Yup, I know. Point being that there are lots of places a paddler can get unwelcome attention from sharks.
I suppose that it may be possible on something like a Kruger with a camp stove mounted on an outrigger, but it would still have to be pretty calm. Having a bunch of stinky fish scales and other offal that would inevitably find their way into the cockpit and on your clothes doesnât sound like it would enhance your appetite either.
Unless one were contemplating an epic multiday open water crossing combined with a hatred of cold food, I canât imagine why someone would not just land on shore to cook and enjoy a meal.
Does this nautical adventure also encompass bathroom breaks and sleeping on the water as well? Both doable with the properly equipped boat, but usually not that enjoyable.
As a matter of fact, to follow up on Darkstarâs post above, when you are competing in a week-long race, you do not want to unnecessarily stop on shore to prepare hot food if there is any way to continue your progress down river wihout stopping, while watching your competition pass you by.
Darkstarâs experience was my second time perfecting the nonstop on board food preparation during the Yukon voyageur canoe race.
The same goes for bathroom breaks. No need for everyone to stop paddling for a single personâs bio break in a multi paddler canoe when a bottle provide service. We did stop no more than once or twice a day for more serious individual bio concerns. Never stopped for no more than 7 minutes.
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another reason:
when paddling ocean, itâs often not convenient and very time consuming to stop on land for lunch - in through surf, lunch, back out through surf.
Avoiding a lunch break on land due to time in a racing situation, or landing conditions, is understandable.
But this thread started out with the idea of catching a fish, gutting it, taking the time to prepare it over a flame then eating it.
I suspect most people racing or out on a long ocean day do what I do, which is to have a stash of snack bars, PB&J sandwiches and a piece fruit within reach.
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I was thinking that too. Of all the paddling, kayak camping and over 50 years of backpacking with a variety of other people with differing habits and routines, I have never once stopped to make a hot lunch. Other than standing in your kitchen, nothing could be more convenient and easy than backpacking. Just stop walking. And yet we never felt any need to. We could always wait a few more hours til weâre done for the day and dinner. I can go indefinitely without a hot meal and it doesnât bother me. Other folks feel the risk/benefit warrants it.
During a 1000 mile canoe race, taking a week to complete, you donât want to eat cliff bars and gorp for 3 meals a day every day. For lunch and continuous energy snacks, ok, but that is not enough to sustain healthy energy levels all day.
At race speed we are burning at least 6,000 or more calories each day. Although race rules requre a 6 hour random location camping ârest stopâ each ânightâ (it doesnât get dark that time of year), there is barely enough time to empty the canoe, set up tents to camp, and get less than 4 hours of sleep before repacking the canoe to start again. Taking the time to cook an adequate meal while stationary for our 6 or 7 paddler voyageur canoe team is no way to win a race.
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Except the OP wasnât talking about a 1,000 mile week long race or a canoe or a 6-7 member crew.
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So would you catch and cook a fish in the canoe when you are racing?
it certainly would not be practical to attemp fishing instead of paddling during a fast canoe race. Everyone is maintaining a 60+ stroke/minute cadence. But as Darkstar reported above, in the broad island dotted segment known as the âYukon Flatsâ, while coming upon a couple of First Nations guys tending their fish wheel, one motored over to us, offering to give us two 3â long king salmon. We later heard that news of the big Long Boat being paddled down the river had made it to local villages. Regretfully we had to decline aceptance of the fish for obvious practical reasons.
I have dried fruit, nuts , landjaeger ( a dry salami) some cheese and maybe a granola bar. And water. Yep its boring but quite doable kept in a handy drybag. Some days in the Everglades there isnât a dry spot for lunch. Or the tide is contrary. If its good for getting out at a campsite it is often awful mud at lunchtime.
this place is quite the eclectic group of people and kayaking can means SOOO many different things. from the boats themselves, to the people that own them, to the places and weather conditions that some of you enjoy the water on.
I find article like this interesting .
my wife and i very much enjoy out flatwater outings and the most adventurous meals for us is buying a sub on the way to the water and either grounding on a small island or anchoring just off shore for a relaxing lunch.
SO, that being said , i guess what iâm saying is alot of crazy ideas have happened in the past to bring us to where we are today. No reason to stop inventing ways to do things to expand the sport, relaxation, adventure and enjoyment of the sport.
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Not to a smart whatever, but fish donât require cooking
Good laugh!, thanks
When I lived in that area back in the 90âs, a woman was paddling a kayak in that same location, a great white came up out of the water and mouthed her head, and then was circling around for another bite when a passing sail boat dragged the woman out of the kayak onto their boat.
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Yes, and at autocross events Iâd heat up my lunch on top of my engine. (from Click & Clackâs cookbook Manifold Destiny).
But I wouldnât try to catch fish at the course 
I have cooked roasts on the engine block on long trips.
Take some lemons and have ceviche.
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