Sailing Times and Distances for the Cook Islands
Sailing across the South Pacific? See if the enchanting atolls of the Cook Islands can be added to your itinerary with this list of sailing times and distances!
Whether you're just passing through on the Transpacific journey or want to discover several of the remote lagoons scattered across the deep blue ocean, we cover all scenarios in this sailing times guide.
This article is based on real on-the-ground research, not on AI scraping old content from the internet. Learn how we use AI!
Table of Contents
About Sailing to the Cook Islands
The Cook Islands has five ports of entry: Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Penrhyn, Pukapuka, Manihiki (Tauhunu), Manihiki (Tukao) and Atiu. You can also sail to Suwarrow Atoll National Park with special permissions.
All yachts arriving in the Cook Islands from overseas must submit an Advance Notice Advice (ANA) at least 48 hours prior to their ETA. Visitors get a free 31-day visa upon entry into the Cook Islands.
Yachts are required to clear in and out of each island visited in the Cook Islands.
Check out Sailing Guide to Rarotonga & the Cook Islands: Tips for Yachting for more details on each of these points and more.
Sailing Times and Distances Within Cook Islands
How long does it take to sail between the Cook Islands? Here are the sailing times and distances between the ports of entry within the Cook Islands (i.e. the islands you can legally sail to, with the exception of Suwarrow, which you can learn more about sailing to in the Sailing Guide to the Cook Islands).
Note that all of the below times and distances are calculated when the vessel is doing an average speed of 10 knots.
- Rarotonga - Aitutaki: 142 nautical miles / 14 hours
- Rarotonga - Atiu: 120 nautical miles / 12 hours
- Aitutaki - Atiu: 117 nautical miles / 12 hours
- Aitutaki - Suwarrow: 387 nautical miles / 1 day 14 hours
- Aitutaki - Penrhyn: 602 nautical miles / 2 days 12 hours
- Manihiki - Suwarrow: 212 nautical miles / 21 hours
- Manihiki - Penrhyn: 198 nautical miles / 19 hours
- Manihiki - Pukapuka: 288 nautical miles / 1 day 4 hours.
Remember to read up on domestic sailing restrictions in our Sailing Guide to Rarotonga & the Cook Islands.
Sailing Times and Distances in the South Pacific to the Cook Islands
The South Pacific is a popular sailing destination with sails between island nations taking less than a week. The Cook Islands is at the centre of the Transpacific voyage, between French Polynesia, Tonga and Samoa.
So, how long does it take to sail to the Cook Islands from Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa and more? Check out the distance and time calculations below.
Note that all the times and distances below are calculated assuming an average speed of 10 knots. The Cook Islands destination is set to Avarua on Rarotonga.
- New Zealand to Rarotonga: 1,625 nautical miles / 6 days 18 hours
- Australia to Rarotonga: 2,695 nautical miles / 11 days 5 hours
- Fiji to Rarotonga: 1,310 nautical miles / 5 days 10 hours
- Samoa to Rarotonga: 840 nautical miles / 3 days 11 hours
- Tonga to Rarotonga: 865 nautical miles / 3 days 14 hours
- Niue to Rarotonga: 585 nautical miles / 2 days 10 hours
- French Polynesia to Rarotonga: 625 nautical miles / 2 days 14 hours
- Kiribati to Rarotonga: 1,195 nautical miles / 4 days 23 hours
- New Caledonia to Rarotonga: 1,940 nautical miles / 8 days 1 hour
- Solomon Islands to Rarotonga: 2,415 nautical miles / 10 days 1 hour
- Nauru to Rarotonga: 2,315 nautical miles / 9 days 15 hours
- Papua New Guinea to Rarotonga: 3,140 nautical miles / 13 days 2 hours.
Sailing Times and Distances from the Pacific Rim to the Cook Islands
For the adventurous sailor, getting to the Cook Islands from other Pacific Rim countries/regions will take you less than a month. That’s whether you’re sailing from Asia or the Americas.
Note that all the times and distances below are calculated assuming an average speed of 10 knots. The Cook Islands destination is Avarua on Rarotonga.
- Indonesia to Rarotonga: 4,950 nautical miles / 20 days 15 hours
- Singapore to Rarotonga: 5,800 nautical miles / 24 days 3 hours
- The Philippines to Rarotonga: 5,145 nautical miles / 21 days 10 hours
- Hong Kong to Rarotonga: 5,679 nautical miles / 23 days 15 hours
- Chile to Rarotonga: 4,630 nautical miles / 19 days 7 hours
- Mexico to Rarotonga: 4,040 nautical miles / 16 days 20 hours
- Hawaii to Rarotonga: 2,560 nautical miles / 10 days 15 hours
- Los Angeles to Rarotonga: 4,085 nautical miles / 17 days 27 hours.
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More About Sailing and Travel Times in the Cook Islands
That's it for our guide to the sailing times and how long it takes to sail to the Cook Islands. Find out more about sailing to the Cook Islands, as well as more travel times and distances, in the guides below:
- Sailing Guide to Rarotonga & the Cook Islands: Tips for Yachting
- Cook Islands Travel Times: How Long to Travel Around the Islands?
- What are the Flight Times to Rarotonga & the Cook Islands?
Finally, plan your trip to the Cook Islands with ease using The Best Cook Islands Travel Guide and get tips from the 30 Tips for Travelling in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands.
