Starlink Maritime in Port: How to Pause Your Subscription

The question every owner asks before signing up

“Do I have to pay twelve months a year even when the boat sits in the yard for six?”

No. On recurring maritime plans the service is paused in whole months over the low season, against an annual allowance of paused days, and reactivated when you sail again (operator’s terms as of September 2026). The terminal stays yours, account and configuration stay intact, and paused months are not invoiced. You ask MaritLink for the pause, and it shows on the next invoice.

It is one of the misunderstandings that most often holds yacht and sailboat owners back, in both directions: some think they pay all year; others, that they can switch the fee on and off from their phone at will. Neither is true, and with the limits clear the annual sum changes.

How the pause works

Three rules, and all three matter:

1. Whole months. The pause applies to complete billing cycles: you plan the lay-up, not an odd week.
2. An annual allowance of days. Each recurring contract has a yearly quota of paused days [DATA NEEDED: number of days]; once it is used up, the following months are invoiced even if the boat doesn’t move.
3. You ask MaritLink. Tell us the month you stop and the month you return; we execute it against the operator and the credit appears on the next invoice. No call centre — but not from the app either: it’s one of the functions of the dashboard included in the service.

During the pause, the terminal, account, plan and network configuration are kept as they are; when reactivated, the service comes back as you left it.

Which plans allow the pause

The recurring maritime plans MaritLink coordinates. The operator’s personal plans (Roam and, since 27 August 2026, “Personal Maritime” for non-commercial boats under 40 ft) have their own terms, which the operator can change: if you hold one on your own, check them in your account before counting on them. A residential service is not for sailing and has no pause.

How much a typical owner saves

Scenario: a boat that sails from May to October and winters in the yard from November to April.

A boat that sails from May to October pays 6 of the 12 monthly fees, within the annual allowance. Exact figures depend on the plan and on current tariffs, which we don’t publish: they go in the proposal, in writing.

Marina Wi-Fi during lay-up

When the boat is sitting in a marina or boatyard for months, the port’s own connectivity is usually sufficient for basic remote management: system monitoring, communication with the captain or yard, occasional access to the vessel.

Satellite connectivity in port during lay-up is generally unnecessary except in specific circumstances. Marina Wi-Fi — even without the speed or reliability of a satellite link — covers the level of use you actually have when the boat isn’t sailing.

The logic is straightforward: you’re paying for a high-speed connectivity service designed for open ocean. Keeping it active while the boat sits on the hard in Palma or La Rochelle means paying for something you’re not using — which is exactly why the pause exists.

When it does make sense to keep the service active

There are situations where maintaining the service through the lay-up season is a rational decision:

The boat is your full-time home. Some owners live aboard year-round. In that case, the service is their primary connection and pausing makes no sense.

Security and remote monitoring systems. If you have security cameras, bilge sensors, alarms or any system that requires connectivity to function and send alerts, the vessel needs internet access even in port. The question then is whether that access needs to be the satellite link, or whether marina Wi-Fi covers that need adequately.

Refit work requiring downloads. If during lay-up you’re updating navigation systems, automation software or installing new equipment with firmware requirements, keeping the service active during those weeks may be more convenient than relying on the boatyard’s connection.

Port or yard with poor connectivity. Not every marina has reliable Wi-Fi. At some boatyards in less busy locations, connectivity is so poor that the satellite link remains the best option even with the boat out of the water. In that case, keeping it active is legitimate — but it’s the exception, not the rule.

How to request it and what notice it needs

1. Before the month you want to stop, write to MaritLink with the start and return months [DATA NEEDED: notice period].
2. We process it against the operator and confirm in writing the paused months and the allowance days you have left.
3. The pause shows on the next invoice. To reactivate, same route: tell us the month and the service comes back as it was.

There’s no need to power off the terminal to pause; if the boat is hauled out, it’s worth disconnecting it from power and storing it somewhere dry.

For a full breakdown of hardware, installation and plan costs, see our Starlink Maritime pricing guide for yachts.

Planning a seasonal boat?

We recommend the plan and the pause allowance for your calendar, in writing.

Request a proposal →

Considering satellite connectivity for your vessel? See our Starlink for yachts guide — hardware, plans and coordinated installation — or review maritime plans and what drives the price and request a proposal with no obligation.