Sea distance from Colombo to Kaohsiung
The sea route from Colombo (Sri Lanka) to Kaohsiung (Taiwan) is about 3,266 nautical miles, which is 6,049 km or 3,758 statute miles. The route transits Strait of Malacca. That is about 30% longer than the direct great-circle line, because the practical route follows coastlines and shipping lanes.
Voyage time by boat speed
Time underway is distance divided by speed. These are continuous-passage figures with no stops or weather margin.
| Boat and speed | Time underway |
|---|---|
| Sailboat, conservative (5 kn) | 27d 5h |
| Sailboat, average (6 kn) | 22d 16h |
| Displacement trawler (8 kn) | 17d 0h |
| Fast trawler (10 kn) | 13d 15h |
| Planing motor yacht (15 kn) | 9d 2h |
| Fast motor yacht (20 kn) | 6d 19h |
Planning estimate, not navigation
This distance is computed over the open Eurostat shipping-lane network. It is a realistic passage length for planning, but your sailed distance will differ with weather routing, currents, draft, and the exact berths you leave from and arrive at. Always verify against official charts.
Building with these numbers? The sea route & distance API returns this figure, voyage time, and route geometry for any port pair in one GET request.
Plan this passage properly
Open Colombo to Kaohsiung in the Marine OS route planner: it suggests the sea route, then you drag waypoints, set your speed and fuel burn, and check weather and tides along the way.
Open this route in the plannerFrequently asked questions
How far is Kaohsiung from Colombo by sea?
About 3,266 nautical miles (6,049 km / 3,758 statute miles) along the practical sea route, which transits Strait of Malacca. The straight-line distance is shorter, but boats follow coastlines, channels, and traffic lanes.
How long does it take to sail from Colombo to Kaohsiung?
At a typical sailing average of 6 knots it is about 22d 16h underway. A 10-knot trawler needs about 13d 15h, and a 20-knot motor yacht about 6d 19h. Add margin for weather, currents, and stops.
How is this distance calculated?
It is computed over the open Eurostat global shipping-lane network, the same kind of network freight routing tools use. It is a realistic planning estimate, not a navigation product: your sailed distance will vary with weather routing, draft, and the exact harbors you use.
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