Gdansk to Mersin shipping route.

Ships leaving Gdansk for Mersin head south east and cover a sea distance of 4,196 nautical miles (7,772 km), on a direct course. The straight line between the ports is 2,306 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 12.5 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 14.6 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 9.7. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Gdansk and Mersin to plan the full ocean transit time.

3,245 nm of the route, 77% of it, lies inside North Sea ECA, Baltic Sea ECA and Mediterranean Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.

Container freight rates on Gdansk to Mersin move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Mersin (TRMER) carriers give about 7 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Gdansk in this directory, Mersin is the 18th shortest. Closer destinations include Port Said (4,137 nm), New York (3,814 nm) and Piraeus (3,661 nm).