Prerequisites
You should already be comfortable with IALA Region A buoyage at sea (lateral, cardinal, isolated danger, safe water and special marks) at roughly Day Skipper level, and you should have worked through the earlier ICC lessons on CEVNI signs and inland rules of the road. You need no extra certificate to study this lesson, but if you want your ICC to be valid on inland waters you will need the CEVNI endorsement, which means passing a short written CEVNI test. This lesson covers the buoyage and bank-marking part of that test.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson you should be able to:
- Explain what "left bank" and "right bank" mean on a river and why they are fixed by the direction of the current, not by your heading.
- Identify CEVNI marks for the right side and left side of the fairway by colour, shape, topmark and light.
- Recognise bifurcation (fairway division) marks and decide which way to pass them.
- Read bank signs that show where the fairway runs close to a bank or crosses from one bank to the other.
- Read the marks and lights on bridges that tell you which arch to use.
- Explain the practical differences between CEVNI inland marking and IALA Region A at sea, and where the two systems meet.
Why inland marking needs its own system
At sea, IALA Region A lateral marks are defined by the "direction of buoyage": the general direction a vessel takes when approaching a harbour or river from seaward. Red marks are on your port hand and green on your starboard hand when you are heading in. That works well for harbours and estuaries, but it falls apart on a river network hundreds of kilometres from the sea, where a canal might join two rivers that flow in opposite directions, or where nobody would agree which way is "inbound".
The European Code for Inland Waterways (CEVNI), published by the UN Economic Commission for Europe, solves this by tying everything to the current. Its marking chapter (Annex 8 in the current editions) defines the fairway and its banks from the point of view of a vessel heading downstream. Most European countries base their national inland rules on CEVNI: the French RGPNI ("Code Fluvial"), the Dutch BPR, the German BinSchStrO and the Rhine Police Regulations (RPR) all use the same core marking, with local additions. The RYA booklet G17, European Waterways Regulations, is the standard UK study text for the CEVNI test and follows the same conventions.
National rules do add local variants, and CEVNI itself is revised from time to time. Treat this lesson as the common core, and check the current national regulations and waterway guide before you go.
Left bank and right bank
The rule
Stand in the middle of the river and face downstream, the way the water is flowing. The bank on your right is the right bank. The bank on your left is the left bank. That is all there is to it, and it never changes, whichever way you are travelling.
So if you are motoring upstream, the right bank is on your port side and the left bank is on your starboard side. People get this wrong in the exam more often than anything else, because they forget that the labels belong to the river, not to the boat.
You will see the same terms on maps and in place names: Paris has its Rive Gauche (left bank) and Rive Droite (right bank) on the Seine, named exactly by this rule.
Canals and still water
On a canal or a lake with no obvious current, the authority decides a notional direction. Usually the "downstream" direction runs from the source end towards the outflow, or away from the summit level. Waterway guides and national charts show it. If you cannot find it, the marks themselves tell you: a red mark is always on the right side of the fairway as seen going downstream.
How this compares with the sea
In Region A at sea you keep red to port going in (upstream, effectively). On a CEVNI river, red is on the right bank, which is on your starboard hand going downstream and on your port hand going upstream. Going upstream on a river therefore feels like entering harbour at sea: red to port, green to starboard. Going downstream is the reverse. This happy alignment is deliberate, so that a river's marks blend with the Region A marks of its estuary.
Marks for the sides of the fairway
Right side of the fairway (red)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Colour | Red |
| Shape | Can (cylindrical) buoy, spar buoy, or a post or pole on the bank |
| Topmark (if fitted) | Single red cylinder |
| Light (if fitted) | Red, rhythmic (any rhythm other than fixed, for example flashing or isophase) |
| Position | Marks the limit of the fairway on the right side, seen going downstream |
Left side of the fairway (green)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Colour | Green |
| Shape | Conical buoy, spar buoy, or a post or pole on the bank |
| Topmark (if fitted) | Single green cone, point up |
| Light (if fitted) | Green, rhythmic |
| Position | Marks the limit of the fairway on the left side, seen going downstream |
The shapes match Region A: cans are red, cones are green. You should pass between the red and green marks, keeping inside the fairway. Outside the line of marks there may be groynes, shallows, moored craft, dredged spoil or rocks.
Some older or national editions mark the fairway sides with red-and-white or green-and-white banded spars, and on some waterways you will also find red or green marks on the bank itself (a red board, cylinder or post on the right bank, a green one on the left). The principle is the same: red is on the right side of the fairway, green on the left.
Worked example: which side do I pass?
You are heading upstream on the Moselle. Ahead you see a green conical buoy on your starboard bow, and further on a red can on your port bow.
- Upstream means the right bank is on your port side.
- Red marks the right side of the fairway, so the red can should be on your port side. It is.
- Green marks the left side, so the green cone belongs on your starboard side. It is.
- Steer between them. If the green buoy were on your port side, either you have strayed outside the fairway or you have misjudged the direction of flow, and you should slow down and work it out before going any further.
Bifurcation marks: where the fairway divides
Where a fairway splits, for example at an island or the junction with a side channel, the point of division is marked with a bifurcation mark.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Colour | Red and green horizontal bands |
| Shape | Spherical buoy, or a spar or post |
| Topmark (if fitted) | A sphere, coloured red and green |
| Light (if fitted) | White, usually flashing in a group (for example Fl(3)) or isophase; check the chart |
The colour of the upper band tells you which branch is the main or preferred channel:
- Red band on top: treat the mark mainly as a red (right-side) mark. The main fairway passes with the mark on its right side as seen going downstream, so the preferred channel is to the left of the mark going downstream.
- Green band on top: treat it mainly as a green (left-side) mark, so the preferred channel is to the right of it going downstream.
This is the inland version of the Region A "preferred channel" marks, and the same logic applies: the top colour is the one that wins. If the bands are simply split and you are unsure which branch you want, check your waterway guide or chart. Both branches are usually navigable, but one may be shallower, may lead to a weir, or may be closed to pleasure craft.
The fairway can also divide or rejoin behind an island. Some authorities mark the junction where branches meet again with a similar sphere; the chart or the guide will make clear which is which.
Bank signs: where the fairway runs
On wide rivers the deep channel does not stay in the middle. It hugs the outside of each bend and then crosses over to the other side on the straight stretch between bends. CEVNI uses boards on the bank to show where it runs.
Fairway close to a bank
A board on the bank shows that the fairway runs close to that bank. On the right bank the sign is a square board coloured red and white; on the left bank it is green and white. The board may carry a light of the matching colour. Seeing one tells you to stay near that bank, often because the far side of the river is shallow.
Fairway crossing to the other bank
Where the fairway leaves one bank and crosses to the other, the authority puts a crossing sign on the bank: a yellow cross (an X, St Andrew's cross) on a board. Seen together, the crossing signs on opposite banks show you the line of the crossing. Lit crossing marks show a yellow light; check the chart for the exact characteristic.
Typical use on a big river:
- You round a bend keeping near the outside (right) bank, past red bank marks.
- A yellow X appears on the right bank ahead, and another one on the far (left) bank downstream.
- Steer across the river along the line between the two crosses.
- Once across, you pick up green bank marks on the left bank and keep near that side until the next crossing.
Distance from the bank
A signboard may show a figure in metres: this tells you that the fairway extends that distance out from the sign, or that you must keep a stated distance from the bank (CEVNI restrictive sign C5). The figure is a real limit, not a suggestion: it is usually there because of groynes or shallows.
Marks on bridges
Bridges are where most inland marking errors turn into damage. CEVNI uses boards and lights on the bridge itself to show which arch to use and whether you may pass.
Recommended passages
| Mark | Meaning |
|---|---|
| One yellow diamond (lozenge) on the bridge, lit at night by a fixed yellow light | Recommended passage. Traffic in both directions may use this arch |
| Two yellow diamonds side by side, two fixed yellow lights | Recommended passage, one-way traffic only. Traffic from the other direction is prohibited in this arch |
| Two red-and-white boards either side of an arch (sign A10) | Passage outside the area between the boards is prohibited; stay between them |
| Red-and-white diagonally striped board, or fixed red lights, on an arch | No passage through this arch (prohibitory sign A1) |
| Green boards or fixed green lights either side of an arch | You may pass through this arch; it is open |
The yellow diamond is a recommendation (CEVNI sign D1). You may legally use another open arch, but the recommended one has the best depth and headroom, so commercial traffic will use it and expect you to. A pair of yellow diamonds is stronger: the arch is one-way, and if you meet a barge coming the other way through it, you were in the wrong place.
Headroom
Bridges carry a headroom sign where clearance is limited (sign C2, often with the figure in metres) and many have a headroom gauge on a pier or wall. Inland headroom is usually measured from a reference water level that varies between countries and rivers. Always compare the figure in your guide with the gauge on the day, and know your air draught exactly, including antennas, the bimini and anything on the roof.
Lifting and swing bridges
Movable bridges use traffic lights. The usual meanings are:
- One red light: passage prohibited, the bridge is closed.
- Two red lights side by side, or one above the other: passage prohibited, the bridge is out of service.
- One red and one green light together: passage still prohibited, but the bridge is about to open; get ready.
- One green light: you may pass.
- A yellow light on a movable bridge: passage prohibited for craft that need the bridge opened; small craft that fit underneath may pass in a stated direction.
Locks and lifting bridges are covered in detail in the next lesson.
How CEVNI differs from IALA Region A
| Topic | IALA Region A at sea | CEVNI inland |
|---|---|---|
| Reference direction | Direction of buoyage, heading in from seaward | Downstream, by the current |
| Red marks | Port hand going in | Right side of the fairway (right bank, looking downstream) |
| Green marks | Starboard hand going in | Left side of the fairway |
| Lights on lateral marks | Red or green, any rhythm | Red or green, rhythmic |
| Preferred channel | Lateral mark with a band of the other colour | Bifurcation sphere, top band shows main channel |
| Cardinal marks | Widely used | Rare; may appear on big lakes and some estuaries |
| Bank signs and crossing marks | Not used | Used to show where the fairway runs near or across banks |
| Bridge marks | Rarely needed | Yellow diamonds, red-white boards, lights for arches |
| Distances and speeds | Nautical miles, knots | Kilometres, km/h; river kilometre posts on the bank |
Kilometre posts
Most big rivers carry kilometre boards on the bank, numbered from a datum (for example from the source, from a border, or from a city). They are the inland equivalent of a position line: guides, lock lists and notices to skippers all give positions in river kilometres. Note your kilometre at intervals and you will always know where you are.
Where the two systems meet
At the mouth of a river or the entrance to an estuary, the marking changes from Region A (by direction of buoyage, heading in) to CEVNI (by current, heading downstream). Because red is on the port hand going in at sea, and red is on the right bank (port hand going upstream) on the river, the colours line up and the change is seamless in most places. The handover point is shown in the national regulations and on charts. Large lakes and estuaries, such as the IJsselmeer, the Zeeland waters or Lake Geneva, often use their own buoyage with cardinal marks and their own reference direction: always check the chart.
Worked Example: a passage down the Rhine
You are taking a 12 m motor cruiser downstream on the Rhine on a summer morning. Current about 3 km/h, a gentle bend to the left ahead.
- Banks. You are going downstream, so the right bank is on your starboard side. The red marks belong to starboard, green to port.
- Into the bend. The channel hugs the outside of the bend, which is the right bank. You see red-and-white bank boards on the right bank and keep about 50 m off it, inside the line of red spar buoys over the groyne ends.
- The crossing. Out of the bend, a yellow X appears on the right bank and another far ahead on the left bank. You check astern for an overtaking push-tow, then cross diagonally along the line between them.
- An island. A spherical buoy with red over green bands sits off the upstream end of an island, flashing white at night. Red on top means it acts mainly as a right-side (red) mark, so you leave it on your starboard side and take the left-hand (main) channel. The guide confirms the right-hand side arm leads to a weir.
- A bridge. The road bridge ahead has a yellow diamond over the central arch and red-and-white boards each side of it. You line up on the diamond, check your 4.2 m air draught against the gauge showing 9.1 m, and pass through. One arch to the right shows a red-and-white diagonal board: closed.
- Position. Kilometre board 520 passes to starboard. The marina entrance in your guide is at km 523.5 on the left bank, so you start looking out for it in about ten minutes at 18 km/h over the ground.
Common Mistakes
- Fixing "right bank" to the boat. The right bank is on your right looking downstream, whichever way you are going. Upstream, it is on your port side.
- Assuming red means port. At sea, red is to port going in. Inland, red is on the right bank, so to port only when going upstream.
- Cutting inside the marks. Spar buoys on a river often stand at the end of groynes; the shallows between groynes are dangerous and the current sets across them.
- Ignoring bank signs. On wide rivers the fairway crosses repeatedly. Steering down the middle may put you on a shallow bar.
- Misreading the bifurcation sphere. The top colour decides. Red on top means treat it as a red mark.
- Using a one-way arch the wrong way. Two yellow diamonds mean one-way. Look for the matching marks on the side of the bridge you are approaching.
- Trusting nominal headroom. River levels change by metres. Check the gauge, not just the guide.
- Expecting cardinals. Inland, isolated hazards are often marked only by lateral marks or bank signs, not by cardinals.
Summary
- CEVNI defines the left and right banks by looking downstream.
- Red cans, red cylinder topmarks and red rhythmic lights mark the right side of the fairway; green cones, green cone topmarks and green rhythmic lights mark the left side.
- Going upstream, red is to port and green to starboard, just like entering harbour in Region A.
- Bifurcation marks are red-and-green banded spheres with white lights; the top band shows which side to treat them as.
- Bank signs show the fairway near a bank; yellow X crossing signs show where it crosses the river.
- Bridges: one yellow diamond = recommended two-way arch, two diamonds = one-way, red-and-white boards or red lights = do not pass there.
- Rivers use kilometres and km/h; kilometre boards on the bank give your position.
- Always check the current national rules (RGPNI, BPR, BinSchStrO, RPR) and the waterway guide: local variations exist.
Check Your Understanding
- You are heading upstream. On which side of your boat is the right bank?
Answer: On your port side. The right bank is always on the right when looking downstream, so it is to port when you face upstream.
- Describe a CEVNI mark for the left side of the fairway.
Answer: Green, conical buoy or spar (or a post), with a green cone point-up topmark if fitted, and a green rhythmic light if lit.
- You are going downstream and see a red can buoy ahead. Which side should you leave it on?
Answer: On your starboard side. Red marks the right side of the fairway, and the right bank is on your starboard side going downstream.
- A spherical buoy has a red band above a green band. What is it, and how do you treat it?
Answer: A bifurcation mark where the fairway divides. With red on top, treat it mainly as a right-side (red) mark; the main channel passes with the mark on its right side as seen going downstream.
- What does a yellow X on a board on the bank mean?
Answer: The fairway crosses from this bank towards the opposite bank. Look for the matching crossing sign on the other side and follow the line between them.
- A bridge arch shows two yellow diamonds side by side. What does that mean?
Answer: A recommended passage for one-way traffic only. Vessels coming from the other direction may not use this arch.
- Why do inland marks use downstream as their reference instead of the IALA direction of buoyage?
Answer: Inland networks are far from the sea and canals join rivers flowing different ways, so "heading in from seaward" is meaningless. The current gives a direction everyone can agree on.
- Name two inland marking features that you will not normally meet in Region A at sea.
Answer: Any two of: bank signs showing the fairway near a bank, yellow crossing signs, bridge passage marks (yellow diamonds, red-and-white boards), lifting-bridge traffic lights, and kilometre boards.