Starlink at sea: which plan actually works for your yacht?

The news first

Advice written last season may already be wrong.

The hardware is the easy part. The plan, mounting position, power supply and backup systems decide whether Starlink will actually be useful on the yacht.

Starlink stopped offering Global Roam to new customers on 15 July 2026 and discontinued it for existing customers on 17 August 2026. Its replacement recommendation for international travel is Global Priority. That matters because many older yacht articles still treat “Global Roam” as the simple answer.

The current rules also draw a clear line between coastal and ocean use. Roam Unlimited is described for coastal waters up to 12 nautical miles, with limits on how long it can be used there. Beyond that—or after those allowances are used—the account needs Ocean Mode or a Global Priority plan.

Check the current plan before you buy or sail. Starlink plans, prices and offshore allowances vary by country and account. Sign in, enter the address where the service will be registered, and confirm exactly how far offshore the plan works and what any additional ocean data will cost.

How far we have come

From scheduled bulletins to a video call at sea.

Offshore crews were never completely cut off. Radio forecasts, NAVTEX and GMDSS delivered essential weather and safety information; Inmarsat and Iridium later added global voice and data. What changed was the volume, immediacy and price of ordinary internet.

The comparison is about everyday connectivity, not distress capability. GMDSS, NAVTEX, Iridium safety services and modern broadband serve different purposes.

Choose by use

Three sailing patterns, three sensible starting points.

Hardware

Permanent installation or a terminal you can put away?

Starlink currently lists Performance, Performance Gen 2, Standard and Mini terminals as approved for use while moving. But they are built for different jobs: their weather resistance, power demand, mounting arrangements and suitability for regular offshore use are not the same.

Avoid an actuated dish while under way. On these models, the Starlink dish sits on its own motorised support stem. Starlink does not recommend using them while the yacht is moving because the terminal's support can move unexpectedly and create a safety risk.

Mounting

The best position is the clearest practical view of the sky.

The terminal needs a wide view overhead. A mast, furled sail, boom, arch, radar or the yacht’s own heel can interrupt that view. The ideal drawing-board position is not always the place that survives salt water, sheets, feet and maintenance.

The connector often controls the cable route. A Starlink lead is not simply a bare network cable that will feed through any existing opening. Current kits use detachable cables with moulded, weather-sealed locking plugs, and the plug shape differs between Mini, Standard and Performance terminals. The cable itself may fit inside a stainless tube while its connector will not.

Choose the mount only after checking the installation drawing for the exact terminal—or, better still, measuring the kit in hand. Measure the complete connector, every tube and deck gland, the required bend radius and the space needed to insert and lock the plug. Starlink’s Performance installation guidance, for example, specifies a minimum 19 mm (¾ in) routing hole for its fold-flat connector. Do not cut, splice or replace the supplied lead with ordinary Ethernet cable: Starlink says its cable includes a water-resistant seal, locking mechanism and power rating specific to the kit. Approved field-termination options now exist for some Performance installations, but compatibility should be confirmed with Starlink or the installer before planning the route around one.

Price check · 24 August 2026

What it costs now.

Prices vary by country, tax, hardware offer and account address. These are current public starting points, not a quotation.

Approximate conversions use the ECB reference rate published for 24 August 2026: £1 ≈ €1.169. Ocean Mode usage is additional and account-specific, so check its per-GB rate in the app before enabling it.

Not only Starlink

The strongest setup often uses more than one network.

• 4G/5G and marina Wi-Fi

  Often cheaper and faster near shore. A good router can fail over automatically when Starlink is obstructed or paused.

• Iridium phone or messenger

  Low-bandwidth but genuinely global. Useful as an independent way to send messages or make a call when the main broadband system or the yacht’s power fails.

• Managed multi-network systems

  Larger yachts often combine Starlink, OneWeb, VSAT, cellular data and shore Wi-Fi through one managed onboard system, with automatic failover, monitoring and technical support.

• Amazon Leo

  An emerging LEO competitor. Its first maritime reseller agreements were announced in February 2026, but it is not yet the simple consumer-yacht alternative that Starlink has become.

Before ordering

Six questions that prevent an expensive mistake.

1. Where will the yacht really sail?

   Separate marina, coastal, offshore and international use.

2. How much ocean data is actually needed?

   Navigation and messaging are different from streaming, cloud backup and crew video calls.

3. Can the terminal see enough sky?

   Check the rig, boom, sails, heel and the planned mounting position.

4. Can the yacht support the continuous electrical load?

   Starlink is a meaningful house load. Published averages are 20–40 W for Mini, 75–100 W for Standard and 110–150 W for Performance. Over ten hours at 12 V, that is roughly 17–33 Ah, 63–83 Ah or 92–125 Ah respectively, before additional conversion losses. Check usable battery capacity and charging—not only the terminal’s input rating.

5. Can the cable be installed without improvisation?

   Measure the connector, route, gland, bends and service access before drilling.

6. What still works when Starlink does not?

   Keep independent distress and communications equipment appropriate to the passage.