Buoyage

Quick Quiz
Name: North Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep north of this

Top Mark: Two Cones both

pointing up

Colour: Black Top, Yellow

Bottom (cones point to black)

Light: Continuous Flashing

(Quick or V Quick)
Name: South Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep south of this

Top Mark: Two Cones both

pointing down

Colour: Yellow Top, Black

Bottom (cones point to black)

Light: Six Flashes plus one

long (Quick or V Quick)
Name: East Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep east of this

Top Mark: Two Cones top one

points up, bottom one points
down (Easter Egg)

Colour: Black Top, Yellow

Middle, Black Bottom (cones
point to black)

Light: 3 Flashes (Quick or V

Quick)
Name: West Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep west of this

Top Mark: Two Cones top one

pointing down, bottom one
pointing up

Colour: Yellow Top, Black

Middle, Yellow Bottom (cones
point to black)

Light: 9 Flashes (Quick or V

Quick)
Name: Isolated Danger Mark

Action: Keep well clear

Top Mark: Two Balls

Colour: Black and Red Strips

Light: 2 flashes
Name: Safe Water Mark

Action: Check the chart for

meaning, often the start of a
channel but otherwise safe
water around

Top Mark: Single Red Ball

Colour: Red and White

Vertical Strips

Light: Any of Isophase,

Occulting, Morse A…
Name: Special Mark

Action: Check the chart for

meaning, used to mark TSS,
special areas, as race marks
and many other options…

Top Mark: Yellow Cross

Colour: Yellow

Light: Yellow Flashing Light of

a pattern that would not be
confused with a buoys with a
white light
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark

IALA: System A

Action: Leave to port to stay in

the channel

Top Mark: Flat Top

Colour: Red

Light: Sequence of flashing

Red
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark

IALA: System A

Action: Leave to starboard to

stay in the channel

Top Mark: Conical or Pointed

Top

Colour: Green

Light: Sequence of flashing

Green
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark

IALA: System B

Action: Leave to port to stay in

the channel

Top Mark: Flat Top

Colour: Green

Light: Sequence of flashing

Green
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark

IALA: System B

Action: Leave to starboard to

stay in the channel

Top Mark: Conical or Pointed

Top

Colour: Red

Light: Sequence of flashing

Red
Name: Preferred Channel
Marks

IALA: System A

Action: Preferred Channel to

Starboard

Top Mark: Flat Top

Colour: Red with Green Strip

Light: flashing Red (2 + 1)

Name: Preferred Channel
Marks

IALA: System A

Action: Preferred Channel to

Port

Top Mark: Conical or Pointed

Top

Colour: Green with Red Strip

Light: flashing Green (2 + 1)

 In the UK are we in IALA Region A or B?

A
A

B B

A
A
B
As you enter a harbour in IALA Region A do
you leave the Red Lateral Marks to Port or
Starboard?

Port
As you enter a harbour in IALA Region A do
you leave the Green Lateral Marks to Port or
Starboard?

Starboard
As you enter a harbour in IALA Region B do
you leave the Red Lateral Marks to Port or
Starboard?

Starboard
As you enter a harbour in IALA Region B do
you leave the Green Lateral Marks to Port or
Starboard?

Port
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark

IALA: System A

Action: Leave to port to stay in

the channel

Top Mark: Flat Top

Colour: Red

Light: Sequence of flashing

Red
Name: Safe Water Mark

Action: Check the chart for

meaning, often the start of a
channel but otherwise safe
water around

Top Mark: Single Red Ball

Colour: Red and White

Vertical Strips

Light: Any of Isophase,

Occulting, Morse A…
Name: Special Mark

Action: Check the chart for

meaning, used to mark TSS,
special areas, as race marks
and many other options…

Top Mark: Yellow Cross

Colour: Yellow

Light: Yellow Flashing Light of

a pattern that would not be
confused with a buoys with a
white light
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark

IALA: System B

Action: Leave to starboard to

stay in the channel

Top Mark: Conical or Pointed

Top

Colour: Red

Light: Sequence of flashing

Red
If you were in the USA would you be in IALA Region A or B?

A
A

B B

A
A
B
Name: Preferred Channel
Marks

IALA: System A

Action: Preferred Channel to

Port

Top Mark: Conical or Pointed

Top

Colour: Green with Red Strip

Light: flashing Green (2 + 1)

Name: Isolated Danger Mark

Action: Keep well clear

Top Mark: Two Balls

Colour: Black and Red Strips

Light: 2 flashes
Name: West Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep west of this

Top Mark: Two Cones top one

pointing down, bottom one
pointing up

Colour: Yellow Top, Black

Middle, Yellow Bottom (cones
point to black)

Light: 9 Flashes (Quick or V

Quick)
If you were in Australia would you be in IALA Region A or B?

A
A

B B

A
A
B
Name: Isolated Danger Mark

Action: Keep well clear

Top Mark: Two Balls

Colour: Black and Red Strips

Light: 2 flashes
Name: Wreck Buoy

Action: Keep Clear of Wreck

Top Mark: Optional Yellow

Cross

Colour: Yellow and Blue

Vertical Strips (minimum of 4
stripes and maximum of 8
stripes)

Light: alternating blue and

yellow flashing light
Name: East Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep east of this

Top Mark: Two Cones top one

points up, bottom one points
down (Easter Egg)

Colour: Black Top, Yellow

Middle, Black Bottom (cones
point to black)

Light: 3 Flashes (Quick or V

Quick)
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark

IALA: System B

Action: Leave to starboard to

stay in the channel

Top Mark: Conical or Pointed

Top

Colour: Red

Light: Sequence of flashing

Red
Name: Preferred Channel
Marks

IALA: System A

Action: Preferred Channel to

Starboard

Top Mark: Flat Top

Colour: Red with Green Strip

Light: flashing Red (2 + 1)

 Name: East Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep east of this

Top Mark: Two Cones top one

points up, bottom one points
down (Easter Egg)

Colour: Black Top, Yellow

Middle, Black Bottom (cones
point to black)

Light: 3 Flashes (Quick or V

Quick)

The top mark is missing from this mark

but is it is still possible to identify it?
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark

IALA: System A

Action: Leave to port to stay in

the channel

Top Mark: Flat Top

Colour: Red

Light: Sequence of flashing

Red
 Name: South Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep south of this

Top Mark: Two Cones both

pointing down

Colour: Yellow Top, Black

Bottom (cones point to black)

Light: Six Flashes plus one

long (Quick or V Quick)

The top mark is missing from this mark

but is it is still possible to identify it?
Name: South Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep south of this

Top Mark: Two Cones both

pointing down

Colour: Yellow Top, Black

Bottom (cones point to black)

Light: Six Flashes plus one

long (Quick or V Quick)
If you were in Brazil would you be in IALA Region A or B?

A
A

B B

A
A
B
Name: North Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep north of this

Top Mark: Two Cones both

pointing up

Colour: Black Top, Yellow

Bottom (cones point to black)

Light: Continuous Flashing

(Quick or V Quick)
Name: Safe Water Mark

Action: Check the chart for

meaning, often the start of a
channel but otherwise safe
water around

Top Mark: Single Red Ball

Colour: Red and White

Vertical Strips

Light: Any of Isophase,

Occulting, Morse A…
Name: East Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep east of this

Top Mark: Two Cones top one

points up, bottom one points
down (Easter Egg)

Colour: Black Top, Yellow

Middle, Black Bottom (cones
point to black)

Light: 3 Flashes (Quick or V

Quick)
Name: Special Mark

Action: Check the chart for

meaning, used to mark TSS,
special areas, as race marks
and many other options…

Top Mark: Yellow Cross

Colour: Yellow

Light: Yellow Flashing Light of

a pattern that would not be
confused with a buoys with a
white light
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark

IALA: System B

Action: Leave to port to stay in

the channel

Top Mark: Flat Top

Colour: Green

Light: Sequence of flashing

Green
 Name: North Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep north of this

Top Mark: Two Cones both

pointing up

Colour: Black Top, Yellow

Bottom (cones point to black)

Light: Continuous Flashing

(Quick or V Quick)

The top mark is missing from this mark

but is it is still possible to identify it?
If you were in France would you be in IALA Region A or B?

A
A

B B

A
A
B
Name: North Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep north of this

Top Mark: Two Cones both

pointing up

Colour: Black Top, Yellow

Bottom (cones point to black)

Light: Continuous Flashing

(Quick or V Quick)
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark

IALA: System A

Action: Leave to starboard to

stay in the channel

Top Mark: Conical or Pointed

Top

Colour: Green

Light: Sequence of flashing

Green
Name: West Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep west of this

Top Mark: Two Cones top one

pointing down, bottom one
pointing up

Colour: Yellow Top, Black

Middle, Yellow Bottom (cones
point to black)

Light: 9 Flashes (Quick or V

Quick)
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark

IALA: System A

Action: Leave to starboard to

stay in the channel

Top Mark: Conical or Pointed

Top

Colour: Green

Light: Sequence of flashing

Green
Name: South Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep south of this

Top Mark: Two Cones both

pointing down

Colour: Yellow Top, Black

Bottom (cones point to black)

Light: Six Flashes plus one

long (Quick or V Quick)
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark

IALA: System B

Action: Leave to port to stay in

the channel

Top Mark: Flat Top

Colour: Green

Light: Sequence of flashing

Green
Name: Wreck Buoy

Action: Keep Clear of Wreck

Top Mark: Optional Yellow

Cross

Colour: Yellow and Blue

Vertical Strips (minimum of 4
stripes and maximum of 8
stripes)

Light: alternating blue and

yellow flashing light
 Name: West Cardinal Mark

Action: Keep west of this

Top Mark: Two Cones top one

pointing down, bottom one
pointing up

Colour: Yellow Top, Black

Middle, Yellow Bottom (cones
point to black)

Light: 9 Flashes (Quick or V

Quick)

The top mark is missing from this mark

but is it is still possible to identify it?
If you were in Japan would you be in IALA Region A or B?

A
A

B B

A
A
B