Summer on the docks…

Summer on the docks in the Chesapeake is just that – on the docks. We don’t do much sailing in the summer because there isn’t enough wind and it’s too hot!  Tango needs at least 10+ knots of wind to sail well and, not only that, but if there isn’t enough wind the heat is just sweltering.  Instead of baking in the hot sun while ghosting along at 2 knots, we’ve found the summers are better suited for hanging out below decks with the air conditioner cranking and getting projects done so that the weekends can be spent doing what any good Chesapeake Bay liveaboard does, catching crabs off the docks, of course! 

Last year we were able to use a couple of crab pots from Trigger, our neighbor who he has since moved on to another marina, so this year we went old school – hand line, chicken scraps, and a net. 

Key components

Tie a piece of chicken, any piece (it doesn’t’ have to be the neck, just whatever is cheap…crabs aren’t picky eaters), on the end of some small line, and tie the other end to the dock. Toss it out and in a few minutes you’ll see the line start to walk away.  Slowly bring the line in while the other person stands by with the net; then, with a swift flick of the wrist, you’ve got yourself a crab!!! 

SLOOOOOOOOW

This little guy went back in the drink, to be eaten another day :)

We’ve had great luck so far, catching anywhere from 12-20 crabs in a matter of a couple hours.  We let them soak for a bit as we walk up and down the docks – it makes for a fun afternoon and a very tasty dinner! 

We’ve found that using our pressure cooker to steam them works really well.  Our secret, pour a bottle of beer (we prefer lager) in the bottom with equal parts water and copious amount of Old Bay.  Place a steaming rack in the bottom so that there is space between the crabs and the liquid (don’t want them to be submerged in it or they will get soggy) and start stacking the crabs on top.  The crabs are often pretty feisty by the time we’re ready to put them in the pot, but laying them on their back seems to work well to calm them, then be sure to sprinkle more Old Bay over each layer…kind of a crab bath salt.  Ensure a tight seal on the pressure cooker, bring it up to pressure and let it cook for about 3 minutes.  From there, do the cold water method to depressurize and voila, you’ve got delicious and incredibly fresh crabs!!  Bon appetit!