Savannah to Mombasa shipping route.

Savannah to Mombasa is a 8,711 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading east from the United States to Kenya. That is 16,132 km of water against 13,125 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar, Bab-el-Mandeb and Suez Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 25.9 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 30.2 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 20.2. 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 Savannah and Mombasa to plan the full ocean transit time.

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Cape of Good Hope instead. That route is 9,495 nautical miles, 785 more, and adds about 2.3 days at 14 knots. Longer voyages burn more fuel and tie up more ships, which is why freight rates on Red Sea lanes jumped when the diversions started.

2,496 nm of the route, 29% of it, lies inside North American 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 Savannah to Mombasa move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one.

Of the 64 port to port routes from Savannah in this directory, Mombasa is the 42nd shortest. Closer destinations include Nhava Sheva (8,680 nm), Mundra (8,666 nm) and Jebel Ali (8,580 nm).