Sea distance from Felixstowe to Chennai (ex Madras)
The sea route from Felixstowe (United Kingdom) to Chennai (ex Madras) (India) is about 7,064 nautical miles, which is 13,082 km or 8,129 statute miles. The route transits Strait of Dover and Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb. That is about 61% 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) | 58d 21h |
| Sailboat, average (6 kn) | 49d 1h |
| Displacement trawler (8 kn) | 36d 19h |
| Fast trawler (10 kn) | 29d 10h |
| Planing motor yacht (15 kn) | 19d 15h |
| Fast motor yacht (20 kn) | 14d 17h |
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 Felixstowe to Chennai (ex Madras) 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 Chennai (ex Madras) from Felixstowe by sea?
About 7,064 nautical miles (13,082 km / 8,129 statute miles) along the practical sea route, which transits Strait of Dover and Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb. The straight-line distance is shorter, but boats follow coastlines, channels, and traffic lanes.
How long does it take to sail from Felixstowe to Chennai (ex Madras)?
At a typical sailing average of 6 knots it is about 49d 1h underway. A 10-knot trawler needs about 29d 10h, and a 20-knot motor yacht about 14d 17h. 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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