Sea distance from Felixstowe to Sydney
The sea route from Felixstowe (United Kingdom) to Sydney (Australia) is about 11,582 nautical miles, which is 21,449 km or 13,328 statute miles. The route transits Strait of Dover and Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb. That is about 27% 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) | 96d 12h |
| Sailboat, average (6 kn) | 80d 10h |
| Displacement trawler (8 kn) | 60d 8h |
| Fast trawler (10 kn) | 48d 6h |
| Planing motor yacht (15 kn) | 32d 4h |
| Fast motor yacht (20 kn) | 24d 3h |
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 Sydney 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 Sydney from Felixstowe by sea?
About 11,582 nautical miles (21,449 km / 13,328 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 Sydney?
At a typical sailing average of 6 knots it is about 80d 10h underway. A 10-knot trawler needs about 48d 6h, and a 20-knot motor yacht about 24d 3h. 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.
Related sea distances