Waterway signs and sound signals in Germany, explained

Waterway signs on Germany’s inland waterways are the official optical and sound signals laid down in the inland waterway code (BinSchStrO). There are about a hundred of them across eight categories, from prohibition and information signs through the markings of the waterway and the vessels to the sound signals of commercial traffic. This guide sorts them in plain terms, names the official source, and shows how to look up any sign even without signal.

Anyone out on the Spree, the Mosel or the Müritz knows the feeling: at the next buoy, at the weir, or in front of a movable bridge, a sign appears whose meaning you really ought to be sure of right now. The only official complete overview comes from the federal waterways and shipping administration (WSV) and exists as a PDF. At the dock, that helps little. Here you get the same substance, sorted by category and with the most important codes.

Dalbi holds all 99 waterway signs and sound signals from the WSV reference (12th edition, 2024) offline on the device, bilingual and searchable. Download on the App Store and take the complete chart out onto the water with you.

Key takeaways

• Inland waterway signs fall into eight categories with 99 signs in total (83 visual signs plus 16 sound signals).
• The legal basis is the inland waterway code (BinSchStrO); the official overview is published by the WSV via elwis.de.
• Prohibition signs have a red border, mandatory signs are red with a white symbol, information signs are blue, and so are recommendation signs.
• Sound signals differ by tone length: one long blast means “attention”, short blasts signal course changes.
• Dalbi holds all 99 signs offline and shows every chart with its code and explanation.

What are waterway signs on inland waterways?

Waterway signs are the officially defined signs that govern traffic on the federal waterways. They are set out in the inland waterway code (BinSchStrO) and apply to every vessel, from the large motor cargo ship to the canoe. The WSV calls the optical signs Sichtzeichen (visual signs), the acoustic ones Schallsignale (sound signals). In everyday speech, both together are often called “waterway signs”.

Three terms are easily confused:

• Visual signs are the boards, lights and signal shapes on inland waterways (BinSchStrO).
• Sea marks belong to maritime and coastal traffic and follow the maritime traffic code; their buoyage is in places the other way round.
• Waterway signs is the umbrella term most boaters search for, and the one this article uses.

In practice that means: on the Spree, the Havel, the Main or the Mosel, the BinSchStrO applies. Anyone moving from the Baltic into the inland districts should briefly recall the differences in buoyage.

Where the signs come from

The authoritative overview is the WSV information sheet “Important visual signs and sound signals on inland waterways”, dated 22 February 2024 (often cited as the “12th edition, 2024”), published through the Electronic Waterway Information System (ELWIS). These charts are the basis for the data in Dalbi. More on the app’s features, including the waterway-signs reference, is on the home page.

The eight categories of waterway signs and sound signals

The WSV reference divides the 99 signs into eight categories. Dalbi adopts the same split so you search in the right block instead of a single long list.

Our own count from the WSV reference (elwis.de), status 2026-06-21.

Prohibition, mandatory and restriction signs (16)

These boards carry the codes with the letter A (prohibitions), B (mandatory) and D/E depending on the variant. Prohibition signs have a red border with a red bar. The strictest is A.1: no passage, navigation closed — this is the end of the line. A.4 closes the entry to a harbour or side waterway by light signal.

Mandatory signs have a red border with a white symbol and prescribe a behaviour. B.7 requires “give a sound signal”, B.10 “give way to the main waterway”. Restrictions name specific limits, such as draft or passage width.

Recommendation and information signs (8)

Information signs are blue and inform without prescribing anything: berths, turning areas, drinking water. Recommendation signs mark permitted uses, such as E.17: water-ski area or E.20: sailboarding permitted. For water tourists, the information signs are often the most useful — they show where a stop is expressly intended.

Waterway markings: buoys and fairway (15)

This group governs where the fairway runs and where danger lies. It includes the buoys marking the fairway sides, the marking of closed water areas, and the cardinal marks (north, east, south, west) for obstructions.

The most important rule of thumb for inland buoyage: red buoys stand on the left, green buoys on the right edge of the fairway, in each case heading upstream (against the current). Anyone heading downstream sees them mirrored. Red buoys are usually blunt (cylindrical), green ones pointed (conical). When in doubt, a glance at the chart in the app beats guessing from memory.

Vessel markings (24)

With 24 entries, this is the largest category. It describes which lights a vessel carries at night and which signal shapes (ball, cone, cylinder) it carries by day. A power-driven vessel over 110 m in length is marked differently from one up to 110 m. From the lights, an experienced skipper reads the type, size and state of the oncoming vessel long before its silhouette is recognisable.

Locks, fixed and movable bridges (9 + 4 + 7)

At locks, light signals show whether you may enter and which chamber is available. “Entry forbidden” and “both locks usable” are two typical states. Fixed bridges use four signs to mark the recommended or sole permitted passage opening. Movable bridges signal with seven signs whether they are closed, temporarily not opening, or clear — important when the clearance height gets tight.

When Lena went through the Spreewald locks alone for the first time in June 2026, she mixed up the stop signal with the entry signal at the first chamber and waited ten minutes with a clear passage. The second time she had the lock charts offline on her display and knew at once that green-green means “both chambers usable”. Want the same confidence? The waterway-signs reference is built into Dalbi, even without signal.

Sound signals: what does which tone mean?

Sound signals order traffic where sight or radio do not reach. They differ above all by tone length: a short blast lasts about one second, a long blast around four seconds. The WSV reference lists 16 signals of commercial traffic, each coded with the letter S.

The most important ones:

• S.1 — “attention”: one long blast. The general alerting signal.
• S.2 / S.3 — course change: one short blast means “I am altering my course to starboard” (S.2), two short blasts “I am altering my course to port” (S.3).
• S.8 — stay-away signal: a signal repeated over at least 15 minutes, for example when there is danger from dangerous goods. Keep your distance.

Small craft such as sport boats and canoes generally do not give their own manoeuvring signals the way commercial traffic does. They must, however, understand the signals of larger vessels and give way accordingly.

How to read a sound signal correctly (step by step)

This short guide helps you stay calm in the decisive moment.

1. Determine the tone length. One long blast (about four seconds) is an attention or warning signal. Several short blasts (about one second each) are usually manoeuvre or course-change signals.
2. Count the number and pattern. One blast, two blasts, a group — the count carries the meaning. One short blast stands for a course change to starboard (S.2), two short blasts for one to port (S.3).
3. Watch for special and distress signals. A signal repeated over at least 15 minutes is the stay-away signal (S.8): keep your distance, do not close in.
4. Listen in reduced visibility. In fog, sound signals replace sight. Slow down, place the source by ear, adjust your own behaviour.
5. Look it up when in doubt. If you cannot place a signal, open the sound-signal charts in Dalbi — offline, in seconds.

Reading red and green buoys

Buoyage confuses beginners most often because it depends on the direction of travel. Remember: the colours apply upstream, against the current. Red, blunt buoys then stand on the left, green, pointed ones on the right. Heading downstream, you flip the picture in your head. Cardinal marks (yellow-black) additionally show on which side an obstruction can be safely passed.

This logic is both exam material and everyday knowledge. Anyone who has grasped it once reads every fairway more safely.

Learning waterway signs for the inland boating licence

For the inland boating licence (SBF-Binnen) you have to know the most important waterway signs and sound signals reliably. The exam questions revolve around prohibition and mandatory signs, the buoyage, and the most common sound signals. Instead of learning from a PDF, you can go through the charts in Dalbi by category and review them in a targeted way.

When Markus prepared for his SBF-Binnen in spring 2026, he learned the signs in the evenings on the sofa through the search function: first all the prohibition signs, then the sound signals, each with code and meaning. On the water he then had the same reference with him without signal. More about the app’s features shows how the waterway-signs reference works together with the map and route planning.

All signs offline with you: how to use Dalbi

On the water the signal drops out, and that is exactly when you need the answer. Dalbi holds the complete WSV reference on the device, with no data fetch at runtime:

• 99 signs, 8 categories, each chart with code, meaning and rule.
• Full-text search across all signs, plus a filter by category.
• Bilingual (German and English); the chart graphics are shown without loss of quality.

On top of that come 1,102 water stations, the WSV waterway network and route planning. An overview of the three station types and the Gelbe Welle is on the home page. Download on the App Store and take the reference along on your next trip.

Frequently asked questions

What are waterway signs on inland waterways? They are the official visual and sound signals under the inland waterway code (BinSchStrO) that govern traffic on the federal waterways. They include prohibition, mandatory and information signs, the markings of the waterway and the vessels, and the sound signals.

What is the difference between visual signs and sound signals? Visual signs are optical: boards, lights and signal shapes. Sound signals are acoustic and work where sight or radio do not reach. The WSV reference contains 83 visual signs and 16 sound signals.

How many waterway signs are there in inland navigation? The WSV reference (12th edition, 2024) lists 99 signs in eight categories. Dalbi holds exactly these 99 signs offline and searchable.

What does one long blast mean? One long blast (about four seconds) is the attention signal (S.1), the general alerting signal. It tells other vessels that something is about to happen or that heightened caution is needed.

What does a black ball on the mast mean? A black ball is one of the signal shapes vessels carry by day (the “vessel markings” category). As a rule, a single black ball marks a vessel at anchor. The exact meaning depends on the number and arrangement; the chart for it is in the WSV reference and in Dalbi.

What does sign A.1 mean? A.1 is the prohibition of passage and the closure of navigation, the strictest prohibition sign. You may not proceed beyond it. Prohibition signs have a red border with a red bar.

What do red and green buoys on the waterway mean? Heading upstream, against the current, red, blunt buoys stand on the left and green, pointed buoys on the right edge of the fairway. Heading downstream the picture is mirrored. They mark the navigable area.

What are the right-of-way rules on federal waterways? As a rule, small craft such as sport boats and canoes must give way to larger vessels. Vessels on the main waterway have priority over those entering from side waterways (mandatory sign B.10). In practice, commercial traffic enjoys priority.

Which visual signs must a canoe carry? Muscle-powered small craft such as a canoe, kayak or rowing boat carry no special marking by day. At night or in reduced visibility, a white light must be kept ready and shown in good time to avoid a collision.

What does a blue board with a white symbol mean? Blue boards are information signs. They inform about berths, turning areas, drinking water or similar facilities, without prescribing any behaviour.

What does a red-bordered board mean? Red-bordered boards are prohibition signs. A red bar reinforces the prohibition. A red border with a white symbol, by contrast, marks mandatory signs, which prescribe a particular behaviour.

What do the lights at a lock mean? Lock light signals show whether you may enter and which chamber is available. Red means stop, green clears you; combinations indicate whether one or both chambers are ready.

What do the signs at bridges mean? At fixed bridges, the signs mark the recommended or sole permitted passage opening. At movable bridges, they show whether the bridge is closed, temporarily not opening, or clear.

How is a large vessel marked? The lights carried and the signal shapes depend on the type and length. A power-driven vessel over 110 m in length is marked differently from one up to 110 m. From the lights you read size and state.

What does the sound signal “attention” mean? The attention signal (S.1) is one long blast and calls for heightened attention. It stands at the start of many situations where vessels meet or a manoeuvre is imminent.

Which sound signal do I give when steering to port? Large vessels indicate course changes with set tone patterns. A course change to starboard is signalled with one short blast (S.2), one to port with two short blasts (S.3). Small craft generally do not give these manoeuvre signals.

What does the mandatory sign B.7 mean? B.7 prescribes giving a sound signal. It stands where, for safety reasons, traffic must draw acoustic attention to itself, for example before blind spots.

What is the BinSchStrO? The inland waterway code is the central body of rules for traffic on the federal waterways. Among other things, it defines the meaning of all visual signs and sound signals, and is available in full text at gesetze-im-internet.de.

Where do I get the official overview of waterway signs? The official overview is published by the WSV via elwis.de as an information sheet (status 22 February 2024). Dalbi holds exactly these signs offline and searchable.

Which visual signs must I know for the inland boating licence? For the SBF-Binnen, the prohibition and mandatory signs, the buoyage and the most common sound signals are especially relevant. The exam tests meaning and application; in Dalbi you can review them by category.

Do the same signs apply at sea and on inland waterways? No. Inland waterways follow the BinSchStrO, maritime and coastal traffic the maritime traffic code. The buoyage in particular differs. This article covers the inland signs.

How can I look up the waterway signs offline? Dalbi holds all 99 visual signs and sound signals on the device, with no data fetch at runtime. You search by full text or filter by category and open every chart with its code and meaning.

Conclusion

Waterway signs on inland waterways are no mystery once you know the eight categories: prohibitions, mandatory signs and restrictions, recommendations and information, the markings of the waterway and the vessels, locks, fixed and movable bridges, and the sound signals. The logic of the buoyage and the tone length of the signals are the two keys most often needed in everyday boating and in the exam.

Take the signs out onto the water, where the signal is missing and the answer counts. Dalbi holds the complete WSV reference with 99 signs offline, searchable and with codes. Download on the App Store and next time pass the buoy, the weir and the bridge without guessing. Anyone who wants to dig deeper finds the common questions about the app in the FAQ.

Sources and rights

The visual signs and sound signals come from the official body of rules of the inland waterway code (BinSchStrO) and from the WSV reference “Important visual signs and sound signals on inland waterways” (status 22 February 2024), published through elwis.de. The BinSchStrO is available in full text at gesetze-im-internet.de.

The signs themselves are part of an official work and, under German copyright law (§ 5 UrhG), are free of copyright; they are reproduced here with attribution and without altering their content. The WSV information sheet as a document rests with the federal government (© federal waterways and shipping administration); Dalbi recreates the charts independently and does not redistribute the document. Dalbi is an independent product; the app’s map data comes from OpenStreetMap (ODbL) and the WSV waterway network (dl-de/by-2-0), not from this information sheet.