nautic.lu Luxembourg · Maritime Solutions
Inland waterway radio · Moselle · Luxembourg and the border region

VHF on board

Which channel for which lock, how to make a distress call, and what you need in Luxembourg to run a set. One page, completely free.

Open the radio assistant Lock channels Distress procedure
Open the radio assistant Type the situation, get the ready message with channel and position. The essentials in 20 seconds
Channel 10Ship-to-ship. First calling channel on the Moselle, continuous watch.
Lock channelDepending on the lock: 18, 20, 22, 78, 79, 81 or 82. Table below.
Channel 77Private ship-to-ship conversation. Nowhere else.
Channel 70DSC. Forbidden on inland waterways — switch the set to ATIS.
1 wattMaximum power for ship-to-ship, port authority and on-board networks.
Channel 16Maritime distress. Inland, only relevant in mixed zones.

Moselle lock channels — Metz to Koblenz

On the Moselle you call the lock on the nautical information network. Every lock has its own channel, and it changes every few kilometres. The locks at Grevenmacher – Wellen and Stadtbredimus – Palzem are jointly operated under the German-Luxembourg condominium.

Small craft under 20 m are not required to carry VHF. If you do carry it, the rules apply — and you will get through the locks a good deal faster.

Lock Moselle km Country VHF channel Phone Leisure-craft lock
Koblenz 1,94 Germany 20 +49 261 9819-3850 yes
Lehmen 20,76 Germany 78 +49 2607 940921 yes
Müden 37,11 Germany 79 +49 2672 9376-21 yes
Fankel 59,38 Germany 81 +49 2671 916780 yes
St. Aldegund 78,37 Germany 82 +49 6542 937121 yes
Enkirch 103,01 Germany 18 +49 6541 837221 yes
Zeltingen 123,84 Germany 20 +49 6531 962921 yes
Wintrich 141,48 Germany 22 +49 6534 9376-0 yes
Detzem 166,18 Germany 78 +49 6507 9381-21 yes
Trier 195,76 Germany 79 +49 651 3609-200 yes
Grevenmacher – Wellen 212,83 LU / DE 18 +352 75 04 24 yes
Stadtbredimus – Palzem 229,86 LU / DE 20 +352 23 66 95 53 yes
Apach 242,43 France 20 — —
Koenigsmacker 258,18 France 20 — —
Thionville 269,79 France 20 — —
Orne (Richemont) 277,50 France 20 — —
Talange 283,41 France 20 — —
Metz 297,28 France 20 — —
Ars-sur-Moselle 306,70 France 20 — —
Pagny-sur-Moselle 318,10 France 20 — —
Blénod / Pont-à-Mousson 331,50 France 20 — —
Custines 343,70 France 20 — —
Pompey / Frouard 347,76 France 20 — —
Aingeray 355,65 France 20 — —
Fontenoy-sur-Moselle 363,62 France 20 — —
Toul 370,58 France 20 — —
Villey-le-Sec 378,82 France 20 — —
Neuves-Maisons 392,10 France 20 — —

Leisure-craft locks and boat passes run self-service from 1 April to 31 October in daylight (max. 18 m length, 3.30 m beam, 1.50 m draught). From November to March, leisure craft lock through the main chamber. All French Moselle locks work on channel 20. The applicable channel is also shown on sign B.11 at the lock. If nobody answers, the Luxembourg locks have an intercom on site.

Channel finder

Channel allocation on inland waterways follows the RAINWAT arrangement, which Luxembourg has signed. A channel that is free in one country may be closed next door — the “F” column shows the French status per ANFR.

Channel Ship transmits Shore transmits Mode Network F Note
06 156.300 = 156.300 Simplex Ship-to-ship ✓ allowed in F Closed on the Rhine between km 150 and 350.
08 156.400 = 156.400 Simplex Ship-to-ship ✓ allowed in F
09 156.450 = 156.450 Simplex Nautical information ! restricted in F Not within 40 km of the coast or estuaries.
10 156.500 = 156.500 Simplex Ship-to-ship ✓ allowed in F First ship-to-ship channel. Continuous watch required.
12 156.600 = 156.600 Simplex Ship-to-port authority ✓ allowed in F
13 156.650 = 156.650 Simplex Ship-to-ship · Ship-to-port authority ✓ allowed in F Used in some countries for the ship-to-port network.
14 156.700 = 156.700 Simplex Nautical information ✓ allowed in F Temporary use for special events, with authorisation.
15 156.750 = 156.750 Simplex On-board communications ✓ allowed in F On-board communications only. Typical handheld channel.
16 156.800 = 156.800 Simplex closed / special case ✓ allowed in F Only in mixed inland/maritime zones; distress and safety in the maritime service.
17 156.850 = 156.850 Simplex On-board communications ✓ allowed in F On-board communications only. Typical handheld channel.
18 156.900 161.500 Duplex Nautical information · Ship-to-port authority ✓ allowed in F Used as a lock channel on the Moselle.
19 156.950 161.550 Duplex Nautical information ✓ allowed in F Used as a lock channel on the Moselle.
20 157.000 161.600 Duplex Nautical information ✓ allowed in F Used as a lock channel on the Moselle.
21 157.050 161.650 Duplex Nautical information ✓ allowed in F
22 157.100 161.700 Duplex Nautical information ✓ allowed in F Used as a lock channel on the Moselle.
23 157.150 161.750 Duplex Authority channel ! restricted in F Reserved for the waterway authorities.
26 157.300 161.900 Duplex Authority channel ! restricted in F Reserved for the waterway authorities.
28 157.400 162.000 Duplex Authority channel ! restricted in F Reserved for the waterway authorities.
67 156.375 = 156.375 Simplex Ship-to-ship ✗ not allowed in F Safety operations in the North Sea.
68 156.425 = 156.425 Simplex Nautical information ✓ allowed in F
69 156.475 = 156.475 Simplex Nautical information ! restricted in F Not within 40 km of the coast or estuaries.
70 156.525 = 156.525 Simplex closed / special case ✗ not allowed in F DSC — expressly forbidden on inland waterways.
71 156.575 = 156.575 Simplex Ship-to-port authority ! restricted in F Not within 40 km of the coast or estuaries.
72 156.625 = 156.625 Simplex Ship-to-ship ✓ allowed in F Private conversation permitted.
73 156.675 = 156.675 Simplex Nautical information ✗ not allowed in F Authorised in certain countries only.
75 156.775 = 156.775 Simplex Authority channel ! restricted in F Reserved for the waterway authorities.
76 156.825 = 156.825 Simplex AIS data ✗ not allowed in F Satellite AIS detection.
77 156.875 = 156.875 Simplex Ship-to-ship ✓ allowed in F Private conversation permitted.
78 156.925 161.525 Duplex Nautical information ✗ not allowed in F Used as a lock channel on the Moselle. Not allocated in France, in use in Germany.
79 156.975 161.575 Duplex Nautical information ✗ not allowed in F Used as a lock channel on the Moselle. Not allocated in France, in use in Germany.
80 157.025 161.625 Duplex Nautical information ✗ not allowed in F Not allocated in France, in use in Germany.
81 157.075 161.675 Duplex Nautical information ✗ not allowed in F Used as a lock channel on the Moselle. Not allocated in France, in use in Germany.
82 157.125 161.725 Duplex Nautical information · Authority channel ! restricted in F Used as a lock channel on the Moselle.
83 157.175 161.775 Duplex Nautical information ✗ not allowed in F Not allocated in France, in use in Germany.
87 157.375 = 157.375 Simplex Nautical information · Ship-to-port authority ✓ allowed in F Pilotage, mooring, towing and other nautical purposes.
AIS1 161.975 = 161.975 Simplex AIS data ✓ allowed in F AIS data channel, no voice.
AIS2 162.025 = 162.025 Simplex AIS data ✓ allowed in F AIS data channel, no voice.

Column F = status in France per ANFR: ✓ allowed · ! restricted · ✗ not allocated. Germany and Luxembourg apply partly different allocations — the Moselle locks work on 78, 79, 81 and 82 among others.

The four networks

Inland waterway radio is split into four separate networks. Each has its own channels, rules and maximum power.

Ship to ship

Between vessels: meeting, overtaking, agreeing a course. First calling channel is 10; working channels are 6, 8, 13, 72 and 77.

max. 1 W · simplex

Nautical information

Vessel to shore station: locks, traffic centres, notices to skippers, water levels. On the Moselle, the most important network after ship-to-ship.

up to 25 W · duplex / semi-duplex

Ship to port authority

Berth allocation, harbour traffic, manoeuvring inside the basin.

max. 1 W · simplex

On-board communications

Within one vessel or a pushed/towed convoy, mooring orders. Channels 15 and 17 only.

max. 1 W · simplex

Distress, urgency, safety

Three priority levels, three signal words. Mixing them up delays help. A distress call normally goes to a shore station on the nautical information network — on the Moselle, the relevant lock — or to nearby vessels on channel 10.

Priority 1 — distress

MAYDAY

Vessel or person in grave and imminent danger, immediate assistance required.

Call

  1. MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY
  2. THIS IS
  3. Vessel name, three times
  4. Call sign, once

Message

  1. MAYDAY + vessel name + call sign
  2. Position (river kilometre)
  3. Nature of the distress
  4. Assistance required
  5. Anything that helps the rescuers
  6. OVER
ExampleMAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY.
THIS IS.
Sailing yacht GLADYS, sailing yacht GLADYS, sailing yacht GLADYS.
LX1234 (Lima, X-ray, 1, 2, 3, 4).

MAYDAY Gladys LX1234.
Upbound at Moselle km 212, above Grevenmacher lock.
Collision with a motor freighter, taking water forward.
Require immediate assistance, three persons on board.
No pump of sufficient capacity on board.
OVER.
Priority 2 — urgency

PAN PAN

Urgent situation without imminent danger: grounding without leakage, injured or ill person on board.

Call

  1. PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN
  2. Name of the station called, three times
  3. THIS IS
  4. Vessel name, three times
  5. Call sign, once

Message

  1. Position
  2. Nature of the urgency
  3. Assistance required
  4. What the skipper intends to do
  5. Additional information
  6. OVER
ExamplePAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN.
Stadtbredimus lock, Stadtbredimus lock, Stadtbredimus lock.
THIS IS.
Motor yacht ELISABETH, ELISABETH, ELISABETH.
LX3680.

Downbound at Moselle km 231.
Crew member fallen, probable fractured shoulder.
Request medical assistance.
Moving to the edge of the fairway.
The person is conscious.
OVER.
Priority 3 — safety

SECURITE

Danger to navigation: floating debris, wreckage, blocked passage, weather warning.

Call

  1. SECURITE, SECURITE, SECURITE
  2. Name of the station called, three times
  3. THIS IS
  4. Vessel name, three times
  5. Call sign if applicable, once

Message

  1. What was found or observed
  2. Exact position
  3. Recommendation for other traffic
  4. OUT
ExampleSECURITE, SECURITE, SECURITE.
Grevenmacher lock, Grevenmacher lock, Grevenmacher lock.
THIS IS.
Motor yacht ELISABETH, ELISABETH, ELISABETH.
LX3680.

Floating tree trunk across the fairway at Moselle km 210.5,
left bank, drifting downstream.
Recommend alternating traffic through the right-hand passage.
OUT.

The procedure words MAYDAY, MAYDAY RELAY, SILENCE MAYDAY, SILENCE FINI, PAN PAN, SECURITE, RECEIVED, THIS IS and ALL STATIONS are never translated. For THIS IS, “HIER IST” and “ICI” are permitted; for ALL STATIONS, “AN ALLE FUNKSTELLEN”. OVER and OUT, by contrast, are not in the inland waterway rules — common usage, not prescribed wording.

Acknowledging a distress call

Any station that hears a distress call from a vessel in its vicinity must acknowledge it. On the nautical information network the shore station does this; on ship-to-ship, any station within range.

  1. MAYDAY
  2. Name of the vessel in distress
  3. THIS IS
  4. Own station name
  5. RECEIVED
  6. MAYDAY

MAYDAY RELAY

You relay someone else's distress call when the vessel in distress cannot get through. Signal three times, then repeat the details of the original message.

Radio silence

The station controlling distress traffic can silence everyone with SILENCE MAYDAY, release restricted traffic with PRUDENCE, and close the incident with SILENCE FINI.

Using the set

Mandatory reporting on channel 10

§ 4.05 of the Moselle police regulation: every vessel carrying a radiotelephone installation must report on channel 10 before entering blind sections, narrows in the fairway or bridge openings. That applies to leisure craft too, as soon as a set is on board.

Motorised vessels other than small craft must also keep watch on ship-to-ship and nautical information simultaneously — which needs two sets. Small craft keep a listening watch on ship-to-ship in poor visibility.

ATIS, not DSC

On inland waterways every set must run in ATIS mode. ATIS transmits an identification automatically each time you release the PTT — and limits power to 1 W on the ship-to-ship, port and on-board networks. DSC (channel 70) is forbidden inland.

The ATIS code has the form 9 – MID – call sign. Luxembourg's MID is 253, so Luxembourg ATIS codes begin with 9253…. It is issued with the licence — in Luxembourg by the ILR.

Setting the squelch
  1. Go to channel 10.
  2. Turn the squelch fully open — loud hiss.
  3. Wind it slowly back until the hiss just disappears.
  4. Back off a fraction.
  5. When the speaker gives an occasional “click”, it is set.
Transmit power

Hi/Lo: 25 W maximum, 1 W reduced. On ship-to-ship, ship-to-port and on-board networks, 1 W is mandatory — good sets switch automatically. Handhelds run between 0.1 and 1 W inland.

Antenna

VHF travels line of sight: what the antenna cannot “see”, it cannot hear. So mount it as high as possible, vertical, and at least two wavelengths (about 4 m) from any substantial metal. On the Moselle there is a catch: it has to clear the bridges. A spare antenna on board has saved more than one trip.

Switch dual watch off

The “DUAL WATCH” / “DW” function inherited from the maritime service is not permitted on inland waterways and must be switched off. Keeping watch on two networks requires two separate sets.

Which language?

With a shore station: the language of the country the station is in. Between vessels: the language of the country the calling vessel is navigating in. If understanding fails on the Rhine and Moselle: German. On the Luxembourg Moselle, German and French will get you through.

Radio discipline
  • Keep it to the strict minimum, short sentences, clear speech.
  • Test transmissions of 10 seconds maximum: station name + “radio check”.
  • Follow the shore station's instructions.
  • No private chat outside channel 77 (or 72).
  • Whatever you overhear stays with you — secrecy of correspondence applies on VHF too.

International phonetic alphabet

Vessel names, call signs and abbreviations are spelled out. Stressed syllables are capitalised.

A AlfaAL fah
B BravoBRA vo
C CharlieTSCHAR li
D DeltaDELL tah
E EchoECK o
F FoxtrotFOKS trott
G GolfGOLF
H Hotelho TELL
I IndiaIN di ah
J JuliettDSCHU li ETT
K KiloKI lo
L LimaLI mah
M MikeMAIK
N Novemberno WEMM ber
O OscarOSS kar
P Papapa PAH
Q Quebecke BECK
R RomeoRO mi o
S Sierrasi ERR ah
T TangoTANG go
U UniformYU ni form
V VictorWIK tar
W WhiskeyWISS ki
X X-rayECKS ree
Y YankeeYANG ki
Z ZuluZU luu

Digits

0 NadazeroNA-DA-SI-RO
1 UnaoneU-NA-WANN
2 BissotwoBIS-SO-TU
3 TerrathreeTER-RA-TRI
4 KartefourKAR-TE-FOR
5 PantafivePAN-TA-FAIF
6 SoxisixSOK-SI-SIX
7 SettesevenSET-TE-SEWN
8 OktoeightOK-TO-EIT
9 NovenineNO-WE-NAIN

Certificate and licence

Two separate things: the operator's certificate authorises the person to transmit; the licence belongs to the boat and authorises installation and operation. Both must be on board.

Luxembourg — CORVNI from the ILR

The competent authority is the ILR — Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation. The inland certificate is the CORVNI (Certificat d'Opérateur Radiotéléphoniste sur les Voies de Navigation Intérieures), Luxembourg's equivalent of the German UBI and the French CRR fluvial. Theory and practical exam, valid for life. The ILR also assigns the call sign, MMSI and ATIS code and issues the ship station licence (3 years, renewable). Preparation courses are offered by various boating clubs in Luxembourg; dates and documents are published by the ILR.

Germany — UBI

The UBI (restricted operator's certificate for inland waterway radio) is examined by the DSV/DMYV; frequency assignment comes from the Bundesnetzagentur.

France — CRR fluvial

The CRR fluvial is examined by the ANFR: 20 multiple-choice questions, about 25 minutes, with a pass mark required in each of the two parts. On the Moselle between Metz and the border it is required in all cases. A maritime certificate is accepted inland — the reverse is not true.

Mutual recognition

All RAINWAT states recognise each other's certificates. A Luxembourg CORVNI is therefore valid on the German and French Moselle too — and vice versa.

Exam trainer

Questions in the style of the CRR / CORVNI exam. Click an answer; the score comes at the end. No sign-up, no data, no charge.

22 questions, random order. Pass mark 70 %.

Frequently asked questions

Do I actually need VHF as a leisure boater on the Moselle?

No. Small craft under 20 m hull length are exempt from the carriage requirement. But if you do carry a set, all the rules apply — licence, certificate, ATIS. And in practice: being able to call the lock cuts your waiting time considerably.

Which channel do I call Grevenmacher lock on?

Grevenmacher – Wellen sits at Moselle km 212.9 and works VHF channel 18. The neighbouring Stadtbredimus – Palzem lock at km 229.9 works channel 20.

Which radio certificate do I need in Luxembourg?

The CORVNI, examined by the ILR (Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation). It is valid for life and recognised in all RAINWAT states. A German UBI or a French CRR fluvial is equally valid in Luxembourg.

What is ATIS and why must my set be on it?

ATIS transmits an identification automatically each time you release the PTT, so the authorities can attribute every transmission to a vessel. On inland waterways ATIS mode is mandatory and DSC is forbidden. Luxembourg ATIS codes begin with 9253.

Can I call on channel 16?

Not on the Moselle. Channel 16 is the maritime distress and calling channel; inland it only matters in mixed zones. The ship-to-ship calling channel is 10.

Can I chat on the radio?

Only on channel 77 (and, in France and some other countries, channel 72). On every other channel, only transmissions concerning the safety of persons, navigation and the vessel are permitted.

What does all this cost on nautic.lu?

Nothing. This page, the channel tables, the exam trainer and every listing on nautic.lu are and will remain 100 % free. At no point is money asked for.

Sources

No warranty. This page collects publicly available information as a study aid; it is not an official publication. Channels, operating hours and regulations change. Only the Radiotelephony Guide for Inland Navigation, the applicable police regulations and the notices of the competent authorities are binding. nautic.lu is and remains entirely free.
Updated: 2026-08-23
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