“Installation included” is one of those phrases that can mean wildly different things in the marine trade. For some it is bolting on a mount and running a cable. For others it is a project with a pre-installation survey, specified materials, acceptance testing and signed documentation.
The difference between the two is not visible on handover day: it shows up in the second season. This article breaks down what a professional Starlink Maritime installation should actually include, so you can read a quote and tell which of the two you are being sold.
Stage 1: the pre-installation survey
Everything else depends on this, and it is precisely what gets skipped by anyone giving you a fixed price over the phone.
A serious survey checks four things:
Candidate antenna positions. Finding a flat spot is not enough. You have to verify sky visibility from around 25° above the horizon across the whole arc the satellites travel, and check what obstructs it: mast and boom on a sailing yacht, the radar arch on a motorboat, the superstructure on a working vessel. On a sailing yacht you also have to assess that shadow at typical trim angles, not just with the boat alongside.
Cable route. From the antenna to wherever the router goes. This is where the surprises appear: linings that have to come out, structural members that cannot be drilled, tanks in the way. An installer who has not opened a couple of access panels before quoting is guessing.
Electrical capacity. The Flat High Performance terminal draws between 40 and 75 W in normal operation, with peaks above 100 W. That is not trivial on a leisure boat. You have to look at the battery bank, the alternator and whether a converter is needed. On some boats, installing Starlink means reviewing generating capacity before anything else.
Coexistence with other equipment. Radar, VHF, AIS, SSB if fitted. Physical separations have to be defined and you have to confirm the antenna does not sit inside the radar sweep arc.
This stage should produce a quote with a defined antenna position, a defined cable route and listed materials. If the quote does not say where the antenna is going, the survey was not really done.
Stage 2: the materials
This is the part that gets cut when someone wants to be the cheapest in the marina. The Starlink equipment costs what it costs and leaves no room for corner-cutting; the installation materials do.
What should be in the quote:
| Material | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Marinised mount | The kit’s is domestic. On deck you need A4 stainless or marine aluminium that distributes loads |
| Deck gland / cable gland | Marine grade and sized to the cable diameter. This is where water gets in if you skimp |
| Polyurethane or polysulphide sealant | Never silicone. It does not adhere reliably on deck and ruins any future repair |
| A4 stainless fasteners | A2 pits in a salt environment. On deck, A4 |
| Interior backing plate | Mandatory on sandwich decks. Spreads the load and stops the core being crushed |
| Cable fixings every 30 cm | Without these the cable chafes and eventually fails on passage |
| Converter and fuse | Depending on the boat’s electrical installation |
If a quote has a single line reading “installation: €X”, ask for the breakdown. It is not distrust: without a breakdown you cannot compare two offers.
Stage 3: the working day
Order matters, and an installer with the trade always follows it:
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Setting out and marking the final antenna position and every drilling point, before the drill comes out. This is done with the owner present where possible.
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Drilling the deck penetrations and fitting the glands, bedded in sealant with a backing plate on the underside where required.
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Fitting the antenna mount, with stainless fasteners and sealing at every penetration.
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Running and securing the cable, fixed at no more than 30 cm intervals, avoiding tight bends at the connector and at the entry points.
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Electrical connection of the router with its protection, and siting the router in a dry, ventilated space. Never on deck, never in a sealed locker with no air circulation.
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First boot and satellite acquisition. The terminal takes between 5 and 15 minutes to complete initial acquisition.
Stage 4: acceptance testing
This is where a professional installation separates itself from a fitting job. Before signing the work off you have to verify:
Speed test. Download and upload, with the result recorded. That is your baseline: if performance drops in six months, you have something to compare against.
Obstruction check. The Starlink app has a tool that maps the obstructions the antenna sees. It should come back clean or, if there is residual obstruction, it should be identified and justified. This check takes a few minutes and is the one most often skipped.
Watertightness. A hose over every deck penetration and a check from the inside. It sounds basic; it is exactly what prevents the most expensive problem.
Electromagnetic coexistence. Radar on, VHF transmitting, and confirmation that Starlink holds its performance. And the reverse: that VHF and AIS still work with Starlink active.
WiFi coverage aboard. Checked in the areas where it will actually be used, not just next to the router.
Stage 5: handover documentation
What you should have in your hand when the installer leaves:
- Photographs of every deck penetration before sealing. It is the only evidence of how what is now covered up was actually executed.
- Speed test result, dated.
- Screenshot of the obstruction check.
- Description of the cable route and the electrical connection point. In three years, when something needs touching, you will be glad to know where it runs.
- Signed handover record, stating the scope of the workmanship guarantee and its term.
Without this, if something fails, the conversation becomes your word against theirs.
What is usually NOT included
For the sake of transparency, it helps to know what normally falls outside and has to be agreed separately:
- Integration with the chartplotter or the boat’s NMEA 2000 network.
- Network segmentation (one network for guests, another for the vessel).
- Additional WiFi repeaters on larger vessels or those with a lot of metal bulkhead.
- Structural reinforcement if the chosen position requires strengthening the deck.
- Increasing electrical capacity if the boat cannot power the terminal as it stands.
None of these is a rip-off extra: they are different jobs. What is not acceptable is for them to appear as a surprise halfway through the day.
How we approach it
At InternetenelMar we coordinate the installation with a certified naval communications integrator. What we add is making sure the quote arrives with all of the above itemised before anyone steps aboard, and that acceptance testing and handover documentation are in scope from the start rather than something you have to ask for.
The advice is free and the final price is the same as going direct.
Got an installation quote on the table and not sure whether it is complete? Send it over. We will tell you what is missing and what to ask before you sign it — whether or not you go through us.