Hanyar ruwa ita ce kowane jikin ruwa mai kewayawa . Bambance-bambance mai faɗi yana da amfani don guje wa shubuha, kuma ɓatashi zai kasance da mabambanta mahimmanci dangane da ƙayyadaddun kalmar dai-dai a cikin wasu harsuna. Bambanci na farko ya zama dole tsakanin hanyoyin jigilar ruwa da hanyoyin ruwa da jiragen ruwa na cikin gida ke amfani da su. Hanyoyin jigilar kayayyaki na ruwa suna ƙetara tekuna da tekuna, da wasu tafkuna, inda ake tsammanin zazzagewa, kuma babu aikin injiniya da ake buƙata, sai dai don samar da daftarin jigilar ruwa mai zurfi don kusanci tashar jiragen ruwa ( tashoshi ), ko don samar da ɗan gajeren yanke a kan isthmus; wannan shine aikin magudanar ruwa . Ba a yawanci bayyana tashoshi da aka bushe a cikin teku a matsayin hanyoyin ruwa. Akwai keɓanta ga wannan bambance-bambancen farko, musamman ma don dalilai na shari'a, duba ƙarƙashin ruwan duniya. Inda tashar jiragen ruwa ke cikin ƙasa, ana tunkarar su ta hanyar ruwa da za a iya kiranta "cikin ƙasa" amma a aikace ana kiranta da "hanyar ruwa ta ruwa" (misali Seine Maritime, Loire Maritime, Seeschiffahrtsstraße Elbe).