Marine Turkey - Crab - Lobster Cooker

[Otis Driftwood]

One of the reasons I got a sailboat was to take it crabbing.
I feared in harbor/no wake zone speeders and a couple gallons of boiling water on deck would create a disaster.
I decided to build a stainless turkey fryer/crab&lobster steamer for the boat.
Tools/Material:
- Appropriate wire and gas for welding stainless.
- 304 tubing and flat stock
- Harbor Freight Tubing Roller and Notcher
- Tamale pot large enough to stow the propane tank.
- Burner from my existing setup.
- Large stainless mixing bowl for a flame guard

The burner and flame guard have not yet been installed.

The notcher needed adjustment and spacers to work correctly.
The 1/4" set screws slipped and stripped on the roller.
I drilled, tapped, and replace with 5/16" screws and it has worked well since.

http://badfishdiving.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92&Itemid=114

 

[Benny17441]

I love the idea of using a large pot as a propane tank holder. With proper refinement it could even be used as an inexpensive solution to install a propane tank locker in an older or smaller boat. A hole can be cut at the bottom to attach a hose to provide a vent to the outside via a through the hull. A hole can be cut at the top to attach a vapor tight fitting for the supply line. And a lid can be fitted with a gasket and held in place by clamps. Metal rubbing against metal could produce an unwanted spark so the tank would need to be restrained inside the pot by a non metallic brace or liner. With propane tank lockers starting at $500 not many small boat owners can justify an installation but large pots are rather inexpensive. Just throwing out the idea, it does need some refinement but I believe it could be done.

 

[Joe11688]

When you talk cooking on a boat you're talking my language Otis! That's a very ingenious set up. This past summer was the greatest we've ever had in recent years for Blue Crabs in my area. They were all over the bays and rivers this year. I use a Shure Hold handle with a crab net attachment but the net is a pain in the butt. They grab hold of it and won't let go. I'm going to make up a net out of rabbet wire which will be a whole lot faster and easier for catching crabs.

 

[Otis Driftwood]

I use traps for Crabs and Dive for lobster.
These are the traps I use from my kayak:
http://www.promarnets.com/promar/Products.aspx?Cat=7&Item=139

 

[Joe11688]

A couple of the guys in our club were using crab traps this past summer. I walk along the shore at low tide with my crab net and scoop them up and put them in a bucket.
I checked out your mussel recipe and it looked pretty good. I don't dare to harvest mussels in my area. It's too risky. I have been harvesting quahogs and littlenecks all summer. I take the cherry stones or little-necks and steam them open and discard the top shell. Then I put them in a baking pan with the meats and juices in the shell and add a 1" piece of bacon on each one, a dab of catchup, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce and bake them for 30 minutes in my small stove top oven at about 350 degrees. I also make "Zuppa De Clams" with the cherry stones which is very similar to "Mussels Marinara." It's only a 22' boat but I have a blast on it every week in the summer months.

 

[kenn]

<<< drool! >>>

This thread would be sheer gastronomic torture, were not for the fact that we're having friends over for a feast of mussels this weekend.

I can't remember the last time I had some good fresh crab though...

 

[Otis Driftwood]

A couple of the guys in our club were using crab traps this past summer. I walk along the shore at low tide with my crab net and scoop them up and put them in a bucket.

No luck for me there, where we go it's usually >1'visibility and 12'-50' deep.
On the rare calm winter day when it been long enough since the last storm with significant runoff it clears up and we can dive for them.

 

[Johan S.]

I think Joe was being a little un-detailed when he said - walk along the shore with a net and catch them.. Actually, I have walked or stalked them along the shore and caught them and I can tell you this - it takes 2 people... They are fasssst.. One to pull the string with the chicken leg attached to it and one to walk a circle out and around the crab and scoop him up from behind.. Blue crabs are fast they are not stupid.. They know where the escape route is.. Clear visibility is a must and a nice bright sun... As far as clams go - I can tell you guys a secret.. Anyone of ya'll ever heard of the golden clam? I have been eating these suckers for the last 5 years. The Chinese brought them over here in the 1800's into California. They are an exotic and they have migrated south and east.. This little creek I go to here in XXXXXX has litterally millions of them. I harvest them and eat them every which way you can think.. I sometimes have the boys over for beers and clams.. I dont led onto them about my secret when I bring out over 500 steaming 2" clams. Most times they are about 1.5" So yu have to pick through for the larger ones...

Pic of the two lobsters ( 1.30lb each ) and four cherrystones I bought at the fishmonger for $15.00 and change.. FYI, lobster is cheap now. The Lobsters were $4.99 a lb and the cherrystones 89 cents / lb

 

[Joe11688]

Johan,
Of course you have to be fast but you can get them with a long handled net and you don't need anyone with bait. You just spot them at low tide and when they try to get away you get the net right in front of him so that runs right into it. The best part of doing it this way is that you get to choose the size crab you want. If he's too small you look for a larger one, but you need to spot them before they spot you.

 

[mel22]

We used to catch crabes with scoop net in Lake Pontchatrain in the shallows. Walk through water with scoop net pushing in front of you and scoop up hard crabs and soft shells. Real object was the soft shells which we could sell on the highway for spending money. Long ago and a different time

 

[Otis Driftwood]

It was a little rough but we pulled 21 legal crabs.