SEA DISTANCE · FOR OFFICERS, MASTERS AND CHARTERERS
Cape Town to Rotterdam by sea
The sea distance from Cape Town to Rotterdam is 6,221 nautical miles, about 19 days at 14 knots. The straight line across the globe is only 5,214 nm, but ships cannot sail over land.
Days at sea
Time under way only: add port, canal and anchorage time to plan the ETA.
| Speed | Days at sea |
|---|---|
| 10 knots | 26 |
| 12 knots | 22 |
| 14 knots | 19 |
| 16 knots | 16 |
| 20 knots | 13 |
Canals and straits on the way
In the order the ship meets them: Strait of Dover.
Zones on the route
Miles of this voyage inside each area, measured on the planned route.
| Area | Type | Miles inside |
|---|---|---|
| North Sea SOx+NOx ECA | Emission Control Area | 393 nm |
| MDAT-GoG Voluntary Reporting Area | Voluntary reporting area | 1,278 nm |
| NW European waters (MARPOL Special Area) | MARPOL Special Area | 443 nm |
| North Sea (MARPOL Annex V Special Area) | MARPOL Special Area | 393 nm |
| Southern South African waters (MARPOL Special Area) | MARPOL Special Area | 123 nm |
Emission Control Areas: the ECA guide. Piracy and war-risk areas: the piracy map.
Questions about Cape Town to Rotterdam
How far is Cape Town from Rotterdam by sea?
6,221 nautical miles (11,522 km), pilot station to pilot station, on real shipping lanes. The straight line across the globe is 5,214 nm, but a ship cannot sail over land, so the sea route is 19% longer.
How many days does a ship take from Cape Town to Rotterdam?
About 22 days at 12 knots, 19 days at 14 knots or 13 days at 20 knots. That is time at sea only, with no port, canal or anchorage waiting.
Which canals and straits are on the route from Cape Town to Rotterdam?
In order: Strait of Dover.
How many miles of the voyage are inside Emission Control Areas?
393 nm, in North Sea SOx+NOx ECA. Inside an ECA the fuel must carry no more than 0.10% sulphur, unless the ship uses an approved alternative such as a scrubber.
Does the route from Cape Town to Rotterdam pass through piracy or war-risk areas?
Not on this route as of the date on this page: it crosses no ITF/IBF warlike area, JWC listed area or piracy hotspot that NaviBoss draws.
Which NAVAREAs does the voyage pass through?
NAVAREA VII, NAVAREA II and NAVAREA I. Keep the in-force navigational warnings of each.
How this distance is worked out
NaviBoss routes on a network of professional shipping lanes that keeps right through traffic separation schemes. The distance runs from the pilot boarding place at Cape Town (Cape Town (Table Bay) pilot boarding place) to the one at Rotterdam (Maas Center Buoy (Maascenter)), the same figure the planner gives for the two ports. Distances are great-circle nautical miles along that network. Seasonal Arctic routes are left out.
The same voyage the other way, Rotterdam to Cape Town, is the same distance.
More sea distances
- Rotterdam to Singapore8,414 nm
- Rotterdam to Shanghai10,594 nm
- Rotterdam to Hong Kong9,835 nm
- Rotterdam to Busan10,906 nm
- Rotterdam to Mumbai6,462 nm
- Rotterdam to Colombo6,867 nm
- All sea distances
Plan it with your own ship
Open the planner, pick Cape Town and Rotterdam, set your speed and departure: you get the ETA, every waypoint and the route file for your ECDIS. Free with an account.
Plan this voyage →About our guides
NaviBoss guides are written and checked by maritime industry experts, masters and deck officers. Each one is built from the same data the planner uses, dated, and rebuilt when that data changes. Spotted something wrong? Tell us on the feedback board.
A planning aid, not for navigation. Check official charts and publications, the latest notices and your company's instructions before you rely on any figure here.