The three decisions on a sailboat

Fitting a low-earth-orbit terminal on a sailboat comes down to three decisions: where the antenna goes (stern arch, mast platform or pulpit), the power budget (110–150 W, about 10 A at 12 V) and the onboard network (2026). This page sums up the decisions; the step-by-step for sailboats and yachts, with the mast, arch and stern mounting options, is in MaritLink’s Starlink for yachts guide, our site dedicated to leisure boating.

Where the antenna goes

The marine terminal is a flat antenna with no moving parts that needs to see a wide slice of sky. On a sailboat the three usual locations are:

Stern arch. The most common: clear sky aft, a short cable run to the interior and easy access. The mast blocks part of the sky forward, but the antenna makes up for it with the other visible satellites.
Mast platform. Full, unobstructed sky, at the cost of a long cable, a custom platform and a trip up the mast every time something needs attention.
Deck or stern-pulpit bracket. For small sailboats or removable installations; the cable run needs care, and the boom must not sweep the antenna.

What decides between the three is the certified integrator’s survey visit: it looks at the real obstructions of that boat, not at a diagram.

How much it draws, and why it matters on a sailboat

The marine terminal draws between 110 and 150 W in operation, more at start-up. At 12 V that is about 10 A on average: over twenty-four hours, between 200 and 300 Ah. A sailboat with a 400 Ah service bank and medium-sized solar panels cannot sustain that under way without switching the terminal off at night or running a generator. It is the item that most surprises anyone coming from a 4G router, and the one to solve before buying: more battery, more solar, a hydrogenerator or a usage schedule.

The onboard network

The kit’s router covers a sailboat of up to about 12 metres; on longer boats or with thick bulkheads an extra access point is needed. The network is split into zones (navigation, crew, guests) and bandwidth is reserved for the chartplotter and the skipper’s email. Integration with the NMEA 2000 bus, AIS and the chartplotter is quoted separately; we explain it in Starlink and integration with chartplotter, AIS and NMEA 2000.

What a professional installation includes

Choice of location on the survey visit.
Custom mount: arch, mast platform or deck base.
Cable run through a watertight deck gland and power from the panel with its own breaker.
Router and network-zone configuration.
Speed and latency tests at the berth and a handover report.

What is not included by default: electrical upgrades, integration with the electronics and extra access points, which are quoted before work starts. We cover it in what a professional installation includes.

Next step

The detail by type of sailboat, the mounting options with their pros and cons and the plans with lay-up pausing are in the Starlink for yachts guide. For the general picture for any vessel, continue with our Starlink for boats guide.

Starlink for yachts guide: mast, arch or stern mounting, and lay-up plans, on MaritLink.
Starlink for boats: plans, coverage and installation: the ground common to any vessel.
What a professional Starlink installation includes: what is in and what is quoted separately.
Starlink and integration with chartplotter, AIS and NMEA 2000: the onboard electronics on the same network.