For many among us, boat snacks are as much a part of the experience as fishing poles, sunglasses, and the water itself. Yes, boat snacks are that important.
Here is our take on adding to your boat snack arsenal. Our list is informed by tradition, convenience, and flavor. It is influenced by international travel— and some of the best boat snacks from abroad.
Some of the snacks require a bit of preparation the night before. Some are grab-and-go. All of that said, there’s no right or wrong way to do… so long as you bring enough to share!
Ceviche
This is a good one. Make it and you’ll be a hero. Your guests will not only think that you are quite the chef—but because this one isn’t common, some might even believe you to be a genius.
To make ceviche, you’ll need fresh saltwater fish that has firm, white flesh. Mackerel, mahi-mahi, snapper, grouper, even snook will work. If you’ve fished recently, keep a fillet or two in the fridge for your next boat snack.
This process comes from Chef Cosmo Goss’ Seafood Chef Cookbook in The Book on Travel Fishing.
Preparation—You’ll do steps 1 and 2 the night before. You’ll combine and prepare the ceviche on the boat, right before you eat it.
Step 1: Chop up your base. Ceviche comes in many varieties, but generally includes such things as chopped onion, cucumbers, diced jalapenos, and tomatoes. Dice all of these things, add to a bowl or whatever container you plan to bring with you on the boat.
Step 2: Take your fish fillets and cut them into ½ inch cubes. Store them in a separate bag or container.
Step 3: 30 minutes before you plan to eat your ceviche, add the juice of limes and salt to your base. You’ll want enough liquid to coat the ceviche base.
Step 4: After marinating the base for 15 minutes, add your fish. Stir into the mixture. Allow the lime juice to coat the fish cubes. Let sit for 10 minutes or so.
Step 5: Break out the bowls. Eat with chips, crackers, or plantain chips. Before you make this boat snack be prepared. Your boat guests might start asking you to make it more often. To fine-tune your ceviche game, check out Chef Cosmo’s Ultimate Ceviche Guide.
Shore Lunch
The iconic shore lunch is the north woods’ answer to ceviche. In either case, you turn yesterday’s catch into today’s boat snack.
You can do this with any fish, but if we’re being traditional, think walleye or yellow perch. White bass, crappie, or catfish will work just fine too.
You’ve got two main options here. You can fry the fish the night before and pack them for your boat snack.
Or, you can pack your portable camp stove, cast iron, a bit of oil, your favorite fish fry and of course your fish. Head to the sand bar or your favorite sheltered cove, and fry up the perfect boat snack.
Either way you choose, there’s something special about eating the fish you catch while trying to catch more of them. This is part of the reason that the shore lunch is such a cherished tradition.
Something A Bit Easier: Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is a great boat snack for a variety of reasons. Popcorn chicken is great for kids—they can grab as many pieces as they like, without fear of wasting half a chicken.
You can opt for wings, tenders, or a bucket of assorted white and dark meat. The best part? You can get fried chicken in so many places. The deli, the grocery stores and gas stations, or your favorite fast chicken joint.
Ginger Chews
Candy is a great boat snack. What better excuse to satisfy your sweet tooth than a day on the water.?
The ginger chew, however, turns double duty. It not only tastes great, but can help those on the boat who start feeling queasy. Ginger is well-known for its ability to combat the symptoms of sea sickness.
If somebody is feeling nauseous, give them a handful of ginger chews and suggest they lie down for a bit. There are no guarantees, but with any luck they might feel better!
Fresh Fruit
Slices of fresh fruit are a tried-and-true boat snack. You can take this in a number of directions.
For a simple fruit salad, just chop some apples, oranges, toss in some grapes, blueberries or strawberries and finish with the juice of half a lemon. You can use whatever kind of fruit you like, just remember to leave out the banana (they are known to be bad luck on boats!).
Watermelon slices are a true crowd pleaser too. Just slice your watermelon into triangles, with pieces an inch or so thick. You’ll have no problem feeding every kid in sight.
If you want to take the fresh fruit approach on a tropical bend, try fresh mango slices with a bit of hot sauce, chili powder, and lime. This might not be your everyday boat snack, but once you try it, you’ll want some more.
Back to Blue Life
Here is our take on adding to your boat snack arsenal. Our list is informed by tradition, convenience, and flavor. It is influenced by international travel— and some of the best boat snacks from abroad.
Some of the snacks require a bit of preparation the night before. Some are grab-and-go. All of that said, there’s no right or wrong way to do… so long as you bring enough to share!
Ceviche
This is a good one. Make it and you’ll be a hero. Your guests will not only think that you are quite the chef—but because this one isn’t common, some might even believe you to be a genius.
To make ceviche, you’ll need fresh saltwater fish that has firm, white flesh. Mackerel, mahi-mahi, snapper, grouper, even snook will work. If you’ve fished recently, keep a fillet or two in the fridge for your next boat snack.
This process comes from Chef Cosmo Goss’ Seafood Chef Cookbook in The Book on Travel Fishing.
Preparation—You’ll do steps 1 and 2 the night before. You’ll combine and prepare the ceviche on the boat, right before you eat it.
Step 1: Chop up your base. Ceviche comes in many varieties, but generally includes such things as chopped onion, cucumbers, diced jalapenos, and tomatoes. Dice all of these things, add to a bowl or whatever container you plan to bring with you on the boat.
Step 2: Take your fish fillets and cut them into ½ inch cubes. Store them in a separate bag or container.
Step 3: 30 minutes before you plan to eat your ceviche, add the juice of limes and salt to your base. You’ll want enough liquid to coat the ceviche base.
Step 4: After marinating the base for 15 minutes, add your fish. Stir into the mixture. Allow the lime juice to coat the fish cubes. Let sit for 10 minutes or so.
Step 5: Break out the bowls. Eat with chips, crackers, or plantain chips. Before you make this boat snack be prepared. Your boat guests might start asking you to make it more often. To fine-tune your ceviche game, check out Chef Cosmo’s Ultimate Ceviche Guide.
Shore Lunch
The iconic shore lunch is the north woods’ answer to ceviche. In either case, you turn yesterday’s catch into today’s boat snack.
You can do this with any fish, but if we’re being traditional, think walleye or yellow perch. White bass, crappie, or catfish will work just fine too.
You’ve got two main options here. You can fry the fish the night before and pack them for your boat snack.
Or, you can pack your portable camp stove, cast iron, a bit of oil, your favorite fish fry and of course your fish. Head to the sand bar or your favorite sheltered cove, and fry up the perfect boat snack.
Either way you choose, there’s something special about eating the fish you catch while trying to catch more of them. This is part of the reason that the shore lunch is such a cherished tradition.
Something A Bit Easier: Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is a great boat snack for a variety of reasons. Popcorn chicken is great for kids—they can grab as many pieces as they like, without fear of wasting half a chicken.
You can opt for wings, tenders, or a bucket of assorted white and dark meat. The best part? You can get fried chicken in so many places. The deli, the grocery stores and gas stations, or your favorite fast chicken joint.
Ginger Chews
Candy is a great boat snack. What better excuse to satisfy your sweet tooth than a day on the water.?
The ginger chew, however, turns double duty. It not only tastes great, but can help those on the boat who start feeling queasy. Ginger is well-known for its ability to combat the symptoms of sea sickness.
If somebody is feeling nauseous, give them a handful of ginger chews and suggest they lie down for a bit. There are no guarantees, but with any luck they might feel better!
Fresh Fruit
Slices of fresh fruit are a tried-and-true boat snack. You can take this in a number of directions.
For a simple fruit salad, just chop some apples, oranges, toss in some grapes, blueberries or strawberries and finish with the juice of half a lemon. You can use whatever kind of fruit you like, just remember to leave out the banana (they are known to be bad luck on boats!).
Watermelon slices are a true crowd pleaser too. Just slice your watermelon into triangles, with pieces an inch or so thick. You’ll have no problem feeding every kid in sight.
If you want to take the fresh fruit approach on a tropical bend, try fresh mango slices with a bit of hot sauce, chili powder, and lime. This might not be your everyday boat snack, but once you try it, you’ll want some more.
Back to Blue Life