BLOG 16 – Mahi Mahi, Hey Hey
The boat is getting busy: we now have a plumber; another cook, a metal-worker, a sailmaker, a doctor (‘drink more water’), and a sea angler, who hasn’t caught anything. We have enough wind to use the twin headsail, again, and the butter is melting (more on that in the navigation blog, which I will be doing as soon as we figure out where we are). All we need now is a psychiatrist to work out the type of conversations we are passing the day with (is dead-dough a suitable sunscreen for the left leg of the tiller man?).
We haven’t been receiving many communications from home, apart from the odd email, so we can’t see what is happening on social media, so please post, like, and share anything to help further the fundraiser. Martin will be updating recent events, soon.
I know our fishing success has been minimal, until now – duh, duh, duh.
The ratchet screeched on the reel; the fish struck,; the rod flexed; the doldrums vanished; fighting on the line was a big fish – getting bigger as I write – we could see the thrashes and turns of the leviathan. As the reel wound, the crested fin broke the surface. The azure shimmer, as it breached the water, identified it as a Mahi Mahi (spell-checker, we need you). We have heard a few pronunciations, and added a few Moore as we gaffes it. It’s colour changed to a vivid yellow/green as we pulled it over the back of the boat.
Here, the beauty ends.
DON’T READ ON IF YOU DON’T WANT DETAILS.
We treated it with as much humanity, and compassion, as was possible.
The following takes place in under 15 minutes:
I worked out how to use the stopwatch on my phone – 5 mins
Martin took over at this point. We brought him his surgical tools, like in all the best floating theatres, and he tied up the beautiful creature. Alcohol applied to the gills acted as an anaesthetic as soon as we had it aboard, and there was little struggle.
The spinal cord was severed.
The dorsal and pectoral fins were removed with fish-scissors.
Deftly angling a sharp, filleting knife towards the bone, the fish was cut from head to tail.
The rib-cage was cut away with the scissors.
The head was delicately removed, and given back to the sea, followed by the fish-frame.
Finally, the pin-bones were removed with pliers. The skin was removed, without touching the meat. The meat was washed in fresh water, and dried with re-usable cloth.
The decks were scrubbed and cleaned, and Martin went into the cabin:
‘Samarche (sp!), table for five, Mahi Mahi – toot suite.’
That took 10 minutes.
‘Enjoy your meal, gentlemen.’
SAFE TO READ ON
Sorry, if that was a bit gruesome, but it is sustainable fishing, and half the fish has been eaten, with the rest in the fridge for tomorrow.
That was yesterday. I am writing this a day after events to give me time to make stuff up, if nothing happens. Today is actually St. Andrew’s day, so we had sundowner to celebrate.
Today is also the birthday of my favourite person in the world, and I will be thinking of you as every shooting star crosses the night sky (and that’s every night).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Ms. Splibbertski (name changed for affectionate purposes).
Sing me to you. XXX
Rupert