OOW Bouyage Flashcards
Getting clear on all Bouyage characteristics and rules
What do you do if steaming North you find a North Cardinal in front of you?
Stop the vessel. Call the Master. Safe water is behind you.
You’re steaming 270° and you see a North Cardinal. What do you do, Port or Starboard?
I would sound 1 short blast and alter course to Starboard
The IALA systems are made up of six types of buoys.
- Lateral Marks indicate the edges of a channel.
- Cardinal marks indicate the direction of safe water at a dangerous spot.
-
Safe water marks indicate the deep water open end of a channel and safest point to
pass under bridge. -
Special marks indicate a special area or feature, e.g. pipe outfall, areas of
administration/speed restriction/water-skiing, etc. - Isolated danger marks indicate a hazard to shipping.
- Emergency Wreck Marking Buoy introduced in 2006.
What Buoy is this?
Identification: Port Hand Lateral Marker, IALA A
Use: used to mark the limits of the channel.
Colour: red
Shape: Spar, Pillar, or Can
Top mark: red can
Light colour & sequence A red flashing light of any rhythm other than composite group flashing (2+1)
Q.R, Fl.R, LFl.R, Fl(2)R
Retroflective tape: a red band or sqaure
Tell me all you know about a North Cardinal
Identification: North Cardinal Marker**
Use: used to indicate safe water to the North of the mark.
Colour: BY
Shape: Spar or Pillar if it is a bouy
Top mark: Two cones, Apex’s pointing up.
Light colour and sequence A white light flashing continuously VQ or Q
Retroflective tape: two lines placed horizontally Blue over Yellow
What is this Bouy?
Identification: East Cardinal Marker**
Use: used to indicate safe water to the East of the mark.
Colour: BYB
Shape: Spar or Pillar if it is a bouy
Top mark: Two cones, Apex’s pointing away from each other.
Light colour and sequence A white light flashing Q.(3)10s or VQ.(3) 5s
Retroflective tape: two horizontal lines placed horizontally Blue over Blue
What is this Bouy?
Identification: West Cardinal Marker**
Use: used to indicate safe water to the West of the mark.
Colour: YBY
Shape: Spar or Pillar if it is a bouy
Top mark: Two cones, Apex’s pointing toward each other.
Light colour and sequence A white light flashing VQ.(9) 10s or Q.(9)15s
Retroflective tape: two lines placed horizontally Yellow over Yellow
What Bouy is this?
Identification: South Cardinal Marker**
Use: used to indicate safe water to the South of the mark.
Colour: YB
Shape: Spar or Pillar if it is a bouy
Top mark: Two cones, Apex’s pointing down.
Light colour and sequence A white light flashing VQ.(6)+LFl.10s or Q.(6)+LFl.15s
Retroflective tape: two lines placed horizontally Yellow over Blue
Identification: Special Marker Bouy
Use: Used to indicate to the mariner a special area or feature, the nature of which is apparent from
reference to a chart, sailing directions or notices to mariners, special marks.
Uses include the marking of:
”CROFTS”
Cables or pipelines
Recreation zones
ODAS buoys
Firing or Military exercise zones
Traffic separation schemes (where use of conventional where channel marking might
cause confusion)
Spoil grounds
Another function of special marks is to define a channel within a channel.
Colour: Yellow
Shape: Spar, Pillar, Can, Cone or Sphere
Top mark: Yellow diagonal cross
Light colour and sequence: Yellow light, any rhythm that can’t be confused with a white light in the vicinity.
Retroflective tape: ????????
What is this Bouy
Identification: North Cardinal Marker**
Use: used to indicate safe water to the North of the mark.
Colour: BY
Shape: Spar or Pillar if it is a bouy
Top mark: Two cones, Apex’s pointing up.
Light colour and sequence A white light flashing continuously VQ or Q
Retroflective tape: two lines placed horizontally Blue over Yellow
What is this bouy?
Identification: IALA A, Port hand Lateral Marker (preferred channel to Starboard.)
Use: used to indicate the preferred channel to Starboard
Colour: red w/ one broad green band
Shape: Spar, Pillar, or Can
Top mark(when fitted): Single red can
Light colour and sequence A red light, composite group flashing (2+1).
Fl(2+1)R
Retroflective tape: a red band or sqaure
Identification: IALA A, Starboard hand Lateral Marker (preferred channel to Port.)
Use: used to indicate the preferred channel to Port
Colour: green w/ one broad red band
Shape: Spar, Pillar, or Conical
Top mark(when fitted): Single green cone apex pointing upwards
Light colour and sequence A green light, composite group flashing (2+1).
Fl(2+1)R
Retroflective tape: a green triangle
Identification: IALA B, Port hand Lateral Marker (preferred channel to Starboard.)
Use: used to indicate the preferred channel to Starboard
Colour: green w/ one broad red band
Shape: Spar, Pillar, or Can
Top mark(when fitted): Single green can
Light colour and sequence A green light, composite group flashing (2+1).
Fl(2+1)G
Retroflective tape: a green band or sqaure
Identification: IALA B, Starboard hand Lateral Marker (preferred channel to Port)
Use: used to indicate the preferred channel to Port
Colour: red w/one broad green band
Shape: Spar, Pillar, or Conical
Top mark(when fitted): Single red cone, apex pointing upwards.
Light colour and sequence A red light, composite group flashing (2+1).
Fl(2+1)R
Retroflective tape: a red band or triangle.
Identification: Port Hand Lateral Marker, IALA B
Use: used to indicate the limits of the channel.
Colour: green
Shape: Spar, Pillar, or Can
Top mark(when fitted): A single green cone apex pointing upward.
Light colour & sequence A green flashing light of any rhythm other than composite group flashing (2+1)
Q.R, Fl.R, LFl.R, Fl(2)R
Retroflective tape: a green band or sqaure
Identification: Starboard hand Lateral Marker, IALA A
Use: used to indicate the limits of the channel.
Colour: green
Shape: Spar, Pillar, or Conical
Top mark(when fitted): A single green cone apex pointing upward.
Light colour & sequence A green flashing light of any rhythm other than composite group flashing (2+1)
Q.G, Fl.G, LFl.G, Fl(2)G
Retroflective tape: a green band or triangle
Identification: Starboard Hand Lateral Marker, IALA B
Use: used to indicate the limits of the channel.
Colour: Red
Shape: Spar, Pillar, or Conical
Top mark(when fitted): A single red cone apex pointing upward.
Light colour & sequence A red flashing light of any rhythm other than composite group flashing (2+1)
Q.R, Fl.R, LFl.R, Fl(2)R
Retroflective tape: a red band or triangle
Identification: Isolated Danger Mark
Use: They are erected on or moored on or above an isolated danger with navigable water all
around it. You would do a chart assessment and then pass it by a wider margin as practical.
Colour: Black w/ one or more red bands
Shape: No significance is attached to the shape of isolated Danger marks, but in the case of buoys,
Spare or Pillar are used.
Top mark:Two back spheres.
Light colour & sequence A white light group-flashing (2)
GP. FL.(2)
Retroflective tape: two lines placed horizontally Blue over Red
Identification: Safe Water Mark
Use: Such a mark may be used to indicate that there is navigable water all round a mark.
- Used to indicate Centerline
- Mid-channel or Landfall buoy
- Indicate the best point of passage under a fixed bridge
Colour: Red and white vertical stripes
Shape: Spherical, pillar or spar buoys are used as Safe Water marks
Top mark: A red spherical top mark is used if the buoy is not spherical. It is fitted whenever practicable.
Light colour & sequence When lit a white light:
- Occulting (OC)
- Isophase (ISO)
- One long flash every 10 seconds (LFI.10s)
- Mo(A) ( ._ )
Retroflective tape: Red and white stripe bands, placed either vertically or horizontally.
Identification: “Emergency Wrecker Marking Bouy”
Use: The sinking of the M/V Tricolor in the Dover Strait in 2002 and the subsequent carnage
caused the creation of this new buoy in 2006!
This is designed to provide high visual and radio aid to navigation recognition. Placed as
close to the wreck as possible, or in a pattern around the wreck, and within any other marks
that may be subsequently deployed.
The Emergency Wreck Marking Buoy is maintained in position until:
- The wreck is well known and has been promulgated in nautical publications
- The wreck has been fully surveyed and exact details such as position and least depth
above the wreck are known.
- A permanent form of marking of the wreck has been carried out.
Colour: Blue and yellow vertical stripes
(minimum of 4 stripes and maximum of 8 stripes).
Shape: Pillar or Spar bouy is used.
Top mark: A standing/upright yellow cross.
Light colour & sequence Alternating blue and yellow occulting light with a nominal range of 4
nautical miles where the blue and yellow 1 second flashes are alternated with an
interval of 0.5 seconds.
(Note) If multiple buoys are deployed, then the lights should be synchronised.
Consideration should be given to the use of a racon Morse code “D” (dah dit dit) and/or AIS
transponder.
