A guide to canal signs

It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the signs you may encounter while cruising along the waterways. By learning about the types of signs to look out for, you and your crew will be more aware of any potential dangers and navigational rules.

Lock signs

If you’re navigating any hilly areas via canal, you’ll likely need to travel through a lock. This might seem daunting if it’s not something you’ve done before but, our guide explains everything you need to know to make you feel at ease.

Lock signs indicate the presence of a lock on the canal. When operating a lock, you’ll come across a sign that says “keep boat forward of cill marker”. By keeping the boat forward of the cill marker, boaters ensure that their vessel remains clear of the cill when water levels change. The cill is marked on either side of the canal. Keeping ahead of it prevents the boat from getting stuck, which can damage the boat and disrupt the lock operation.

Speed limit signs

The speed limit on most canals is 4 miles per hour and can increase to 6 on some rivers. These speed limits are imposed to reduce the amount of wash created as you travel along the waterway. “Wash” refers to the waves your boat creates as it moves through water, and excessive wash can erode the banks of the waterway and cause harm to the local wildlife.

To avoid creating damaging wash, you might see signs on a boat with waves on either side with a red line through it. This means you should not create any wash in this area and should put your boat in neutral to coast through with minimal disturbance.

Wildlife signs

The canals are home to a variety of different types of wildlife, including ducks and other fascinating creatures like as otters, bats and even owls. There may be signs reminding boaters to be mindful of protected wildlife.

If you’ve brought your dog with you on the route, you could be asked to keep them under control or on a lead when on the towpath. You should also aim to keep your wash as low as possible when going through areas where it could disturb birds’ nests.

Mooring Signs

Mooring signs will tell you where it’s safe to moor, and where it’s prohibited. Boat crews need access to the banks near locks and bridges, so you should not moor there. Other areas you should avoid mooring include;

• Blocking taps
• Near weirs
• Near sharp bends
• On the outside of bends
• By blind spots
• In or opposite turning points
• In stretches marked for anglers

Bridge and Tunnel Signs

There are different types of canal bridges that you might come across on the waterways. Tunnels on the canal can be extremely narrow, and some have low ceilings. Some one-way tunnels operate on a booking system, and others have lights to show when to go and when to wait.

There’s likely to be signs displaying the variable headroom and the width of the tunnel. You’ll also see signs warning you about the hazards of low bridges.

Warning and safety signs

It’s crucial that you obey warning signs as they are there for your safety. Warning signs are displayed to warn boaters of any potential risks such as

• Shallow depth
• Limited headroom
• Overhead cables
• Weirs
• Underwater obstructions

Warning signs are likely to include written warnings along with images to make any potential dangers clear. You may also come across signs asking you to sound your horn before you go around a sharp bend or go through a tunnel as a warning to other canal users.   

For additional help and guidance on how to stay safe on the waterways, read the boaters guide - a full manual including navigation tips and more.

Ready to embark on your next adventure on the waterways? Explore our routes today! Or contact our team for more information.