Port Traffic Signals

About Port Traffic Signals

This app helps you understanding International Port Traffic Signals (IPTS) used to control traffic movements in ports and port approaches. This is all about IALA Recommendation E-111.

In the browser section you can find visualization of main messages , exemption messages and auxiliary messages. This can help you memorizing the meaning of these signals and the typical layout (3 lights vertically disposed). We also added some lock signals.

This app further contains a theory section covering background information on Port Traffic Signals. We discuss the 5 rules: Main Movement message, red lights, green lights, a single yellow light and auxiliary signals. We conclude with some notes on lock signals.

Next this app contains a selection of the World Port database.
Clicking on a country flag lists the major ports of that country. A very handy tool if you need to explore major ports of the world or for preparing your sea voyage.

The output of the database query lists the following items: country flag and ISO code of the country, location of the port in WGS84 coordinates and its time zone and the main water body at which the port is located.

We also added a chart tool displaying the port on the globe, for which you need an active internet connection.
You can select your view (grey-scale, satellite or street level) and zoom in to the smallest detail. You can add an extra layer with navigational marks based on the Openseamap format. A very useful feature.

Thank you for using this app!