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tackle talk
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We fishermen spend a lot of hours on our boats ̶ a simple snapper mission can mean up to 7 hours confined within that small nautical space, and a day’s gamefishing can easily mean 10 hours afloat. It stands to reason that adding a few home comforts is worth a look.
My own personal voyage towards including a cooker aboard Significant Other stemmed from my love of a hot cup of coffee while at sea. I had found the usual route ̶ entailing the use of a thermos flask totally unsatisfactory. Glass style flasks, while keeping the libation commendably hot, proved too vulnerable in the rough and tumble environment on a smallish boat. The alternative, a stainless-steel flask, while on the face of it looking like a great option, proved unable to keep my coffee satisfactorily hot. In fact, after trying several very expensive brands, I found the results tepid at best.
So, if I was going to enjoy a nice hot coffee, and even better on those early starts, a slap up Kiwi breakfast, I needed to invest in a cooker. However, the challenge on a relatively small boat ̶ mine is a Surtees 580 Gamefisher (5.95m overall) - is space, and in the background, but never forgotten, safety.
In looking at the options worth considering, I have concentrated on portable cookers suitable for small day boats, as larger boats are likely to have built-in manufacturer-supplied units.
My own personal voyage towards including a cooker aboard Significant Other stemmed from my love of a hot cup of coffee while at sea. I had found the usual route ̶ entailing the use of a thermos flask totally unsatisfactory. Glass style flasks, while keeping the libation commendably hot, proved too vulnerable in the rough and tumble environment on a smallish boat. The alternative, a stainless-steel flask, while on the face of it looking like a great option, proved unable to keep my coffee satisfactorily hot. In fact, after trying several very expensive brands, I found the results tepid at best.
So, if I was going to enjoy a nice hot coffee, and even better on those early starts, a slap up Kiwi breakfast, I needed to invest in a cooker. However, the challenge on a relatively small boat ̶ mine is a Surtees 580 Gamefisher (5.95m overall) - is space, and in the background, but never forgotten, safety.
In looking at the options worth considering, I have concentrated on portable cookers suitable for small day boats, as larger boats are likely to have built-in manufacturer-supplied units.
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Barbeques
There are two popular brands of barbeque that have compact dimensions making them suitable for use when sitting on your bait board, which is a nice safe position. One advantage with these compact cookers is that they can serve double duty as your home barbeque, with the added advantage of being able to be stored away out of the weather when not in use, prolonging their working life and good looks. While they have compact dimensions, they can easily cook for a family of four or more. For on-board use a smaller 2 kg gas bottle is probably the best option. You can buy an alloy gas bottle, but the price is prohibitive. The Kiwi Sizzler Available from $349.00, these are made of marine-grade stainless-steel so will stand up to the corrosive environment well. They have compact dimensions fitting easily on to a bait board, but the manufacturers can supply a conversion kit so that the unit can sit in a rod holder for more versatile positioning. The barbeque has a hinged lid, with the option of solid stainless version, with a handy viewing window. In the often-breezy conditions aboard, a lid is an essential. The Kiwi Sizzler has an automatic igniter and a cast-iron cooking surface featuring both hot plate and open grill. I have had one of these for several years now, and I’m entirely happy with its performance. Though I mainly use it at home, I stow it in a combination garden seat / storage box and it remains in mint condition despite my home’ close proximity to the sea, which has reduced two previous outdoor style barbeques to rusting hulks. It works well on the boat too for special family outings, but would be space-intrusive to leave set up all the time on a boat the size of mine. I like the useful clip that locks the lid closed during transit. Weber Available from $399.00, these immensely popular units come in a range of sizes, and again feature a lid and a cast-iron grill cooking surface. Their smaller models fit on the bait board easily. “Consumer” magazine gave these cookers top marks in a recent review. I’m not sure how well they would stand up to permanent on-board life, as they don’t supply a marine-grade stainless-steel model. However, as mentioned above, they would probably only be used on the boat for special days out, so that would eliminate the issue. Gas Cookers These fall in to two categories: those fuelled by high pressure LPG, and Butane cookers. High Pressure Gas Compact Stoves There are a multitude of brands priced from $100.00 upwards, offering a choice of dual or treble burners. Usually they incorporate a fold-up wind deflector that protects the back and sides, and the twin burner-sized ones are fine for use on the bait board. They fold down into a briefcase size for easy storage under a bunk or seat. These cookers are very efficient, with piezo ignition, and produce 12,000 BTU heat output, and are capable of fast cooking and heating. They have a 3/8” sized connector to BSP-LH gas cylinders, which are available in a variety of sizes with the 2 kg ones at $30-$40.00 probably the most suitable for on-board use and storage. The connectors are different from a regular LPG gas bottle as the high-pressure stoves do not require a regulator. This can make them a bit of an issue at refill time, as they require a converter. The stoves have powder-coated paint finishes which are quite durable. Butane Cookers These are very compact and usually single-burner stoves, but they’re also available as duel-burners if you have the space. They usually come in a plastic briefcase which makes them easy to store under a bunk or seat. They are the cheapest cooker option, starting at $35.00 for a single burner unit. These cookers use butane which comes in small inexpensive disposable cylinders similar in size to an aerosol fly spray can. You simply insert the can in to a compartment built in to the cooker, and discard after use. This has the advantage that the gas and the cooker fit inside the plastic storage briefcase and spare fuel cans are very space efficient. The disadvantage of these cookers is that Butane is not as efficient as LPG in cold conditions, so it can take longer to cook or to heat water. I have been using these cookers for several years now and find them excellent for small boat use. I use mine either on the bait board or more commonly sitting on top of my live bait tank where the step-through sides and drop-down boarding plate combine to offset any wind effect. I have been very happy with the performance. They don’t last forever when stored on the boat constantly. Corrosion to fittings and lifting of the powder coating on my first stove saw me replacing it quite quickly. However, I now keep the replacement cooker in a sealed plastic container big enough to hold a spare butane canister as well, and that is still looking good after three seasons on-board. There are cookers that fit directly on top of a large butane or LPG gas cylinder, but I consider these potentially dangerous in the boating environment as they are unstable and tip over easily. Battery Powered Stoves There are a couple of brands of portable ovens available such as the Travel Buddy at $280.00. These run off the 12-volt battery on your boat via a cigarette lighter socket and can be used for re-heating pies and sausage rolls. They can reach a temperature of 170° C and have a timer that can be set for up to two hours. Accessories Go and buy yourself a Boaties Frypan. They are $40.00 and represent money well- spent, having a solid base and a non-stick surface that makes cooking pretty much anything easy and the clean-up is also a breeze. Another great option is a Campmaster Whistling Kettle at $19.95, which is a great way to brew a cup of coffee on board and they last for ages in the harsh marine environment. A small coffee flask, the ones you purchase to put a coffee in and keep it hot, is ideal as a milk container, though I now use condensed milk which is available in a tube like toothpaste ̶ very convenient and always in the boat. Sugar, tea bags and coffee can be stored on-board in sealable plastic containers, and some stainless steel knives, forks and teaspoons are pretty handy to have in the container as well. I find that insulated mugs with lids work best. Don’t forget salt and pepper, picnic combos keep the salt and pepper dry while making dispensing it easy. The less you have to use spoons to serve condiments and coffee or sugar on a windy boat the better. Safety It is important to ensure that any cooker used on your boat is well-isolated from fuel containers, fuel vents and is in a well-ventilated location. If you are going to use a cooker aboard, then ensure you have an operational fire extinguisher available as well. To Conclude ̶ A Breakfast Recipe My favourite. On the night before your outing pre-cook and mash some potatoes. Next morning add the mashed potatoes to a couple of eggs and a couple of Hellers pre-cooked sausages and you have a totally scrummy breakfast. Yum! My mouth is watering while I’m writing this! |