Where to mount my Magma Catalina grill

[HeadedToTexas]

A Magma Catalina came with our Mariner 37/Helmsman 38. The grill has Magma fold out legs and the PO simply set it on a folding wood table in the cockpit. I'm sure that has benefits, but it is not for me. The grill sits too low and takes up too much valuable cockpit room.

Our Mariner 37 cockpit has no rod holders nor hand rails on the transom or gunwales. The transom door is to starboard. Our dinghy hangs on davits offset to port, but it limits access to the swim platform unless launched. That means slip access is required over both port and starboard cockpit gunwales.

The process of elimination means the grill needs to mount on the transom offset to port. I don't recall ever climbing over the transom at that point.

Magma makes a mount called their Dual Locking Flush Deck Socket Mount that keeps the grill solidly in place, but removable when needed. Am I seeing all this right? Where do you Mariner 37/Helmsman 38 owners mount your grill?

https://magmaproducts.com/product/t10-526

 

[SteveK]

I have a Magna with fold out legs. For now i prefer to use it that way since every meal is not from the BBQ. I have moved it around looking for preferred location.
The rail is used often. What I do not prefer is to see a BBQ on the rail day after day as many boats have it. For now it gets stowed away until needed.
Post a picture when you find a spot.

 

[STB]

I have a different boat and a different grill, but I mounted my Weber by securing the legs with U-bolts to a sturdy fish cutting board.

The fish cutting board was, in turn, bolted to a Magma grill double horizontal mount:

https://www.amazon.com/Magma-Products-T10-680-Extended-Horizontal/product-reviews/B0018Y8DOW

And, of course, the rail mount was secured by its own lever-handled clamps to a rail, the rail at the aft of the flybridge, in particular.

If your Magma grill accepts the horizontal mount directly, you can skip 2 steps.

It looks like it'd never weather a storm or rough weather, but in 2 years I only took it down for one named storm and Hurricane Eta. It totally stays put. The cloth grill cover has blown off once or twice, though.

Just an idea that may or may not apply.

See attached photos.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

I know what you mean about keeping the grill out of sight and traffic when not in use. I also know that for me, that means I won't do nearly as much grilling as I would if it is there ready to go.

This is my Mariner 37. I see the Flush Deck Socket Mounts going on the gunwale about where the port davit mounts to the transom. Convenient, but not in the way of traffic. When not grilling season (if there is such a thing), the Catalina can be removed and stored in the lazarette.

In time, I plan to replace those aging St. Croix davits with a custom set that puts the dinghy up level with the flybridge/cockpit roof. That will improve swim platform access and still keep the dinghy out of sight.

 

[backinblue]

I added a rod holder specifically as a grill mount. Works great.

 

[Comodave]

Not familiar with your boat but looking at the photo in post #4, maybe use a rail mount on the rails on the aft end of the flybridge. Then it won’t interfere with the transom or swim platform.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Thanks Dave. Plenty of places to mount a grill up top, but too far from my galley to be practical.

 

[Comodave]

Not as far as going to the marina grill...

 

[N4061]

Bar B Q

We mounted ours on the port side upper deck railing. It kept the smoke from grilling up and away. You should be able to purchase the simple attaching parts at West Marine.

John

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Not as far as going to the marina grill...

Hehe, that's for sure.

We mounted ours on the port side upper deck railing. It kept the smoke from grilling up and away. You should be able to purchase the simple attaching parts at West Marine.

John

Hmmm, keeping the smoke out of the salon is a very good point. At anchor, a transom mount would seem to usually be fine for smoke management, but not in a slip. Interesting...

 

[backinblue]

Hehe, that's for sure.



Hmmm, keeping the smoke out of the salon is a very good point. At anchor, a transom mount would seem to usually be fine for smoke management, but not in a slip. Interesting...

I rarely if ever grill in a slip but even so, a transom mount would work for 75% of wind directions. If wind is coming over the transom, you could always move the grill somewhere else and use the feet, even perhaps the dock? I don't think that would be my primary consideration for a mounting spot.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Magma grills are,, well crap. One setting...HOT!

Take that grill and set it at a fish cleaning table with a note "yours for free!"

Then go buy you a gas weber grill. You will not be disappointed. Crusty turn me on to it. BEST grill I have ever had.

I put my magma at a fish cleaning station in Ketchikan. It was still there when we left, 2 weeks later.

 

[mvweebles]

Magma grills are,, well crap. One setting...HOT!

Take that grill and set it at a fish cleaning table with a note "yours for free!"

Then go buy you a gas weber grill. You will not be disappointed. Crusty turn me on to it. BEST grill I have ever had.

I put my magma at a fish cleaning station in Ketchikan. It was still there when we left, 2 weeks later.View attachment 113144View attachment 113145

I have to agree. After 25 years of futzing around with various expensive marine grills, I went with a Weber. I too have problems storing it so I keep it on a bench except when needed. I also set it on a rail mount table. I went on top deck as comodave suggested. Not overly convenient, but not the worst either

Let's face it, after a while, these all get grungy. I don't want it in plain sight all the time.

Peter

 

[STB]

Magma grills are,, well crap. One setting...HOT!

Take that grill and set it at a fish cleaning table with a note "yours for free!"

Then go buy you a gas weber grill. You will not be disappointed. Crusty turn me on to it. BEST grill I have ever had.

I put my magma at a fish cleaning station in Ketchikan. It was still there when we left, 2 weeks later.View attachment 113144View attachment 113145

Yep! Got that grill to. Fantastic.

And, I had a Magma...well...not so fantastic.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I have to agree. After 25 years of futzing around with various expensive marine grills, I went with a Weber. I too have problems storing it so I keep it on a bench except when needed. I also set it on a rail mount table. I went on top deck as comodave suggested. Not overly convenient, but not the worst either

Let's face it, after a while, these all get grungy. I don't want it in plain sight all the time.

Peter

Every so often I will clean the drain pan. Then use oven cleaner to clean the rest. I never ever spray the grill plates.

After I cook I use a wire brush and water on high.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Hmmm, I can hear the conviction in you guys' words. I already own the Magma, so I am tempted to mount it with the Dual Locking Flush Deck Socket Mount as planned and use it until it wears out or dies, but it makes sense to sell it or leave it at the fish cleaning station and go to a Q now. I have trusted Weber charcoal grills my whole life.

 

[STB]

Hmmm, I can hear the conviction in you guys' words. I already own the Magma, so I am tempted to mount it with the Dual Locking Flush Deck Socket Mount as planned and use it until it wears out or dies, but it makes sense to sell it or leave it at the fish cleaning station and go to a Q now. I have trusted Weber charcoal grills my whole life.

For whatever it is worth, I got rid of my Magma with the boat and bought the Q for the new one. I wouldn't buy another Magma and would easily buy another Q or Weber more generally. But, if I still had the Magma, I'd keep it until it died. No reason to waste whatever life it has in it, at least there wouldn't be for me. You could get years.

 

[SteveK]

Sure glad I did not read this before buying my Magma Catalina II A10-1218-2GS-CSA.
This the first boat BBQ that does not blow out, that grills a steak before the inside is overcooked, I like med/rare and nice grill lines, it produces. As to one switch hot yes it does have that too but mid range is usual. Admittedly, my first magam after reading comparison reviews, perhaps the first one you ex magma guys would reconsider. The infrared grill thing must be the game changer.

 

[STB]

Sure glad I did not read this before buying my Magma Catalina II A10-1218-2GS-CSA.
This the first boat BBQ that does not blow out, that grills a steak before the inside is overcooked, I like med/rare and nice grill lines, it produces. As to one switch hot yes it does have that too but mid range is usual. Admittedly, my first magam after reading comparison reviews, perhaps the first one you ex magma guys would reconsider. The infrared grill thing must be the game changer.

The one I had was the Cabo A10-703. In their marine line vs land line, but relative low end, I think.

 

[Crusty Chief]

Forget the Magma, get a Weber Q series, just saying!

 

[BDofMSP]

I'm not going to argue the virtues of the Q. It's a great grill. But secure mounting is not really a thing with it, and my marina won't allow a grill on the dock.

I used this mount on the swim platform of my last boat, and just bought it for our current boat. It is extremely secure and breaks down to nothing instantly. Love it.

Magma T10-185
https://www.magmaproducts.com/product/t10-185

 

[Chrisaensing]

Magma Grill

Mine was on the upper deck when we got the boat but it was a pain to climb the ladder with food -

 

[Bill V]

I have had rwo Magma grills in the past 16 years, finally wore out the first and replaced it with a new one after 13 years. Have had it installed in various locations including upper deck. Too much wind for use on upper decks plus not very handy hauling stuff to and from grill. Mounted it on port side but found it bothersome when fishing. Now mounted on small fish cleaning table clamped to handrail using the flush deck socket mounts for grill to table. I find I then have a place for grilling tools and protects gunnels. Mine is mounted "perminately" as it is used almost everyday while boat is in the water.

 

[wkearney99]

In a previous boat we used Magma's rodholder attachment.

https://www.amazon.com/Magma-Products-T10-355-Adjustable-LeveLock/dp/B0018Y4T2W

The handle made it easy to release the tension to stow it when not in use.

We put a Taco rod holder on a transom rail for it, as there wasn't a gunwale location that worked as effectively.

 

[backinblue]

In a previous boat we used Magma's rodholder attachment.

https://www.amazon.com/Magma-Products-T10-355-Adjustable-LeveLock/dp/B0018Y4T2W

The handle made it easy to release the tension to stow it when not in use.

We put a Taco rod holder on a transom rail for it, as there wasn't a gunwale location that worked as effectively.

I use the same mount. Quick and easy and adjustable. Very stable but easy to remove and stow if you want to. I installed this specifically for the grill. Heavy duty good quality stainless.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0103VQ8BU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Dougcole]

I had a Magma Charcoal kettle for a long time, which I mounted on the upper FB rail. Like most charcoal grills it cooked pretty well, as long as I stuffed it with coals, otherwise it wouldn't get hot enough. But it was getting ugly and charcoal is dirty to store on the boat.



Last Christmas my wife got me a stainless Kuma with a mount kit. It's pretty but is terrible to use. It sort of cooks the middle of a steak or fish or whatever, but won't produce any sort of char if there is any wind blowing at all.

 

[backinblue]

I had a Magma Charcoal kettle for a long time, which I mounted on the upper FB rail. Like most charcoal grills it cooked pretty well, as long as I stuffed it with coals, otherwise it wouldn't get hot enough. But it was getting ugly and charcoal is dirty to store on the boat.



Last Christmas my wife got me a stainless Kuma with a mount kit. It's pretty but is terrible to use. It sort of cooks the middle of a steak or fish or whatever, but won't produce any sort of char if there is any wind blowing at all.

Sounds like you need a good 10 minute preheat before cooking to get an outside char.

 

[Dougcole]

Sounds like you need a good 10 minute preheat before cooking to get an outside char.

Tried that, with no success.


It works better at the slip when there is no sort of breeze, but even 10 knots on anchor cools it off too much. It might work better if I mounted off the back of the FB instead of the the side, which would provide a bit more shelter from the breeze, but I keep the paddle boards on a rack back there and there isn't room for it.


I'm considering the Weber Q. I think the mount for the Kuma might work with it by attaching the mount to a starboard mounting board. I have a Weber at home that I really like, I just don't love the way the Q's look on a boat and I don't really have a good place to store it. The price of vanity in this case is a barely edible steak, I guess. LOL.

 

[Bill V]

Last Christmas my wife got me a stainless Kuma with a mount kit. It's pretty but is terrible to use. It sort of cooks the middle of a steak or fish or whatever, but won't produce any sort of char if there is any wind blowing at all.

After my first Magma wore out internals my wife did the same as yours. Surprised me at Father's Day with a new big Kuma grill. I mounted it in the cockpit on the fish cleaning table the same as my Magma had been mounted. It was there for most of the summer but when even the wife was tired of it blowing out, fighting the wind blowing the flames out and too many very rare steaks I gave up and bought another Magma. I would never again own another Kuma for use on a boat. I do use it at my shop where I can keep it out of the wind and it works fine there, they are just poor choices for boats.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

But, if I still had the Magma, I'd keep it until it died. No reason to waste whatever life it has in it, at least there wouldn't be for me. You could get years.

My thinking as well. And it looks like a Q can be grafted onto which ever Magma mount we go with.

I used this mount on the swim platform of my last boat, and just bought it for our current boat. It is extremely secure and breaks down to nothing instantly. Love it.

https://www.magmaproducts.com/product/t10-185

The Magma T10-185 is very interesting. I take it the grill is rock solid atop that pedestal? The dual mount not only has two contact points, but is much shorter when mounted on the gunwale. Holes are required though. I really like that the T10-185 pedestal "foot" requires no hole.

Mine was on the upper deck when we got the boat but it was a pain to climb the ladder with food -

Yeah, that's the problem I see too. We have steps to the flybridge, but between the steps and the wind, our grill will be going in the cockpit.