Half way
Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Sat 15 Sep 2012 22:36
03:19.986S
109:29.624E
16/9 0545
Passed the half way
mark through the night, currently passing through the "gap" between Billiton
Island (Pulau Belitung, Indo) and SW corner of Borneo. Winds 10-15 from the SE
so a broad reach for us as we're heading almost due N for this section of the
recommended track through the various reefs in this area.Seas a bit messy here
with moderate head current and plenty of fetch to the SE. Yesterday a mixed
sailing bag, calm seas light breeze through the morning from behind so sailed
with just the genoa and the "monkey", No mainsails as the booms just slam as we
roll side to side sailing downwind in the light airs. Wind died to near zero in
the afternoon so motored for several hours.
Yesterday was mostly
a fish-fest. Setting up, catching, but mainly planning and enacting the cooking
and serving process. Tony snagged a reasonable size Mahi Mahi an hour or two
after sunrise, which transformed into a Sashimi lunch entree and three test
subjects for the planned main course. Unfortunately no lime or lemon juice
onboard, and barely enough lemons for our sunset G&T's so our planned
cold-cooking in just lime/lemon juice looked like a pipe dream. We do have
multiple varieties of vinegar onboard so the test subjects - all with
garlic, ginger, onions, chilli - were alfoil wrapped with (1) balsamic, (2)
tarragon and (3) red-wine vinegar as the "cooking" compounds. After about 40
minutes the taste test concluded that all were edible, the balsamic was
unanimous favourite followed by the red wine. I did later find some plain
vinegar, but the artificial kind used mainly for cleaning our grey water tank.
Anyway we set up a late entry with plain vinegar which also got the
nod.
Final meal was thus
4 large fillets, 2 cooked in balsamic and one each of plain and red wine
vinegar. Along with coleslaw wrapped in lettuce leaf made by Chris we enjoyed a
perfect cold lunch under a steaming sun. None of us were hungry by the time
dinner time came around!
As I write, Tony's
just set the lure and wishing for a large Spanish Mackerel today for 3" thick
BBQ steaks.
SJB