BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide

Barbecue and Grill on Board a Rental Boat: Rules, Safety, Alternatives

Grilling at anchor, yes — but not any old way: the operator's consent, never in port, embers versus gelcoat, carbon monoxide under the bimini. What to know before bringing the barbecue aboard.

Sardines grilling in a cove at sunset: the picture sells a dream, and some charter sailboats are indeed fitted with a marine barbecue on the stern rail. But between the contract that sometimes forbids it, the port regulations that almost always do, and embers that show no mercy to a gelcoat deck, better know the rules before loading the charcoal. The full picture.

First: what the contract says

Many rental contracts explicitly prohibit any open flame on board other than the galley stove — and an improvised barbecue set down in the cockpit falls squarely under that clause. Before anything else, ask the operator in writing through the platform's messaging: either the boat carries a marine barbecue designed for it (mounted on the stern rail, overhanging the water), or the answer is no and it protects you. Our guide on contract clauses to check explains why those written exchanges matter. An ember burn in the gelcoat or a melted cushion ends up on the deposit — see our guide on deposits and insurance.

Never in port, only at anchor

The rule admits no exception: no barbecue in port. Marina by-laws prohibit open fires on pontoons and aboard berthed boats — the tight packing of hulls, fuel and dinghies makes the risk obvious. The only reasonable setting is at anchor, boat brought up, marine barbecue suspended over the water on the leeward side, well away from the anchor locker and the liferaft. Check that nothing can fall anywhere but into the sea, keep a bucket within reach, and never leave the grill unattended — our guide on fire on board is a reminder that a boat fire leaves only minutes to react.

Charcoal, gas or electric: the on-board match

Charcoal is the worst choice afloat: flying embers at the slightest puff, scalding ashes to dispose of (never into the sea, never into the boat's bin while hot), lighter fluid next to flammable materials. Gas is the standard for marine barbecues: clean ignition, instant shut-off — but the cartridge or bottle lives in a ventilated locker draining overboard, never in a closed compartment where a leak would pool in the bilge. Electric (plancha) only makes sense alongside, plugged into the 220 V pedestal — which runs straight back into the port ban on grilling: in practice, the electric plancha stays a galley tool.

The invisible risk: carbon monoxide

Grilling under a closed bimini, a sprayhood or in an enclosed cockpit turns the barbecue into a carbon monoxide generator — an odourless gas whose build-up in the semi-enclosed spaces of boats is well documented: work by US health agencies on houseboats measured concentrations above immediately-dangerous thresholds in occupied areas, and showed that proper ventilation cuts them by over 95% (Hall, R. M. et al., A Summary of Research and Progress on Carbon Monoxide Exposure Control Solutions on Houseboats, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2014, see the study on Google Scholar). The rule is simple: all combustion happens in open air, bimini open — our guide on carbon monoxide on board details the warning signs.

The alternative that wins every time

Let's be honest: on a day rental, a well-packed cooler beats the barbecue on every count — zero risk, zero contract clause, zero clean-up. Our guide to lunch on board gives the method, and the one on provisioning for a week organises the shopping for a cruise. If you did grill aboard, hand the rack back spotless: the cleaning package does not cover a greasy barbecue, and check-out will remember — our guide on check-in and check-out explains how to return the boat without friction.

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