Fixed and Floating Navigational Aids

Floating Navigational Aids

Buoys

• A navigational buoy represents a floating aid to navigation and should be marked on charts of the area.  The number associated with the buoy may assist in locating it on the chart.
• Leave a reasonable amount of distance between your vessel and the buoy as it’s purpose is often to indicate hazardous water
• Buoys are identified by their color, their light characteristics, the colour of the reflective material, the shape of the topmark, and the shape of the buoy itself.
• Buoys don’t always possess all features.  Some don’t have lights, topmarks, etc.  In such cases they must be identified by the remaining distinguishing characteristics that they do possess.

Lateral Buoys

Countries belong to either region “A” or “B”.  The region the country belongs to defines what is meant by the red and green lateral buoys.  In Canada (which is in region “B”), starboard buoys are red and port buoys are green.  Countries that belong to region “A” have these colours reversed.

Although the use of the expression, “Red right returning” may prove to be useful in determining which side to leave the buoys on, it can lead to confusion that should be properly clarified by referring to charts of the area.  As an example of this confusion, consider a marina on the east bank of a river that flows from the north.  A vessel travelling from the south to the north may typically be leaving red buoys on the right and green ones on the left as it travels in a returning/upstream direction yet may find a series of both red and greens that mark the entrance to the marina.  In this case, if the vessel intends to travel further upstream, both colours of these marina entrance buoys would be left on their starboard side.  There may also be areas where what is meant by the returning direction is unknown to the mariner.  Although the returning direction is typically denoted by the direction of the tidal flood, once again it is advised that the mariner refer to charts of the area for an accurate understanding of what is meant by the buoy.

There are five types of lateral buoys: port hand, starboard hand, port bifurcation, starboard bifurcation, and fairway.

Port Hand Buoy

1. A port hand buoy marks the port (left) side of a channel or the location of a danger which must be kept on the vessel’s port (left) side when proceeding in the upstream direction.
2. A port hand buoy is colored green, displays identification letter(s) and odd number(s) and
   1. if it carries a light, the light is green and is a flashing (Fl)4s or quick flashing (Q)1s light,
   2. if it carries retroreflective material, such material is green,
   3. if it does not carry a light, it has a flat top, and
   4. if it carries a topmark, the topmark is a single green cylinder.

Starboard Hand Buoy

1. A starboard hand buoy marks the starboard (right) side of a channel or the location of a danger which must be kept on the vessel’s starboard (right) side when proceeding in the upstream direction.
2. A starboard hand buoy is colored red, displays identification letter(s) and even number(s) and
   1. if it carries a light, the light is red and is a flashing (Fl)4s or quick flashing (Q)1s light,
   2. if it carries retroreflective material, such material is red,
   3. if it does not carry a light, it has a pointed (conical) top, and
   4. if it carries a topmark, the topmark is a single red cone pointing upward.

Port Bifurcation Buoy

1. A port bifurcation buoy marks the point where a channel divides when viewed from a vessel proceeding in the upstream direction and indicates that the preferred or main channel is on the starboard (right) side of the buoy.
2. A port bifurcation buoy is colored green with one broad red horizontal band, displays identification letter(s), and
   1. if it carries a light, the light is green and is a composite group flashing Fl(2+1)6s or Fl(2+1)10s light,
   2. if it carries retroreflective material, such material is green,
   3. if it does not carry a light, the top of the buoy is flat, and
   4. if it carries a topmark, the topmark is a single green cylinder.

Starboard Bifurcation Buoy

1. A starboard bifurcation buoy marks the point where a channel divides when viewed from a vessel proceeding in the upstream direction and indicates the preferred or main channel is on the port (left) side of the buoy.
2. A starboard bifurcation buoy is colored red with one broad green horizontal band, displays identification letter(s), and
   1. if it carries a light, the light is red and is a composite group flashing Fl(2+1)6s or Fl(2+1)10s light,
   2. if it carries retroreflective material, such material is red,
   3. if it does not carry a light, the top of the buoy is conical, and
   4. if it carries a topmark, the topmark is a single red cone pointing upward.

Fairway Buoy

1. A fairway buoy indicates safe water. It is used to mark landfalls, channel entrances or the centre of a channel. It may be passed on either side but should be kept to the port (left) when proceeding in either direction.
2. A fairway buoy is colored red and white in wide vertical stripes of equal widths, displays identification letter(s), and
   1. if it carries a light, the light is white and is either a Morse “A” Mo(A)6s light or a long flash (LFl)10s light,
   2. if it carries retroreflective material, such material is white,
   3. if it does not carry a light, the top of the buoy is spherical, and
   4. if it carries a topmark, the topmark is a single red sphere.

Isolated Danger Buoys

1. An isolated danger buoy is moored on, or above, an isolated danger which has navigable water all around it.
2. An isolated danger buoy is black with one broad red horizontal band, displays identification letter(s), and
   1. if it carries a light, the light is white and is a group flashing Fl(2)5s or Fl(2)10s light,
   2. if it carries retroreflective material, such material is white,
   3. if it does not carry a light, it is normally spar shaped although other shapes may be used, and
   4. if it carries a topmark, the topmark is two black spheres, one above the other.

Cardinal Buoys

Cardinal buoys indicate the location of the safest or deepest water by reference to the cardinal points of the compass. There are four cardinal buoys: North, East, South and West.

If a cardinal buoy carries retroreflective material, such material is white. Where lights are not present, the cardinal buoy will normally be spar shaped although other shapes may be used.

North Cardinal Buoy

1. A north cardinal buoy is located so that the safest water exists to the north of it.
2. A north cardinal buoy is colored black and yellow in approximately equal areas above the waterline, the top half of the buoy being black and the lower half being yellow. It displays identification letter(s) and
   1. if it carries a light, the light is white and is a quick flashing (Q)1s or very quick flashing (VQ)5s light, and
   2. if it carries a topmark, the topmark is two black cones, one above the other, pointing upward.

East Cardinal Buoy

1. An east cardinal buoy is located so that the safest water exists to the east of it.
2. An east cardinal buoy is colored black with one broad yellow horizontal band. It displays identification letter(s) and
   1. if it carries a light, the light is white and is a group quick flashing three Q(3)10s or a group very quick flashing three VQ(3)5s light, and
   2. if it carries a topmark, the topmark is two black cones, one above the other, base to base.

South Cardinal Buoy

1. A south cardinal buoy is located so that the safest water exists to the south of it.
2. A south cardinal buoy is colored black and yellow in approximately equal areas above the waterline, the top half of the buoy being yellow and the lower half being black. It displays identification letter(s) and
   1. if it carries a light, the light is white and is a group quick flashing six plus long flash (Q(6)+LFl)15s light or group very quick flashing six plus long flash(VQ(6)+LFl)10s light, and,
   2. if it carries a topmark, the topmark is two black cones, one above the other, pointing downward.

West Cardinal Buoy

1. A west cardinal buoy is located so that the safest water exists to the west of it.
2. A west cardinal buoy is colored yellow with one broad black horizontal band. It displays identification letter(s) and
   1. if it carries a light, the light is white and is a group quick flashing nine Q(9)15s light or a group very quick flashing nine VQ(9)10s light, and
   2. if it carries a topmark, the topmark is two black cones, one above the other, point to point.

Special Buoys

Anchorage Buoy

1. An anchorage buoy marks the perimeter of a designated anchorage area.
2. An anchorage buoy is colored yellow, displays a black anchor symbol on at least two opposite sides, displays identification letter(s), and, if it carries a topmark, the topmark is a single yellow “X” shape.

Cautionary Buoy

1. A cautionary buoy marks an area where mariners are to be warned of dangers such as firing ranges, racing courses, seaplane bases, underwater structures, aquaculture, of areas where no safe through channel exists, and of traffic separations. The mariner must consult his chart to determine the precise nature of the danger being marked.
2. A cautionary buoy is colored yellow, displays identification letter(s) and if it carries a topmark, the topmark is a single yellow “X” shape.

Control Buoy

1. A control buoy marks an area where boating is restricted.
2. A control buoy is colored white and has an orange, open faced circle on two opposite sides and two orange horizontal bands, one above and one below the circles. A black figure or symbol inside the orange circles indicates the nature of the restriction in effect. It may display identification letter(s).

Diving Buoy

1. A diving buoy marks an area where scuba or other such diving activity is in progress.
2. A diving buoy is colored white and carries a red flag not less than 50 centimeters square with a white diagonal stripe extending from the tip of the hoist to the bottom of the fly. It may display identification letter(s) and if it carries retroreflective material, such material is yellow.

Hazard Buoy

1. A hazard buoy marks random hazards such as rocks, shoals or turbulent waters located outside the main channel.
2. A hazard buoy is colored white and has an orange diamond on two opposite sides and two orange horizontal bands, one above and one below the diamond symbols. Information words or symbols concerning the hazard may be placed within the diamond symbol, or if space doesn’t permit, between the orange bands. It may also display identification letter(s).

Information Buoy

1. An information buoy displays, by means of words or symbols, information of interest to the mariner.
2. An information buoy is colored white and has an orange, open faced square symbol on two opposite sides and two orange horizontal bands, one above and one below the square symbols. The information words or symbols are black and are placed within the white face of the square symbol. It may display identification letter(s).

Keep-out Buoy

1. A keep-out buoy marks an area where boats are prohibited.
2. A keep-out buoy is colored white and has an orange diamond containing an orange cross on two opposite sides and two orange horizontal bands, one above and one below the diamond symbols. It may display identification letter(s).

Mooring Buoy

1. A mooring buoy is used for mooring or securing a vessel, seaplane, etc.
2. A mooring buoy is colored white and orange, the orange colour covering the top one third of the buoy above the waterline. It may display identification letter(s).

Ocean Data Acquisition System (ODAS) Buoy

1. An ODAS buoy marks a scientific, meteorological or oceanographic station.
2. An ODAS buoy shall not exhibit a shape that conflicts with any navigational mark.
3. An ODAS buoy is colored yellow, displays identification letter(s) and
   1. if it carries a light, the light is yellow and is a group flashing light of 5 flashes every 20 seconds, Fl(5)20s, and
   2. if it carries a topmark, the topmark is a single yellow “X” shape.

Swimming Buoy

1. 1. A swimming buoy marks the perimeter of a swimming area.
   2. A swimming buoy is colored white, and may display identification letter(s)

Fixed Navigational Aids

Range lights

• When navigating in a channel, range lights (also known as leading lights) are a pair of beacons with lights above them used to indicate safe passage for vessels entering a shallow or dangerous channel.
• During daytime, the stripe in the middle each range light beacon can be visibly lined up with one another indicating that the observer is navigating in safe water.  At night, these can be lined up by way of the lights atop each of the beacons.  As these are fixed navigational aids on shore, common sense should be employed when approaching the shoreline that they reside on.
• This principle of lining them up to indicate safe water can also be done from astern of the ship.  If they are lined up astern of the ship, the ship is again indicated by the beacons to be travelling in safe water.

Sector Lights

• Sector lights are fixed navigational aids that shine a sectored light with different characteristics when observed from different absolute bearings.
• Sector lights are typically meant to assist traffic through a safe channel at night.
• Charts of the area may be useful in determining which hazards exist outside of their visible arcs.
• The red light indicates the port edge of the light and the green indicates the starboard edge of the light.

Lighthouses

• Lighthouses are the most reliable fixed aids to navigate by as they’re usually equipped with very powerful lights and will also emit sound signals automatically during periods of restricted visibility.
• Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines as well as safe entries to harbors.  In general, be cautious when navigating the waters near lighthouses.