Internet on the boat that actually works.
The Discovery Islands and Desolation Sound are full of yachts with six-figure electronics and a dish zip-tied to the rail. We do marine Starlink the way we do towers: mounted for physics, cabled for weather, and commissioned for the way you actually cruise.
A dish mounted for the brochure photo will fail you in Johnstone Strait. We mount for Johnstone Strait.
Why boats are different
A house doesn't heel 20 degrees, take green water over the bow, or run everything off a battery bank you have to nurse through the night. Marine Starlink is three jobs in one: a mount that survives the motion, power integration that respects your 12V system, and placement that keeps the dish clear of the radar, the rigging, and the bimini. Get any one wrong and the other two don't matter.
I've spent 10 years in wireless putting antennas where they have to survive — towers in prairie ice storms, remote sites you reach by helicopter. A yacht in Desolation Sound is the same discipline at a smaller scale: the mount doesn't move, the cable doesn't chafe, the water stays out. That's the whole job.
Field note
The most common marine install I get called to fix is a dish on a pole mount that was fine at the dock in Gorge Harbour and useless the first time the boat rolled in a beam sea. The mount was built for the marina, not the passage. I build for the passage.
At anchor vs. underway
At anchor — Gorge Harbour, Heriot Bay, the Desolation Sound anchorages — is the easy case: the boat's stable, power is manageable, and the dish just needs a clear sky and a mount that won't work loose over a season of swinging. Most of our marine work is this, and it's where the value is highest: working remotely from anchorages that have no cell signal at all.
Underway needs the right Starlink plan — Starlink's own maritime terms decide what's allowed where, and they change, so check the current terms for your cruising plans. On our side, the install is built for motion: stabilized placement, mounts rated for the loads, cable runs with proper strain relief. We build it so the hardware is never the reason it drops.
What's in a proper marine install
Mounting. Radar arch, stern rail, or dedicated mast — assessed per vessel. Stainless hardware, proper backing plates, anti-corrosion isolation where dissimilar metals meet. Salt water is patient; the mount has to be more patient.
12V power integration. Dedicated circuit, correct wire gauge for the run, fused properly. And the honest amp-hour math: a Starlink dish is a real load on a house bank, and we'll tell you what it costs per day before you commit.
Cable routing. Marine-grade routing with drip loops, chafe protection, and sealed deck penetrations. The cable run is where cheap installs die — usually in the second season.
Network setup. Below-decks WiFi that actually reaches the cabins, not just the salon. Segmented guest access if you charter or carry crew.
How does pricing work?
Quoted per vessel — every boat is different, and flat pricing on boats is how you get surprised. The vessel assessment is the $89 survey applied to marine: we come to the boat, look at mounting, power, and routing, and give you a real number. No mystery pricing, no "we'll see once we're up the mast."
Where we work
The Discovery Islands are home water: Gorge Harbour, Heriot Bay, Stuart Island, the Desolation Sound anchorages. We meet the boat where it is — home marina, on the hard, or at anchor. Our commercial work already covers the Campbell River/Discovery Islands region including boat-access sites, so the logistics are familiar. See also Starlink installation in the Discovery Islands for shore-side properties, and remote estates & yachts for the full concierge picture.
Common questions
Do I buy the Starlink hardware myself?
Yes — you order the kit directly from Starlink so the warranty and account stay in your name. We handle everything from the mount up: mounting, 12V power integration, cabling, and network setup. Hardware is never bundled into our service pricing.
Will it work underway, or only at anchor?
That depends on your Starlink plan — Starlink's own maritime terms govern what's allowed where, and they change. We install for both: at-anchor setups and underway-capable mounts. Check current Starlink maritime terms before you cruise, and we'll build the install to match the plan you're actually on.
Can you mount the dish on the mast?
Usually the radar arch or a dedicated stern mount is better than the mast — less swing, easier cable routing, and the dish stays clear of the radar beam. We assess your specific boat and mount where the physics works.
What about power draw on a 12V system?
A Starlink dish draws real power — this is the part most DIY installs get wrong. We integrate with your 12V system properly: dedicated circuit, correct gauge, and an honest conversation about amp-hours per day. If your battery bank can't carry it, we'll tell you before the mount goes on.
How do we start — do you come to the boat?
Yes. We meet the boat — at your home marina, on the hard, or at anchor in the Discovery Islands. The $89 survey becomes a vessel assessment: mounting options, power, cable routing, then a real quote. Quoted per vessel, always.
Do you work on boats you didn't install?
Yes — troubleshooting and re-mounts on existing marine Starlink installs. Half the calls we get are dishes that were mounted for looks instead of physics.
Bring us the boat. We'll bring the internet.
Vessel assessment is $89 — mounting, power, and routing scoped on your actual boat, quoted per vessel. Discreet, turnkey, done right.