Marine OS

Sea distances

Sea distance from Hamburg to Mombasa

The sea route from Hamburg (Germany) to Mombasa (Kenya) is about 6,709 nautical miles, which is 12,425 km or 7,721 statute miles. The route transits Kiel Canal and Strait of Dover and Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb. That is about 78% longer than the direct great-circle line, because the practical route follows coastlines and shipping lanes.

6,709
nautical miles
12,425
kilometers
27d 23h
at 10 knots

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 speedTime underway
Sailboat, conservative (5 kn)55d 22h
Sailboat, average (6 kn)46d 14h
Displacement trawler (8 kn)34d 23h
Fast trawler (10 kn)27d 23h
Planing motor yacht (15 kn)18d 15h
Fast motor yacht (20 kn)13d 23h

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 Hamburg to Mombasa 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 planner

Frequently asked questions

How far is Mombasa from Hamburg by sea?

About 6,709 nautical miles (12,425 km / 7,721 statute miles) along the practical sea route, which transits Kiel Canal and 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 Hamburg to Mombasa?

At a typical sailing average of 6 knots it is about 46d 14h underway. A 10-knot trawler needs about 27d 23h, and a 20-knot motor yacht about 13d 23h. 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.