// POOLE HARBOUR · BOAT WI-FI
Beam your home broadband out to a boat mooring or pontoon
Yes — you can beam your home broadband straight out to a boat on a private mooring or pontoon using a point-to-point wireless link, with no second contract and no relying on patchy mobile signal. A small weatherproof antenna at the house aims across the water to a matching one on the boat, carrying the internet you already pay for. We survey moorings around Poole Harbour, Sandbanks, Christchurch and Wareham, and quote for your exact spot.
Rated 4.9 on GoogleFamily-run since 1995 · no fix, no fee// HOW IT WORKS
How a point-to-point Wi-Fi link reaches your boat
A point-to-point wireless bridge is the simplest way to get your existing home broadband out to a boat on a private mooring or pontoon — no second line, no patchy mobile signal. In plain English: we fit a small weatherproof antenna at the house, aimed straight at a matching antenna on the boat or pontoon, and the two “talk” to each other across the water to carry your internet.
It is the same kind of link we built in 2015 for the Environment Agency, beaming data across the River Avon for their fish counter at Knapp Mill — and still supported today. The idea is identical: two aerials, clear air between them, one reliable connection.
- Antenna one bolts to the house, shed or a short mast, wired back to your router.
- Antenna two sits on the boat, pontoon or a post, pointing back at the house.
- Your broadband rides the link — browsing, streaming, cameras and calls, just like indoors.
// DISTANCE & LINE OF SIGHT
How far can it reach across the water?
The one thing these links need is a clear line of sight — the two antennas must be able to “see” each other with nothing solid in the way. Across open water that is often easy, which is why harbours, rivers and estuaries suit them so well.
With a clean line of sight we can reliably span the sort of distances you get across a typical harbour or river — a few hundred metres, and up to roughly 2km in the right conditions. Trees in full leaf, buildings, a raised jetty or a bend in the shoreline can all block or weaken the signal, so we always check on site rather than guess.
- Best case: open water with the mooring in plain view of the house.
- Trickier: obstructions, a low mounting point, or a mooring tucked behind a headland.
- Every site is different — the survey tells us honestly what is achievable.
// ONE BILL
Why you don’t need a second broadband contract
Here is the money-saving part: because the boat is simply picking up your existing home broadband, there is no second contract to pay for. You are not buying another line or another monthly bill for the mooring — you are extending the connection you already have.
That makes a wireless bridge far cheaper to run than a separate marine broadband package or a stack of mobile data SIMs, and there is nothing to top up or renew.
- One broadband contract, shared with the boat.
- No SIM cards, no data caps, no second router bill.
- No call-out fee for us to come and take a look.
// THE SURVEY
What our free site survey checks
This is a higher-value install, so we never quote blind. We come out for a free site survey, stand at both ends and work out exactly what the link needs — then give you a clear quote for your site. Because every mooring and shoreline is different, we price per site rather than from a set list.
On the visit we check:
- Line of sight — can the house end and the boat end see each other cleanly across the water?
- Mounting — where each antenna can be fixed safely and aimed, at the house and on the boat or pontoon.
- Power at the boat end — is there mains, or do we need a small off-grid supply to run the antenna?
- Your kit — how the link ties back into your router and around the boat.
// WHEN LINE-OF-SIGHT FAILS
Starlink and off-grid power for the boat end
A wireless bridge is perfect while the boat stays put and in view of the house. If the mooring has no line of sight, or the boat heads out to sea and beyond the link, the answer is usually Starlink — satellite internet that works anywhere with a clear view of the sky.
The boat or pontoon end also needs power for the antenna (and often for Starlink too). Where there is no mains, we design and fit off-grid Victron and lithium power to run it quietly and reliably, and we can monitor it remotely.
One honest note: we are an IT and network firm. We do the wireless internet link, the on-board network and the power — not radar, chartplotters or marine instruments.
// RELATED
Related services: rural & farm Wi-Fi and long-range links across Dorset, Wi-Fi for a shepherd’s hut, Starlink internet where line-of-sight won’t reach, off-grid & Victron power for the boat end, general Wi-Fi support, and IT support in Poole. Book a free site survey.
FAMILY-RUN SINCE 1995 · ★ 4.9 ON GOOGLE · 200+ COMPUTERS UNDER OUR CARE · NO FIX, NO FEE · SAME-DAY REMOTE SUPPORT
// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Can I get Wi-Fi to my boat on a mooring in Poole Harbour?
Often, yes. If your home broadband and the mooring have a clear line of sight across the water, a point-to-point wireless bridge can carry your internet straight out to the boat. Book a free survey and we’ll confirm what your spot near Poole Harbour can achieve.
How far will a point-to-point Wi-Fi link reach across water?
With clear line of sight it comfortably covers a typical harbour or river span — a few hundred metres, and up to roughly 2km in the right conditions. Obstructions like trees, buildings or a headland shorten that, which is why we always check on site.
Do I need a second broadband contract for the boat?
No. The boat simply shares the home broadband you already pay for, so there’s no extra line, SIM or monthly bill for the mooring.
What if there’s no clear line of sight to my mooring?
Where a wireless bridge can’t see the boat — or the boat leaves the mooring for open sea — Starlink satellite internet is usually the answer, as it only needs a clear view of the sky.
Can you power the antenna at the boat or pontoon end?
Yes. If there’s no mains at the mooring, we fit a small off-grid Victron and lithium supply to run the antenna (and Starlink if used) quietly and reliably, and we can monitor it remotely.
Do you fix marine electronics like radar or chartplotters?
No — we’re an IT and network firm, not a marine-electronics one. We install the wireless internet link, the on-board network and the power around Christchurch, Wareham and the wider Dorset coast, but not radar, chartplotters or instruments.
Get broadband out to your mooring
Book a free, no-obligation site survey and we’ll tell you honestly what your mooring can get — then quote for your exact spot. Call 01202 775566 or text 07520 615332.
01202 775566 · help@365techies.co.uk · MON–FRI 9AM–5PM