Buoys

6 types of sea buoys used in maritime pilotage to aid in your sailing navigation, defined by International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA)

Cardinal Marks

Named after the cardinal parts of the compass, they indicate the position of a danger

Direction of Buoyage

Identified on charts, the direction of buoyage helps prevent collisions at sea by clearly providing the direction vessels should be travelling in

Emergency Wreck Buoys

Placed above, or as close to, new wrecks and underwater hazards

IALA Buoyage Systems

The International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) that standardised the world's navigational buoys into two systems

Isolated Danger Buoys

Placed directly above a hazard such as a submerged rock or a wreck, but has navigable water all around it

Lateral Marks

Define the edges of a navigable channel, most commonly when entering/leaving harbours

Preferred Channel Markers

Used when there's 2 different navigable channels available, they are placed at the split of channels to identify which is the preferred channel

Safe Water Markers

Sailing buoy, identifies that safe, navigable water is all around

Special Marks

Indicate special areas or features such as military exercise zones, recreation zones, traffic separators etc

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