Mainship Flybridge Electric BBQ Worthless

[Captain Ron D]

Has anyone replaced that worthless electric BBQ up on the fly bridge, with a propane one? I have done everything I can think of to clean connections etc. and it still takes
nearly an hour to cook a burger. Can't keep the grand-kids entertained that long ;-)


Before you tell me the cautions of propane BBQ's vs Electric, be advised I have been boating for 48 years and have had propane outdoor BBQ's on all prior boats without an issue. One does have to use precautions and make sure the take storage is vented to the outside and not the bilge!!!


Any experience yanking that 'Princess Gourmet' and sliding in a propane unit would be most appreciated. Fair Winds and Following Seas !!


Captain Ron D.

 

[6-Pack]

Do it! Life is too short.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. CRD. Just a thought....I DO know that there are some gas grills that are much better than others so might it be that some electric grills are better than the one you have? NOT trying to dissuade you, at all, from changing over but you do have the electric service already in place. Might it be simpler, quicker and easier to change over to a better (IF there is such a thing) unit?


My memory left my headspace, probably back in the 70's but I think I recall somebody singing the praises of the George Foreman electric grill. Possibly something to look into and perhaps some TF members could recommend a better electric replacement.


This is NOT a propane safety issue. Just a potentially easier solution...

 

[garmstro55]

Captain Ron, I have the same boat with the electric grille. I see a fair number of 400's on Yachtworld with a propane grille, you can tell because you'll see a locker for the propane tank on the outside wing next to the grille console. Unfortunately none of the pictures show the make/model that was used and I would sure like to know that info. The big issue with changing to propane though, as I see it, is that you need a "drop-in" with the controls on the top surface to avoid having to cut out a part of the console to fit it. All the drop-in propane units I was able to find online have the controls (knobs, lighter) on a front panel.

Having said all that, I hated the grille at first because it took so long to cook anything, but I have changed my opinion. I set it at "10" or whatever the highest setting is and it seems to cook in a reasonable time. Anything below max does take too long.

Furthermore I won't get into a hassle with my marina because they prohibit cooking with flames anywhere on the dock.

Finally, when I bought the boat the PO included 2 stainless steel chafing trays, like the kind you'll see at a restaurant buffet table, and he would put them over the food on the grille upside-down to hold in the heat, especially if it was windy out. Honestly, I only did that one time. I have cooked chicken, steaks and burgers on calm days and I was ok with the length of time it took. Not as fast as propane for sure, but good enough for me. Maybe try the chafing tray idea to see if that helps.

 

[boathealer]

Just another real-world data point --

I installed a Kenyon Frontier 120V grill last year in a custom cabinet in my cockpit. I LOVE that grill!! It was pricey (compared to a lot of others, but WELL worth it). I got it primarily due to its small and slim size for my limited cockpit, but it turned out to be fantastic.

It gets to 500deg in about 7-10 minutes on high and will cook quickly just about anything.

It can also smoke at 180-200deg for hours on my battery bank/inverter since it modulates the power.

They key to its success, IMHO, is that the heating element is buried into a groove in the top grate (which is removable without the element). This puts the heat RIGHT ON the food, and eliminates any dripping onto the element proper. There is a disposable drip tray that you can put beer or other things in to add flavor also. (Geez! I'm sounding like an infomercial.......)

Full grill and cabinet install is here with some power consumption data: Cockpit Grill Cabinet Project

Smoked chicken and ribs - mmmmm (small pellet smoker in the back corner).......

 

[Dougcole]

Our Mainship 400 came without a grill installed. I've heard so many bad things about the electric grill though that I was happy about that.


What we did was use the space to install an isotherm drop in box fridge/freezer. I have a marine propane grill that clamps on to the rail next to the summer kitchen. The grill is just OK, I may convert it to a weber or something along those lines. On the other hand though, the fridge up there is fantastic. It's one of the best of the many upgrades we have done to our boat. We store all of our drinks in it and just use the galley fridge for food. Since we spend most of our time on the FB, it's nice to be able to get a drink or a beer without having to go below.


It will also get cold enough to serve as a very effective freezer. So last year by the end of our Bahamas trip when we had speared/caught enough fish and lobster to overfill our freezer we just switched the drinks into a cooler, turned down the bridge fridge and filled it up. It's great, I love it.


Here's some pics below. Since theses were taken I added a starboard split lid with hinges and flush mount handles.

 

[Captain Ron D]

Thank you !!

Thank you to all those that replied to my issue with the Mainship BBQ issue.
I appreciate you taking the time to help a fellow Trawler Owner, Captain Ron.

 

[garmstro55]

Our Mainship 400 came without a grill installed. I've heard so many bad things about the electric grill though that I was happy about that.


What we did was use the space to install an isotherm drop in box fridge/freezer. I have a marine propane grill that clamps on to the rail next to the summer kitchen. The grill is just OK, I may convert it to a weber or something along those lines. On the other hand though, the fridge up there is fantastic. It's one of the best of the many upgrades we have done to our boat. We store all of our drinks in it and just use the galley fridge for food. Since we spend most of our time on the FB, it's nice to be able to get a drink or a beer without having to go below.


It will also get cold enough to serve as a very effective freezer. So last year by the end of our Bahamas trip when we had speared/caught enough fish and lobster to overfill our freezer we just switched the drinks into a cooler, turned down the bridge fridge and filled it up. It's great, I love it.


Here's some pics below. Since theses were taken I added a starboard split lid with hinges and flush mount handles.

Doug, that looks way cool! I'm not ditching my grille at this time, but that looks like a great idea especially if you are good at catching fish (which I am not).

 

[Woodland Hills]

We have been in marinas that ban open flames, BBQs, tiki torches, etc. for this reason we kept the electric grill on the fly bridge.

 

[IntoTheBlue]

Capt Ron, I have had the same issue of wanting to change to a propane unit on my Mainship Pilot 43. The Kenyon works fine, although it's not the same as a flame unit and I'd rather not turn on Genset just to grill some chicken. Sad to say, I have had no luck in finding a direct replacement. The Kenyon is still there and I have a Magna propane grill stowed, which I use by placing it over the Kenyon.

No knock on Kenyon, great electric grill. However, if I would of done it over, I would have installed a propane unit. Sorry Capt Ron! Should you find a solution, please let me know!

 

[Dougcole]

Doug, that looks way cool! I'm not ditching my grille at this time, but that looks like a great idea especially if you are good at catching fish (which I am not).

Thanks! We have been really happy with it.

We tend to bring a lot of food with us on our longer Bahamas trips. We precook meals at home then freeze them to pull out and heat up when needed. When our sons (21 and 17) come with us my wife can pile in an impressive pile of food for a three week to month long trip. We have a freezer under the companionway steps as well. We also bring quite a bit of bait (that's on me).

As such we are always pressed for fridge space and getting the drinks our of the galley fridge makes a big difference. It also loses less cold than the front open fridge does when you open the door to get a drink.

Not sure if there is enough room for it in a summer kitchen with an ice maker. For us it is much more useful than an ice maker. Especially an AC ice maker as we don't run the gen set 24/7.

 

[wilhelmb]

Hi.

I have just recently purchased a ms400. I believe your replacement of the grill with the fridge/freezer is an excellent idea. I am thinking of doing the same. Question I have for you, what model of the isoterm did you install? Is it the BI-75 or the BI-92?

Thanking you in advance for your response!!!

 

[ssurabus]

The electric grill 'looks' great in the brochure but has its shortcomings - the lack of a cover making it impossible to cook food being one - as pointed out by OP. The 2 tricks that make the grill usable (and actually desirable for me as the grilling surface if quite large compared to most boat grills) are:

1) Cover the food. I use the aluminum foil turkey pans which last for the season. Look for the more rectangular shape. I've found some that are a perfect fit. The ones shown above are nicer - either will do.
2) cover the grates which are impossible to clean without making a mess with grilling foil. I usually pierce it so there is some drainage.

These 2 changes have turned the grill from a useless to actually quite great for our purposes. Put the spatula or whatever your using on top of the foil pans to stop them from blowing away if windy. With the pans in place, I definitely do not have to have it set to high all the time and it preheats in a minute or two. If anything, beware of things getting too hot.