What’s New in Onboard Pizza Ovens for 2026
By John Morris
Illustration by Mike Mockford
At last week’s grand opening of the Williams Sonoma Dockside Epicurean Chandlery and Bait Shop, I was delighted to see the expanded range of gourmet equipment for boaters. Today, we expect boats to be equipped with a decent Italian espresso machine and a bread maker, but there’s more. Much more.
THE EVINRUDE OVEN
“Hey kids, what would you like for dinner?” You know what the answer is… pizza! Aboard the family boat anchored out in a twilight paradise lagoon, what better way to serve everyone’s favorite. Switch on the oven, grate the mozzarella and put a checked cover on the cockpit table. Have the kids add their own choice of toppings: pepperoni, mushrooms or the sunfish they caught today. Family fun with your new onboard pizza oven, just $2,199 plus tax and installation! (BTW, the non-boating version is $129.)
The only drawback with the electric model is that the oven draws 75 amps when it heats to baking temperature and several owners have reported minor battery explosions just before dinner. The oven comes with an authentic Italian tri-colour fire extinguisher. Alternatively, choose the propane fueled model that is easily accommodated by installing two or three domestic gas tanks with regulators in the guest V-berth.
WOOD FIRED BAGELS
Nothing says fresh air like the smell of hot bagels wafting, so you’re going to love the Raymarine/St-Viateur Bakery collaboration—a rail-mounted brick lined furnace that churns out Montreal-style ‘everything’ bagels by the dozen, even underway. With lox and cream cheese or simply buttered, you’ll be the toast of the dock.
Traditionalists agree that the best bagels come from a wood oven, so an added pleasurable part of the experience is splitting and stacking shagbark hickory on the swim platform. To keep up with the demand for your delicious bagels, that fuel supply will need to be significant; with the added cordwood weight you may need to adjust the trim tabs to keep the stern level. Also, avoid any tight turns. For sailboats, this can be a challenge at mark roundings.
Should the wood get sprayed with water, that’s not a problem if your boat is also equipped with the Lake Effect smoker, which functions best with damp fuel. See below.
TALKING TURKISH
Bring Maritimes cuisine to the cockpit with an authentic Halifax Donair. This signature Turkish-inspired treat is as much a Nova Scotia tradition as Barrett’s Privateers, and you can easily bring it to your own Down East experience with a solid brass shawarma grill imported from Istanbul. You also need an extra fridge to store hummus and garden-fresh herbs.
You may remember the experience of enjoying a donair walking down the Halifax Pier with the one you love and noticing some spilled white stuff on your captain’s blazer. “Is that tahini from the donair?” “No, I think it was a seagull.”
SMOKER
You may want to keep an eye on crew asphyxiation, but otherwise this Texas style smoker is this year’s most coveted boating accessory. Your dock neighbours will quickly get used to the sirens and occasional fire truck visit.
Leave the smoker on overnight for maximum taste. You’ll quickly learn to repair the melted portions of your boat’s headliner and it’s well worth it—this boating brisket is world class. The recommended BBQ sauce recipe calls for a can of tomatoes, a bay leaf, and two full bottles of dark rum, so you may want to remain securely moored to the dock before you drink enjoy your hearty pulled pork sandwich.
