Articles — The Boat Life Knowledge Base
Starlink On a Boat — The Game-Changer Is Here
- September 24, 2023
- Posted by: Lucy Wilcox Claiborne
- Category: Working From Your Boat
We have been using Starlink on our boat since June 2022. Having reliable, fast, unlimited internet gives us more freedom to cruise while we work remote jobs. For example, we just got back from spending the summer cruising Maine. We had always been hesitant to visit the state prior to Starlink because we had heard that reliable cell signals were hard to come by. Starlink saved the day and broadened our cruising horizons. It is, at the risk of sounding trite, a game-changer.
Let’s look at Starlink’s benefits, limitations, and our experience using Starlink on a boat while at a dock, at anchor, while underway, and while offshore.
What Is Starlink?
Starlink is a new internet service that has only been on the market for a few years. It uses a new technology that is much faster and much less expensive than previous satellite internet connections.
Starlink was originally intended to provide high-speed internet to rural homes, but it’s also great for boaters. Starlink now sells plans for home, boat, and even aircraft use. The Starlink kit comes with everything you need to get online, and the antenna is named Dishy.
Super Fast Internet Speed
Starlink is fast! Marina Wi-Fi often barely functions and delivers miserably slow speeds (like 2 Mbps); Starlink dishes up speeds approaching cable. We always get over 20 Mbps, usually get over 40 Mbps, and often see speeds above 100 Mbps. It’s fast enough to videoconference, download movies, upload photos, or do everything at once.
Unlimited Data
One of the biggest hassles of using cell data to work is the pesky limitations on high-speed data. A plan might say “unlimited data,” but it means 15 GB of high-speed data (I can run through that in a day,) and then unlimited slow data, which will remind you of dial-up. So far (everything with Starlink is subject to change!), there are no data caps, so we can use up the GBs without tracking them.
However, there are some “Priority” Starlink plans that have data limits. More on that in a minute.
Good Coverage That Is Expanding
We have traveled from North Carolina to Maine and always had coverage. Take a look at the current Starlink coverage map to see if the coverage meets your cruising plans. While we were in Maine, we often had little or no cell service on one or both of our phones. Starlink made our summer in Maine possible.
Travel to New Countries Without Getting a New SIM or Paying High Data Rates
Cruisers used to go through a lot of hassle to figure out getting new SIMs for their phones and figuring out data cards in other countries. Now, you might still want to get a local cell number, but Starlink is available in many destinations, so the pressure is off. Plus, the dish just works where ever it is, so you’ll be connected from the moment you arrive.
Things to Consider Before You Get Starlink for Your Boat
Despite all the benefits, there are some pesky limitations to Starlink on a boat.
Power Use
Starlink uses a lot of power! If you are off-the-grid, this may be the biggest consideration in whether or not you make the leap. Starlink uses 40 watts (about 3 amps at 12 volts) continuously. Our little freezer uses 40 watts, but only 30 to 50 percent of the time when it is cycled on. So Dishy would use at least 960 watt-hours per day if you left it on all the time.
In addition, Dishy runs on household 110-volt AC power, which isn’t ideal on a 12-volt boat. That means you’ll need to run your inverter to use the internet with Starlink. Many cruisers have hacked into the antenna and converted it to run on 12-volt DC power, which might save a little power. There are also now aftermarket solutions that allow you to do the same without cutting cables.
To mitigate the power use, cruisers can add power capacity, hack Starlink into 12 volts, use Starlink intermittently, or do a combination of these approaches. The bottom line is that just buying Starlink and plugging it in might not be the end of your installation journey!
Some cruisers hack the system to make Starlink run on 12 volts. It’s not as easy as it sounds since the dish runs internally on 48-volt DC. Making the conversion, be it DIY or with a kit, saves you from running your inverter. How much power you’d actually save depends on the efficiency of your inverter. Some cruisers with ship-wide but inefficient inverts opt to simply buy a smaller inverter (say, a 200-watt pure-sine-wave inverter like this one on Amazon) to use with Dishy.
We need the inverter during work hours to run our laptops and monitors, so it is not worthwhile for us to switch to 12 volt (yet!) To me, it’s like focusing on the 4% interest rate on my CC. Sure, it adds up, but the main problem is the $ 1,000-a-day cashmere sweater purchases.
Limiting Use
We usually just have Starlink on during working hours and even turn it off during lunch. We download TV shows and anything else we want for the evening and then turn it off as soon as the workday is done. If I want to check the weather after work, I use my phone’s data plan (I have Google Fi with “unlimited” data).
Obstructions
Starlink needs a clear view of the sky and can’t see through objects such as tall buildings, trees, and sailboat masts. We have never had an issue with obstructions, even though Dishy is pretty close to our wind generator. However, if you were at a dock with tall buildings, trees, or other towering condo style boats in Dishy’s line of sight, it could be an issue.
The Starlink app allows you to scan the area you want to put Dishy with your phone’s camera. It then analyses it for obstructions. But all you really need to know is that Dishy needs a clear view of the sky, and anything abeam or above its field of view is going to affect your signal. There have also been reports that radars affect your signal, so you’ll want to avoid mounting Dishy too close to your radar. The best policy is to get your Starlink kit and then start experimenting with where you want to put it. Then, work out a hardy marine mount that secures it in place (unless you plan to use it on its stand at anchor).
Starlink Equipment Quality
The marine environment is tough on equipment. Dishy doesn’t have a marine-grade antenna, so it may not last as long as you would like. We’ve had ours for over a year and haven’t had any issues.
When it starts up, our standard Mobile dish uses internal motors to align itself for the best view of the sky. The motors are only used once, right when the dish starts up. This is a change that occurred in late 2022, so you might see references to the Starlink dish continually reorienting itself as the boat swings at anchor, causing many outages. This doesn’t happen anymore, and there is no reason to disable the motors.
Rain Causes Outages
I am writing this during Tropical Storm Ophelia. The boat is swinging all over the place in 35 knots of wind, and it’s bucketing down, but Dishy is acting like it’s the postal service and is bravely pressing on to give me all the Gigabytes. However, we have had five rain and storm-related outages over the past year. These have ranged from 2 minutes to 20 minutes and happen only in the worst conditions. Dishy seems to struggle to connect to its satellites in extremely intense rain (I.e., we are catching 80 gallons of water in 30 minutes.) These conditions are the type of conditions where the power would be going off in your office building, so hopefully, your boss will forgive you if you drop off a call. Or, you may be able to hotspot from your phone like we do.
Not Pocket Portable – Yet!
Before using Dishy for work, I relied on a local SIM in a hotspot. This was great because I could easily take the hotspot on road trips. You can transport Dishy. However, it does take more space and set-up. You probably wouldn’t take it on a short road trip, for example.
Is Starlink a Must-Have For Your Boat?
The main reason we use Starlink is for work. For my job, I need a reliable connection that can handle video conferencing (usually Microsoft Teams, which is more demanding of a good connection than Zoom or Google Meet). We use our Starlink everywhere: at marinas, at anchor, and even offshore.
Using Starlink at a Marina
We don’t bother even getting the Wi-Fi codes at marinas—their service is usually terrible, but even when it works, it is always subpar to Starlink or even phone data. We have never stayed at a marina with internet reliable enough to work from.
With Starlink, we have gotten lucky and haven’t had any obstructions to worry about at marinas. However, if your marina is right next to tall buildings, obstructions might be an issue.
Starlink for Videoconferencing
Starlink’s speed is amazing and works well for videoconferencing. We usually get 20-100 Mbps download and 4-10 Mbps upload.
When we first started using Starlink in 2022, the connection would become unreliable while we swung at anchor or moved the boat. We joked about putting out a stern anchor, but mostly, I just put up with the occasional “Lucy, are you there? You froze!” incidents.
You’ll find many articles and how-to guides telling you to use a separate router with Starlink, like a Peplink/Pepwave router that allows you to bond multiple internet connections for hot failover. In essence, this allows you to connect to your router, and your router determines the most reliable connection to use: Starlink, cellular SIM cards, or marina WiFi. We bought and used a Peplink router, and it is an amazing piece of hardware if you absolutely need a bulletproof connection for work. My only complaint with the Peplink router is that it you best have an IT expert around to help you set it all up. Sea Bits has a great write-up on their early testing using Starlink and Peplink.
However, Starlink has seemed to completely solve this issue with a software update and having more satellites in orbit. We haven’t had any issues with losing the connection while swinging at anchor or even while sailing long distances. We haven’t used our Pepwave router in months.
One tip to ensuring you get the best quality, however, is to watch which way Dishy is pointing. If you booted up this morning and it pointed north, then the current swung the boat so that it’s now pointed south, you’ll have more outages and a poorer connection. Unplug Dishy and plug it back in, and in five minutes or so, Dishy will be realigned.
Which Starlink Plan for Boaters and How Much Does Starlink Cost?
There’s an upfront cost and a monthly cost, and this is subject to change. The cost depends on where you’re ordering Starlink from and where you’re having it sent—the priced varies by country.
As of September 2023, in the US, the Starlink Roam kit we use costs $600. The Mobile-Regional plan we use costs $150 per month.
There are other products and services available from Starlink, however. Here’s a look at the Starlink plans and dishes compared.
Equipment
- Home and Roam dish (aka Standard dish) — rectangular, mounted on a quad-foot mount, not for in-motion use* — $599
- Mobile Priority and Maritime dish (aka Flat High Performance dish) — square, flat mounted, built for in-motion use on vehicles, faster speeds, fewer outages, higher power use — $2,500
- Business dish — square, mounted on a quad-foot mount, not for in-motion use, faster speeds, fewer outages, higher power use — $2,500
Starlink Plans
- Roam-Regional $150*
- Roam-Global $200
- Mobile Priority 50 GB $250
- Mobile Priority 1 TB $1,000
- Mobile Priority 5 TB $5,000
- Priority 1 TB $250
- Priority 2 TB $500
- Priority 6 TB $1,500
- Opt-in Priority $2/GB*
Mobile Priority data can be used anywhere in the world, including offshore. It has priority over other Starlink users, so your speeds should be unaffected if you’re in an area with many other users watching their Netflix.
Roam-Regional is designed to be used in land areas within your continent. The lines and boundaries between continents are a little weird, but that would cover pretty much all of North America, including The Bahamas. If you want to cross oceans, you’d go with the Roam-Global plan.
The budget option—the Roam-regional plan. This is what we do. This plan isn’t supposed to be used “in motion.” However, Starlink has so far defined “in-motion” as traveling at more than 10 mph. So, a sailboat cruising or at anchor does not count as being in motion.
What About Offshore Use With Starlink?
Before going offshore, review the Starlink coverage hexagon map. If you are traveling outside the regular service area (blue hexagons), and you still want to use Starlink, you can enable opt-in priority data feature. This is as simple as toggling it on in the app. When you are back in the regular hexagon service area, remember to toggle it off!
The current cost for priority data is $2/GB in the U.S. When we sailed from Maine to the Cape Cod Canal, we were 50 miles offshore, and I made five Microsoft Teams video calls without any connectivity issues. I worked 16 hours on Priority data, and we kept it on continuously and downloaded podcasts, scrolled Instagram, and lived large online. Our No Foreign Land tracker stayed live and kept our track updated for family and friends following along. Previously, we would have spent $ on our Garmin InReach tracker and gotten hourly text weather alerts. No way would I ever have been able to videoconference and keep up with my workload! We used 18 GB (mostly on videoconferencing in Teams) and spent $36.
So, while you can spend a lot more to have Priority data all the time, for us, it makes no sense at all. The Roam-Regional plan, while occasionally purchasing Opt-in Priority data is perfect for our needs.
Starlink on a Boat — Subject to Change, But Perfect for Now
Starlink made us feel like we were just part of a massive experiment for the first year we had it. Most cruising boats were using the RV package (now called Roam), even though a much more expensive “Maritime” dish and package is available. There were random rumors that any in-motion use would be cut off or that they would start geofencing it so that you couldn’t use an RV dish offshore at all, ever.
None of that happened. Ultimately, Starlink provides us with an incredible service at an amazing price. It is expensive, but we were paying $100 monthly for unlimited cell phone data in the US. If you’re working full time, the ability to not be tied to cell phone towers makes all the difference in the world.
Software updates and more changes are inevitable. The software updates so far have improved Dishy’s reliability at anchor. However, future software updates may change service areas, and costs are always subject to increase. Starlink is not a perfect service, but we think it’s one of the most amazing improvements to boat life to happen in our lifetimes. It is nothing short of a game-changer.
Starlink on a Boat FAQs
Does Starlink replace SSB, Iridium Go, or InReach?
Yes and no; Starlink has some benefits over older offshore communication tech, but it also has some downsides. Many cruisers no longer operate SSB radios. But portable satellite messengers like InReach, OnSpot, and Go! are still valuable as they provide battery-powered, portable, and search-and-rescue connected messaging services. If you wind up in your liferaft, chances are you won’t have the power or ability to take your Dishy with you and plug Starlink in.
Can I use my Starlink RV or Roam Dishy offshore?
Yes. While these dishes are not allowed to be used in-motion, Starlink defines in-motion use (for now) as travelling faster than 10 mph. By toggling on Opt-In Priority Data, you will pay per gigabit to operate the dish in motion and at sea (which is defined as outside a blue hexagon on the Starlink availability map).
Will Starlink work through fiberglass?
Starlink can work through some materials such as fiberglass or canvas, but even these thin materials will adversely affect it’s performance. It’s always preferable to mount your Starlink dish outside, away from obstructions with a clear view of the sky.
Is the Starlink receiver waterproof?
The Starlink dishes are all built to spend their life outdoors in the rain, snow, wind, and everything else. They are not completely waterproof, however, and should not be submerged. The back side of the dish has vent holes to help the unit dissipate heat.
Does Starlink work on a rocking boat?
Yes, Starlink satellite internet works like a cell phone antenna to track fast-moving satellites in orbit. So, movements of the receiver do not matter as long as the dish remains generally upright. Starlink receivers works anywhere they have a clear view of the sky, so it works very well on moving boats.
Can you get satellite internet on a boat?
Yes, there are several satellite internet providers for boaters. Starlink is the newest option, which offers the highest speeds and best prices. Most marine satellite internet providers cost much more and deliver substantially slower service.
What’s the best way to get internet on a boat?
Most boaters get online one of three ways. Near shore and at marinas, some boaters rely on marina WiFi. Nearly everyone uses their cell phones, and some people use cellular SIM cards to get their laptops and tablets online, too. Finally, satellite internet from Starlink is a good option for getting internet service anywhere, even outside of areas with cellular coverage. Read more about getting internet on a boat in our article.
How do I realign my Dishy?
If you started at anchor facing one way but swung 180 degrees, you may want to reset your Dishy so it realigns. It seems to hate being stuck pointed west, particularly. The quickest way to do this is to simply unplug Dishy from the wall outlet and plug it back in. If you use the app, it can take several minutes.
Do I need to put Dishy in a bucket?
Back when Dishy came out (you know, way back in 2022!), boaters were disabling motors and putting Dishy in a bucket to prevent it from pausing connectivity while it constantly re-aligned. The current software negates this need. Any messing about will negate any warranty, but I’m not sure what the warranty is worth, anyway.
Author:Lucy Wilcox Claiborne
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