A reliable internet connection is non-negotiable if you want to work from a boat. Video calls, file uploads, cloud tools, emails — without stable connectivity, the whole idea of a floating office quickly falls apart.
To make sure our boat office works wherever we are, we made a very conscious decision against Starlink. After doing the maths and testing our real-world needs, we came to a simple conclusion:
As long as we’re sailing in Europe — and mobile internet works reliably and affordably across borders thanks to European roaming — we don’t need satellite Wi-Fi.
This is how we stay connected on board.
Why we don’t use Starlink (for now)
Starlink is impressive technology, no doubt about it. But for our use case, it simply doesn’t make sense.
- It’s expensive — both the hardware and the monthly fees
- It draws a lot of power
- It adds complexity to an otherwise simple setup
As long as mobile networks cover most coastal areas — which they do remarkably well in Europe — LTE is more than sufficient for working on board.
If we ever head far offshore or leave Europe for good, that decision may change. But for now, mobile internet is the smarter, simpler solution.
Marina Wi-Fi: nice to have, not to rely on
Most ports and marinas offer Wi-Fi these days. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean it’s usable.
Quality varies wildly:
- from marina to marina
- from pontoon to pontoon
- and especially during peak holiday season
Congested networks, weak signals and unstable connections are common. For casual browsing it might be fine — for work, it’s not.
We treat marina Wi-Fi as a bonus, not a backbone.
Our approach: always carry our own Wi-Fi
To have reliable internet wherever we go, we run our own LTE router on board. In (almost) every country we visit, we buy a local mobile data plan and plug the SIM into the router. That way, we always have our own Wi-Fi network with us.
Along the coast, connections are consistently good to very good. And even several miles offshore, we’ve sometimes had better mobile reception than back home in rural Germany.
Our router setup
From consumer gear to industrial hardware
Our first on-board router was a TP-Link MR600. It worked well enough, but had one major downside: it required 230 V power.
We eventually switched to the Teltonika RUT955, and wouldn’t go back.
Why the Teltonika RUT955 works so well on a boat
The RUT955 is an industrial-grade router made by the Lithuanian company Teltonika. It’s designed for harsh environments — and it shows.
Key advantages:
- native 12 V / 24 V operation (10–30 V range)
- robust, vibration-resistant design
- two SIM slots (manual or automatic failover)
- GPS support (e.g. for geofencing)
- full networking features: VPN, firewall, routing
- can connect as a client to marina Wi-Fi
In short: it’s massively overqualified — and exactly what you want on a boat.
Mobile data plans in Europe: what works for us
Thanks to the abolition of roaming charges within the EU and the introduction of fair-use regulations, mobile internet has become much easier to manage. Still, not all tariffs are created equal.
Important:
- some plans exclude roaming altogether
- some “unlimited” plans allow only limited data abroad
Always read the small print.
Our strategy
Instead of relying on our German mobile contract, we usually buy local SIM cards and use the national networks directly. In most cases, this is cheaper and more reliable.
So far, we’ve used:
- Netherlands:
KPN – Unlimited (contract), €36
(as of 2021, taken out in-store) - Denmark:
Lebara – Prepaid, 500 GB
(as of 06/2023, bought in a supermarket) - Sweden:
Telenor – Prepaid “Surf” 250 GB, 425 SEK
(as of 07/2025, bought in-store)
In the Netherlands, a marina address and our ID were enough to take out a contract. In Scandinavia, however, contracts usually require a personal ID number:
- personnummer in Sweden
- CPR number in Denmark
Without those, prepaid is the only option. Slightly more expensive — but still reasonable.
Why we don’t use eSIM services
We don’t use eSIM providers like Saily or similar services.
In Europe, they’re simply unnecessary as long as cross-border mobile data works as well as it does. Compared to local SIM cards, these services are disproportionately expensive and offer no real advantage for our setup.
Our conclusion
For working and living aboard in Europe, mobile internet via LTE is more than enough — if you set it up properly.
Our key takeaways:
- Don’t rely on marina Wi-Fi
- Bring your own router and your own network
- Use local SIM cards whenever possible
- Skip satellite internet unless you really need it
Simple, robust, and proven in everyday boat life.