top? So the ice
cream ball will be prepared and rolled around while the cobbler is
cooked. Can we call this dinner? It's been a lot of work feeding this
crew today
2,186 nautical miles from Mexico, about 642 more to Hawaii
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