Lesson routeRead the Sign as an Instruction0/8 read
Lesson 1 of 8
Read the Sign as an Instruction
What you will learn
Classify a CEVNI board by its sign family, then use its exact symbol and scope to choose an early, observable action.
Annex 7 groups main signs as prohibitory, mandatory, restrictive, recommendatory or informative. The family tells you the kind of message; only the exact sign and its scope tell you what to do.
CEVNI Annex 7 labels its five main-sign families A to E: A prohibits, B requires, C restricts, D recommends and E informs. This is a useful first sort because it tells you whether an option has disappeared, an action is compulsory, a physical or operational limit must be checked, a route is recommended, or information is being supplied.
Family recognition is not the answer by itself. Two red-bordered boards can require very different responses, and a blue information board does not grant permission beyond the precise feature shown. Read the symbol, number, light or wording before deciding what the sign means.
Use a repeatable sequence: identify the family, name the exact meaning, establish the side, opening, distance or vessel class to which it applies, compare it with the vessel and traffic situation, then make the required action visible early enough for other users to understand it.
| Family | Question it answers | Required response |
|---|---|---|
| A — Prohibitory | Which action is forbidden? | Remove that action from the plan |
| B — Mandatory | What must the vessel do? | Carry out the exact instruction |
| C — Restrictive | What limit or offset applies? | Check the boat and route before commitment |
| D — Recommendatory | Which opening or route is recommended? | Use the recommendation unless a safer lawful control requires otherwise |
| E — Informative | What permission, facility or feature is identified? | Use only the information actually given |
Read two instructions together
A village reach displays a B.6 board showing 6 km/h and an A.9 no-damaging-wash board.
1. Classify
B.6 is a mandatory maximum speed; A.9 prohibits wash likely to cause damage.
2. Combine
Do not exceed 6 km/h and reduce further if the boat still creates damaging wash.
3. Show the action
Ease speed before the signed reach rather than braking beside moored craft or the bank.
Sense check: The posted number is a ceiling, not a target and not permission to create damaging wash below it.
Common mistake or limitation
- Naming the family without identifying the exact board and action.
- Treating a recommendation or information board as unlimited permission.
- Waiting until the sign is abeam before changing speed or position.
Recap
- A prohibits, B requires, C restricts, D recommends and E informs.
- Shape, symbol, number, light and auxiliary information complete the meaning.
- Classify, scope, act and verify is stronger than memorising a caption alone.
Optional quick check
Section 1 of 8
A speed board shows 6 km/h, but the boat still throws damaging wash at 5 km/h. What is the correct response?
Lesson 2 of 8
Prohibitions: Know What Is Actually Forbidden
What you will learn
Distinguish no entry, no overtaking, no passing, no berthing, no anchoring, no making fast and no damaging wash without collapsing them into one generic warning.
Prohibitory signs remove a specific option. Similar-looking boards often differ in the act forbidden, the vessels affected or the side of the waterway covered.
A.1 is the general no-entry sign. CEVNI permits boards, red lights or red flags as specified variants; two boards, lights or flags one above the other indicate a prolonged prohibition. Never treat a red control as a suggestion to follow the vessel ahead.
The traffic distinctions matter. A.2 prohibits overtaking, while A.4 prohibits passing as well as overtaking. The second removes the option of meeting another vessel in the controlled section, not merely the option of going past a vessel travelling in the same direction.
Berthing is also broader than one technique. A.5 means no berthing on the signed side—that is, no anchoring and no making fast to the bank. A.6 specifically prohibits anchoring or trailing anchors, cables or chains, while A.7 specifically prohibits making fast. A.9 prohibits wash likely to cause damage; it is not satisfied by quoting a speed alone.
| Sign | Exact boundary | Do not infer |
|---|---|---|
| A.1 No entry | Do not enter the controlled section or opening | That a preceding vessel makes entry lawful |
| A.2 No overtaking | Do not pass a vessel travelling in the same direction | That meeting is also prohibited |
| A.4 No passing or overtaking | No meeting or overtaking in the controlled section | That it means only no overtaking |
| A.5 No berthing | No anchoring or making fast on the signed side | That one of those methods remains permitted |
| A.6 / A.7 | No anchoring or trailing / no making fast | That both boards have the same scope |
| A.9 No damaging wash | Control wash so it is not likely to cause damage | That any speed below a posted maximum is automatically acceptable |
Choose a lawful waiting method
The near bank carries A.5 no berthing, while the approach ahead is temporarily closed.
1. Interpret
A.5 removes both anchoring and making fast on that side.
2. Preserve control
Slow or hold only in an authorised area where the vessel will not obstruct the fairway.
3. Verify
Use current waterway information or the controller to identify the permitted waiting place.
Sense check: Changing from a line to an anchor does not comply with a board that prohibits berthing as a whole.
Common mistake or limitation
- Reading no berthing as no making fast while assuming anchoring remains allowed.
- Treating no overtaking and no passing or overtaking as interchangeable.
- Assuming a speed limit overrides the separate no-damaging-wash duty.
Recap
- No entry, no overtaking and no passing are different controls.
- No berthing includes anchoring and making fast on the signed side.
- No damaging wash is an outcome to achieve, not a fixed-speed recipe.
Optional quick check
Section 2 of 8
A.5 no berthing is displayed on the bank. Which action is still prohibited there?
Lesson 3 of 8
Mandatory Direction, Speed and Communication
What you will learn
Differentiate mandatory direction, side, crossing, stop, speed, sound, lookout, main-waterway and radiotelephone instructions.
Mandatory signs prescribe an action. Arrow geometry and any number or channel label are part of the instruction, not decoration.
B.1 tells the vessel to proceed in the arrow's direction. B.2 means move to the indicated side of the fairway, B.3 means keep to that side, and B.4 means cross the fairway in the indicated direction. ‘Move’, ‘keep’ and ‘cross’ describe different manoeuvres and should not be reduced to a vague instruction to go left or right.
Other mandatory boards prescribe the next control: B.5 stop as required by the regulations, B.6 do not exceed the speed shown in kilometres per hour, B.7 give a sound signal and B.8 keep a particularly sharp lookout. The number on B.6 is a maximum; safe speed, wash, traffic and stopping room can demand less.
B.9 protects traffic on a main waterway: do not enter or cross until certain that vessels already proceeding on it will not have to change course or speed. B.11 requires a radiotelephone link, with the channel shown when included. Establishing the link does not remove the lookout or collision-avoidance duty.
| Board | Verb | Observable response |
|---|---|---|
| B.1 | Proceed | Follow the arrow's direction |
| B.2 | Move | Alter towards the named fairway side |
| B.3 | Keep | Remain on the named fairway side |
| B.4 | Cross | Cross the fairway in the shown direction |
| B.5–B.8 | Stop / limit / sound / look | Carry out the exact control early |
| B.9 / B.11 | Yield before entry / establish radio | Protect main-waterway traffic and make the required call |
Join a main fairway
At a side-arm exit, B.9 is followed by B.3b keep to the starboard side and B.11b requiring a radio link on the displayed channel.
1. Communicate
Establish the required radio link on the displayed channel while maintaining lookout.
2. Yield
Do not make main-waterway traffic change course or speed to accommodate the entry.
3. Position
Once entry is safe and authorised, join and keep to the starboard side as directed.
Sense check: A successful radio call is not clearance to force another vessel to alter.
Common mistake or limitation
- Confusing move to, keep to and cross towards a fairway side.
- Treating the displayed speed as the speed to maintain in every condition.
- Using radio contact as a substitute for visual and traffic checks.
Recap
- B.2 moves, B.3 keeps and B.4 crosses.
- B.6 is expressed in km/h and remains only a ceiling.
- B.9 and B.11 require traffic-safe entry and the specified radio link.
Optional quick check
Section 3 of 8
A B.3b sign requires you to keep to the starboard side of the fairway. What should be visible to other traffic?
Lesson 4 of 8
Restrictions, Recommendations and Information
What you will learn
Use restrictive, recommendatory and informative boards without turning a measured limit, recommended route or stated permission into a wider assurance.
C signs define limits, D signs recommend a route or opening, and E signs identify permission, facilities or other information. Each still has a precise boundary.
C.1, C.2 and C.3 limit depth, headroom and passage width. They may carry figures in metres. C.4 means navigation is restricted and the information plate below supplies the restriction. C.5 gives the distance from a bank at which the channel lies. These boards must be compared with current vessel dimensions and the applicable local reference or gauge before entry.
D.1 marks a recommended opening. Some variants apply in both directions; other variants indicate one-way use, with passage in the opposite direction prohibited. D.2 recommends keeping within the marked part of a bridge or weir opening. A recommendation is not a guarantee of clearance, priority or freedom from oncoming traffic.
E.1 indicates entry permitted and E.11 marks the end of a one-direction prohibition or obligation, or the end of a restriction. Other E boards identify berthing permissions, facilities, ferry routes or activities. Read the exact E sign: an informative family label does not authorise a different activity or cancel another live control.
Worked example
A C.2 board indicates 3.50 m and the boat's verified maximum air draught is 3.20 m in its present configuration.
- 1Write both values in metres: indicated limit 3.50 m, maximum air draught 3.20 m.
- 2Subtract like from like: 3.50 - 3.20 = 0.30 m nominal margin.
- 3Check the board's local reference, current water level or gauge, vessel loading and any uncertainty before relying on that margin.
- 4If the current clearance cannot be confirmed with adequate margin, wait before the point of commitment and verify with the authority.
Sense check: Thirty centimetres is a calculated nominal difference, not proof that the boat can safely pass under changing or uncertain conditions.
| Evidence | Meaning | Limit to retain |
|---|---|---|
| C.2 with 3.50 | Headroom limited to the indicated 3.50 m | Confirm the applicable reference, current level and vessel air draught |
| D.1 one-direction variant | Recommended opening in the shown direction | Opposite-direction passage is prohibited |
| D.2 paired marks | Keep within the indicated part of the opening | It does not prove depth or headroom |
| E.1 | Entry permitted | Traffic, dimensions and other controls still apply |
| E.11 | Named one-direction control ends | Do not assume unrelated rules end |
Separate recommendation from clearance
D.2 recommends the centre of a bridge opening, but the headroom board and current gauge have not yet been checked.
1. Use the route cue
Treat the paired D.2 marks as the recommended lateral area.
2. Check the limit
Confirm headroom, width, depth and traffic controls independently.
3. Commit only when complete
Enter only when the recommended route and every material limit agree.
Sense check: Being in the recommended part of an opening does not make an over-height vessel fit.
Common mistake or limitation
- Treating a displayed dimension as guaranteed clearance without checking the current reference and vessel configuration.
- Reading recommended as compulsory in every situation or as a guarantee that passage is clear.
- Treating an informative board as unlimited permission.
Recap
- C signs are limits, D signs are recommendations and E signs provide exact information or permission.
- Metric figures require like-for-like vessel and current-waterway checks.
- One sign never cancels unrelated traffic, clearance or authority controls.
Optional quick check
Section 4 of 8
What does an E-family board justify on its own?
Lesson 5 of 8
Auxiliary Panels and the Sign's Scope
What you will learn
Combine a main sign with distance panels, luminous arrows, direction pointers and explanatory plates before deciding where, when and to whom it applies.
An auxiliary sign can change the apparent scope of a familiar board. Read the whole assembly, not the largest symbol in isolation.
Annex 7 permits main signs to be supplemented or clarified. A panel above a main sign can show the distance at which the regulation applies or the indicated feature will be found. A number above a stop sign can therefore mean stop in that distance, not stop at the panel itself.
A luminous white arrow combined with a green light can permit entry to the basin indicated by the arrow; with a red light it prohibits entry to that basin. Direction pointers beside or below a board can show the section to which the main sign applies, while an explanatory or additional-information panel is placed below the main sign.
Placement still matters. A board may govern one bank, one opening, one direction, a measured stretch or a named vessel class. Read the assembly from scope to meaning, then check the beginning and end of the controlled section rather than guessing from where another vessel manoeuvres.
| Auxiliary element | What it changes | Reading habit |
|---|---|---|
| Panel above | Distance to application or feature | Distinguish advance warning from immediate control |
| White arrow plus light | The basin or direction controlled | Match arrow and red/green light together |
| Direction pointer | The section to which the main sign applies | Follow the pointer before applying the rule |
| Plate below | Explanation or additional information | Read the wording as part of the instruction |
| Board position | Bank, opening or reach | Confirm spatial scope before acting |
Interpret a measured no-berthing reach
An A.5 no-berthing board has a pointer along the bank and a panel stating 1,000 m.
1. Main sign
A.5 prohibits anchoring or making fast on the controlled side.
2. Pointer
The pointer shows the direction in which the signed section extends.
3. Distance
The panel supplies the 1,000 m extent or distance stated by the assembly.
4. Action
Choose a permitted waiting place outside the controlled stretch before arrival.
Sense check: Ignoring either the pointer or the number can put the boat inside the prohibited reach.
Common mistake or limitation
- Reading the main sign while overlooking a distance, arrow, vessel-class or explanatory condition.
- Applying a sign for one opening to every opening without checking its pointer or placement.
- Assuming the controlled section ends where the board can no longer be seen.
Recap
- A panel above can give distance to a rule or feature.
- Pointers and luminous arrows identify the direction or basin controlled.
- Explanatory plates and board placement complete the scope.
Optional quick check
Section 5 of 8
Why must a supplementary panel be read before acting on the main sign?
Lesson 6 of 8
Bridge Openings and Controlled Passage
What you will learn
Distinguish no entry, entry permitted, recommended openings, recommended lateral limits and advance white-light signals at bridges, weirs and controlled sections.
A bridge can display different controls over neighbouring openings. Read each board or light as attached to its own opening and current traffic state.
A.1 boards, red lights or red flags mean no entry in their stated forms. E.1 boards or green lights indicate entry permitted. Those controls are not interchangeable with D.1, which identifies a recommended opening and can distinguish two-way use from a direction in which opposite passage is prohibited.
D.2 paired marks recommend keeping within the lateral area shown in an opening. They do not state that the boat fits the depth, width or headroom, and they do not create priority. Check those limits and the movement of vessels that may be constrained by the same opening.
E.12 advance signals use one or two white lights. Fixed white light or lights indicate difficulty ahead and that the vessel should stop if the regulations require; isophase white light or lights mean the vessel may proceed. A changing light state, authorised direction or temporary notice takes precedence over following a previous movement from memory.
| Control | Meaning | Decision boundary |
|---|---|---|
| A.1 / red | No entry | Hold before the opening or controlled section |
| E.1 / green | Entry permitted | Proceed only with traffic and vessel checks complete |
| D.1 | Recommended opening | Check one-way or two-way variant |
| D.2 | Keep within indicated area | Still verify dimensions, traffic and clearance |
| E.12 fixed white | Difficulty ahead | Stop if the applicable regulations require |
| E.12 isophase white | May proceed | Continue lookout and obey any further control |
Select the controlled opening
A bridge has A.1 no entry above the left opening, D.1 showing one-direction recommended passage above the centre opening and a live controller for traffic release.
1. Exclude
Remove the left opening because A.1 prohibits entry.
2. Interpret
Confirm that the centre D.1 variant permits the vessel's direction and prohibits the opposite direction.
3. Verify
Check live release, dimensions, traffic and any D.2 lateral limits before entering.
Sense check: The route used by the previous vessel may become prohibited before this vessel arrives.
Common mistake or limitation
- Applying a board over one bridge opening to all openings.
- Treating a recommended opening as proof of clearance or priority.
- Following another vessel after the light or control state has changed.
Recap
- Red prohibits entry; green permits entry subject to the remaining duties.
- D.1 selects a recommended opening and D.2 its recommended lateral area.
- Fixed and isophase E.12 white lights carry different advance meanings.
Optional quick check
Section 6 of 8
A sign and arrow clearly identify only the centre bridge opening. What should you do about the other openings?
Lesson 7 of 8
Fairway Limits, Bifurcations and Bank Marks
What you will learn
Orient CEVNI fairway sides downstream, recognise the principal red, green, bifurcation, bank and cross-over marks, and follow the marked fairway rather than a coastal-memory shortcut.
CEVNI fairway right and left are normally defined for an observer facing downstream. On canals, lakes and broad waterways the competent authority may assign the orientation.
On a river, right-hand and left-hand sides of the waterway or fairway are understood while facing downstream. This is a chart-and-river orientation, not the side on which a vessel happens to see a mark. On canals, lakes and broad waterways, the competent authority defines the sides; check current route information rather than inventing a direction.
Annex 8 marks the right-hand fairway limit with red cylindrical buoys, floats, spars or cylinder topmarks and a rhythmic red light when fitted. The left-hand limit uses green conical forms or cone topmarks and a rhythmic green light. A red-and-green horizontally banded spherical bifurcation mark shows a split; an added red cylinder or green cone indicates the preferred side or main fairway when one is specified.
Bank marks add context where the fairway approaches a bank. A right-bank channel mark is a red-and-white square board; a left-bank channel mark is a green-over-white diamond. Yellow-and-black square or diamond marks indicate a cross-over from one bank to the other and its axis. These are not isolated decorations: read the sequence, chart and traffic before changing sides.
Read family, exact symbol, scope and waterway orientation together
A — Prohibits
Remove an option
B — Requires
Carry out the instruction
C — Restricts
Check the measured limit
D — Recommends
Use the stated route cue
E — Informs
Use only the stated fact
Auxiliary information changes scope
- 1. Read the main sign.
- 2. Add distance, arrow or plate.
- 3. Mark the controlled section.
Fairway sides are named facing downstream
| Mark | Day cue | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Right-hand fairway limit | Red cylindrical form or cylinder topmark | Limit on the right when facing downstream |
| Left-hand fairway limit | Green conical form or cone topmark | Limit on the left when facing downstream |
| Bifurcation | Horizontal red and green bands; spherical cue | Fairway divides; added topmark can show preferred side |
| Channel near right bank | Red-and-white square bank board | Fairway approaches the right bank |
| Channel near left bank | Green-over-white diamond bank board | Fairway approaches the left bank |
| Cross-over | Yellow/black square or diamond | Fairway crosses from one bank towards the other |
Reverse the boat, not the river reference
A vessel is travelling upstream and sees a red cylindrical fairway-limit buoy on its port side.
1. Orient
Draw or imagine the downstream arrow first; CEVNI right-hand side is defined facing downstream.
2. Identify
The red cylindrical buoy marks that downstream right-hand fairway limit.
3. Navigate
Use the complete marked channel, chart and traffic picture rather than renaming the buoy from the vessel's upstream viewpoint.
Sense check: Turning the boat upstream does not swap the waterway's defined right and left sides.
Common mistake or limitation
- Using the vessel's current heading instead of the waterway's downstream orientation.
- Applying a remembered coastal ‘returning’ rule without identifying CEVNI direction and local assignment.
- Turning across traffic on one cross-over mark without reading the sequence and axis.
Recap
- CEVNI fairway sides are normally named looking downstream.
- A red-and-green bifurcation mark identifies a split, with an optional topmark for the preferred side.
- Read bank marks as a sequence before changing lateral position.
Optional quick check
Section 7 of 8
What establishes right and left fairway sides on a river under CEVNI?
Lesson 8 of 8
From Recognition to a Safe Action
What you will learn
Give a complete sign or mark answer that connects observed features, exact meaning, scope, vessel fit, traffic and a conservative action.
Recognition is useful only when it changes the plan before the vessel reaches the point of commitment.
A strong answer has five parts: report the board, light, shape, colour, number or panel actually observed; name the exact CEVNI meaning; establish the bank, opening, direction, distance or class controlled; state the immediate vessel action; and name the current authority, chart, gauge or traffic evidence still needed.
Keep observation separate from inference. ‘Red board above the left opening’ is observed; ‘A.1 no entry for that opening’ is the interpretation; ‘hold before the approach’ is the action. This separation makes a doubtful sign easier to challenge before a false conclusion becomes a manoeuvre.
If the sign is obscured, the panel cannot be read, a mark conflicts with the chart or live control differs from memory, reduce speed or wait in a safe authorised place before commitment. Ask the responsible authority and proceed only when the route, vessel and traffic evidence agree.
Worked example
Before a village bridge the boat encounters B.6 at 6 km/h, A.9 no damaging wash, C.2 at 3.50 m and a recommended D.2 opening. Its verified air draught is 3.20 m.
- 1Reduce before the village: 6 km/h is the maximum, while actual speed must be lower if wash is still likely to cause damage.
- 2Calculate the nominal headroom difference: 3.50 m - 3.20 m = 0.30 m.
- 3Treat 0.30 m as an unverified nominal margin until the local reference, current water level, vessel configuration and uncertainty are checked.
- 4Use the D.2 marks to identify the recommended lateral area only after dimensions, live control and traffic agree.
- 5If any material evidence is missing, hold before the bridge and obtain current authority information rather than following another boat through.
Sense check: The answer is incomplete if it identifies every sign but never establishes whether this boat can use this opening now.
| Answer part | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Observe | What is actually visible? | C.2 with 3.50 above the centre opening |
| Meaning | What exact control is this? | Headroom limited to the indicated figure |
| Scope | Where and to whom? | Centre opening, present direction and vessel |
| Action | What changes now? | Hold before commitment and check current fit |
| Verify | Which evidence completes it? | Gauge, current notice, boat air draught and controller |
Resolve an unreadable panel
The main board is recognisable, but spray and glare make the number and pointer unreadable near a commercial-traffic bend.
1. Do not guess
Record what is visible and keep the missing scope separate.
2. Control
Reduce speed or wait before the manoeuvre becomes forced, without obstructing the fairway.
3. Verify
Use the chart, notice, controller or a clearer observation to resolve the number and direction.
Sense check: A familiar sign family cannot supply a number or pointer that was never observed.
Common mistake or limitation
- Giving a label without the action or the scope.
- Inventing a missing number, direction or clearance from memory.
- Following another vessel whose dimensions, permission or traffic release may differ.
Recap
- A complete answer connects recognition to an early vessel action.
- Current vessel, traffic and authority evidence limit every interpretation.
- When the sign picture is incomplete, preserve options and verify.
Optional quick check
Section 8 of 8