OT? MiniMax mount to a pontoon boat??

Killit_and_Grillit

So I have my dad on the ropes on buying a lake house. If he does we will upgrade our boat game and get a tri toon. If we do that I want to grab a minimax and mount it to the boat. I have seen quite a few on large fishing boats mounted to the floor, but I was thinking due to the smaller size of the boat and the fact that I have little kids it may be beneficial to have a mount that can be swung over the side while anchored and cooking. 

I have seen seen this type of mount that can hang over the water with other charcoal grills on smaller boats but never with an egg. Anyone seen something like this? Or have the technical expertise to point me in the right direction? A brand new minimax is not something I want to leave dangling over 30 feet of water with questionable mounting. 

Jeremiah

I once drunkenly dumped a whole Webber in the river off of a pontoon. I'd sure hate to see the same fate for a $500 egg. But on the other hand if you built a rig that was welded or securely bolted to the Max's carrier...

BikerBob

The swing out grills are a lot lighter than an egg. It would be good to have it bolted down tight in case of rough weather. I know it's a lake, but I have been rocked bad by an a**H*** running with the bow high to kick up extra wake.

Bob

Mikee

Any choice you make has to be with the safety of the passengers and the boat first. Any mount that you come up with should be far away from the gas tank or gas vent. Charcoal grills have a greater chance of causing a fire vs a gas grill such as a Magma.

kwdickert

Also consider the added weight on one side. you'll either ride cockeyed the whole time, or you'll wanna make a counter weight (people sitting there, or a stationary something). 

NonaScott

Agree with Mikee. I have been boating all my life and have never lit a charcoal fire on a boat nor do I know anyone who has. It just is not safe. I have a Magma and when you turn it off its off. 

Wardster

not mention the general up and downs of running on plane, clearing wakes, can make the innards bounce around and that's not good....

Fred19Flintstone

I've rigged a gasser to a pontoon's railing, but would not consider burning charcoal due to the risks mentioned.  You may operate safely, but you have to take into account unforeseen variables like weather or some drunken idiot that can cause a calamity.

smokeyw

Magma actually makes a charcoal grill for boats that extend out over the water. I had one on a boat of mine and have known several people who have had them as well. I will say that I only ever used when anchored for the night. I'm not sure about using a MM though.

Hotch

Looks like this guy figured it out.


http://www.nauticexpo.com/prod/mondial-plaisance-industrie/product-22022-478121.html

northGAcock

Jeremiah said:

I once drunkenly dumped a whole Webber in the river off of a pontoon. I'd sure hate to see the same fate for a $500 egg. But on the other hand if you built a rig that was welded or securely bolted to the Max's carrier...

Now that would have been funny. Maybe not later but at the time....

BikerBob

Wood stoves are used to heat some boats. A charcoal fire can be easily seen, it is not explosive as is propane, It is not likely to settle into the bilge as propane can do.
Some marinas have rules against grills on boats at dock. If on the hook, this would work,

bgeaddikt

I want to take my MiniMax on my SUP(stand up paddle board) on a windless day on a local lake here in Tx. If i lose my balance, there's goes my egg, i would probably hold on to it and go down with it...haha

stlcharcoal

Where you're storing the bag of charcoal and whatever you're using to light it is probably a bigger hazard than the Egg itself.  As long as you're not making pizzas or doing clean burns--or the inverse, a low & slow and not watching--it's probably not any worse than a gas grill.

On other option, infrared.  Those also run off of propane, but they cool off really quick.  You can buy the little bottles at Sam's and hang them off the side or store somewhere else easier than a 20 gal.

Here's a stock picture of the one I have, looks like they make a boat mount for it.  Only bad thing (besides not being charcoal), is that the heat is only over the element which is fairly small compared to the size of the grill.  You can't close the lid when cooking, so the perimeter of the grill is pretty useless except for hot dogs......pretty much only what they have pictured is the useful part.  In the pic, move that steak another inch to the edge in any direction and you're going to have it cooked only on half.

Mikee

Grilling and boating are very common. I can't imagine someone trying to grill on a small boat unless anchored in calm waters. My gas grill is mounted so that it is outside the boat. I've seen gas grills mounted on a stern rail or on a pedestal mount on the swim platform as well. I don't recall reading of a boat fire because of grilling which doesn't mean it never happened. A key to safe boating is to try and minimize potential issues. Losing an egg vs someone getting injured is a no brainer. One may be hard to live with but the other would be unbearable. 

dldawes1

Killit_and_Grillit

Mikee said:

Grilling and boating are very common. I can't imagine someone trying to grill on a small boat unless anchored in calm waters. My gas grill is mounted so that it is outside the boat. I've seen gas grills mounted on a stern rail or on a pedestal mount on the swim platform as well. I don't recall reading of a boat fire because of grilling which doesn't mean it never happened. A key to safe boating is to try and minimize potential issues. Losing an egg vs someone getting injured is a no brainer. One may be hard to live with but the other would be unbearable. 

Pretty much this. The only time this would be used is up in a cove on a chill day when you can control your environment. That's why I want to do a side mount...well for 2 reasons. One it will be away from the gas tank and anyone on the boat. We did a gasser like that and just made everyone swim on the other side of the boat. But I was concerned about the weight of something that heavy hanging on one side...even with a boat that can seat 16. 

The he other reason I wanted it to hang out over the side is I can have it hanging over the dock instead of lifting it over the water when I dock it. I can bring it back up to the deck without worrying about some lake trash running off with it in the middle of the night. 

Killit_and_Grillit

dldawes1 said:

This guy needs to be my life coach. 

dldawes1

I found the pic on the internet.

When we about to leave for our cruise last month, I posted it on FB and told my friends that my wife thought we were going on a cruise ship....but this is really what I had ceduled !!!

They all know I'm an egghead...and love it !!!

Dr. Strangelove

Having been raised around boats and owning Eggs for 20+ years - I'd leave the Eggs on land.  Grills on boats are always a trade off.  Just get a portable propane grill and beach the boat somewhere to cook. Trying to cook underway never works out and is fraught with danger, someone will always fall into it or someone in a ski boat will come by and their wake will knock it over.   

Killit_and_Grillit

Dr. Strangelove said:

Having been raised around boats and owning Eggs for 20+ years - I'd leave the Eggs on land.  Grills on boats are always a trade off.  Just get a portable propane grill and beach the boat somewhere to cook. Trying to cook underway never works out and is fraught with danger, someone will always fall into it or someone in a ski boat will come by and their wake will knock it over.   

Dr Strangelove I fear you are correct. We did a test run with a prototype holder last weekend and 1) in the channel on a holiday weekend the chop was so bad I thought we were going to bust ceramic and 2) even with my buddy's mini we couldn't comfortably find a way to dump charcoal and/or cut sling load in the event of a fire.

after a few beers and some redneck engineering I think we are going to do a propane break away line on a swing out handle with an emergency pin release. Now I wait for my engineer brother in law to get back from Iraq to do build some sweat equity in this venture. 

nolaegghead

I grilled on the back tail (not where it is right now).  Lived to tell about it.  Obviously don't grill near gas cans.

Mikee

What's a back tail? Must be a LA term. You lived and so will 99.999% of others. I just don't want to be the 0.0001% that has an issue.  

nolaegghead

Mikee said:

What's a back tail? Must be a LA term. You lived and so will 99.999% of others. I just don't want to be the 0.0001% that has an issue.  

It's a big platform hanging off the stern that was added to convert the boat from inboard/outboard to outboard.   Sits about 10 inches above the water.

Do what you're comfortable with.  I think every situation is different, every boat is different, and some people are more conscious of risk than others. 

I felt comfortable with what I was doing, weighed the risks and enjoyed some nice BBQ.  I wouldn't recommend making a blanket statement condoning boat grilling, especially given the poor decisions people tend to make often.  And if I wasn't clear to that effect, I'm stating it now. 

fishlessman

i would just mount a stainless rod holder to the back corner and have the local weld shop make a plate that fits the carrier and has a tube that mounts into the rod holder. drill holes in the base feet and attach it with wing nuts. offset the tube so you can spin it out of the boat when in use. tritoons are a pretty stable platform. i would have rod holders all over it anyways theres 24 rod holders on my boat not counting an area that i tie spares up with a rope. built a wood stove for the boat last year, still need to mount it

tarheelmatt

Just don't be driving like this guy....

https://youtu.be/dE-nfzcUiPk

Killit_and_Grillit

tarheelmatt said:

Just don't be driving like this guy....

https://youtu.be/dE-nfzcUiPk

It's funny every time. My dad flipped a ski boat back in his 20s and I trashed a jet ski hitting a stump doing about 60mph...I have accepted low and slow in my older age. 

nolaegghead

I've almost been thrown out of the boat a few times.  I clip on the kill tether if I'm running WOT or if seas are rough.  And I have slowed down through the years....safety first!