本书是根据IM()STCW78/95公约中有关视觉通信和无线电话通信的要求，以及公约对航海驾驶人员的语言能力要求而编写的。全书可分为两大部分，即信号部分和无线电话通信部分。信号部分包括第一章到第六章，分别是：船舶通信的方法、船上信号设备、国际信号规则、旗号通信、闪光信号灯通信及其他通信和特殊信号；第七章是无线电话通信部分，主要介绍了不同情况下的无线电话通信方法和通信示例等内容。书后编写了编码和解码、叙述和回答、编写、选择等练习。
本书可作为高等学校海船驾驶专业教学用书，也可作为海洋船舶驾驶人员、岸台话务人员及港口管理人员的参考用书。

根据IMO STCW78/95公约要求：船舶驾驶人员仍然必须具备使用视觉信号收发信息的能力、使用国际信号规则的能力及使用IMO标准海事通信用语与他船、岸台等通信的能力。本书在编写过程中以此要求为重点，并着重于实际的需要，系统并通俗地介绍了船舶信号和无线电话通信的相关知识，并结合了相当多的实际示例，语言表达简练，尽可能做到易学易懂。本书实用性、专业性强，且对学习航海英语是一个重要的补充。

Chapter 1 Methods of Communication on Board
Section 1 General
Section 2 Methods of Ship Communications
Chapter 2 Signal Appliances on Board
Section 1 Signal Appliances on Board and Their Equipment
Section 2 Maintenance of Signal Appliances on Ship
Chapter 3 The International Code of Signals (ICS)
Section 1 General
Section 2 Signal Code
Section 3 Transmission Methods of Communication Elements in Signal Code Messages
Section 4 Ship Identification
Chapter 4 Flag Signalling
Section 1 Terms and International Signal Flags
Section 2 Methods of Flag Signalling
Section 3 Flag Etiquette
Chapter 5 Flashing Light Signalling
Section 1 Morse Code
Section 2 Procedure Signals
Section 3 Methods of Light Signalling
Chapter 6 Other Signalling and Special Signals
Section 1 Sound Signalling and Voice over a Loud Hailer
Section 2 Morse Signalling by Hand-Flags or Arms
Section 3 Distress Signals
Section 4 Lifesaving Signals
Section 5 Conflict and Permanent Identification of Rescue Craft
Section 6 Single-letter Signals between Icebreaker and Assisted Vessels
Section 7 Domestic Harbour Signals
Chapter 7 VHF Radiotelephony Communication
Section 1 Type of Marine Radiotelephony
Section 2 VHF Radiotelephony Communication Methods
Section 3 Distress, Urgency and Safety Communications
Section 4 VHF Communication in VTS Areas
Section 5 Radiotelephony Communication in Search and Rescue Operations at Sea
Section 6 Communication for Preventing Collision
Section 7 Comprehensive Examples of Plain Language Messages for Marine Radiotelephony Communication
Exercises
Exercise 1 Coding and decoding
Exercise 2 Answer the following questions as required
Exercise 3 Compilation
Exercise 4 Make the best choice to fill the blanks
Appendixes
Appendix 1 Tables of Complements for Three-letter Signals
Appendix 2 Dialogue from Wavelength
References