8/26/2020 IALA Buoyage System

IALA Buoyage System

The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) is
a non-pro t organization founded in 1957 to collect and provide nautical expertise and advice.

• 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 and open end of a channel.

• Special marks indicate administrative areas, such as speed restrictions or water skiing areas.

• Isolated danger marks indicate a hazard to shipping.

Lateral Marks

Buoyage System Regions

Region A

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Region A comprises nations in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, parts of Africa and most of Asia
other than the Philippines, Japan and Korea.

• Port marks are red and may have a red ashing light of any rhythm other than composite
group ashing (2+1)

Colour: Red.
Shape: Can, pillar or spar.
Topmark (when tted): Single red can.
Retrore ector: Red band or square.

• Starboard marks are green and may have a green ashing light of any rhythm  other than
composite group ashing (2+1)

Colour: Green.
Shape: Conical, pillar or spar.
Topmark (when tted): Single green cone point upward.
Retrore ector: Green band or triangle.

PREFERRED CHANNELS
At the point where a channel divides, when proceeding in the conventional direction of
buoyage, a preferred channel indicated by: 

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Preferred channel to starboard

Colour: Red with one broad green horizontal band.
Shape: Can, pillar or spar.
Topmark (when tted): Single red can.
Retrore ector: Red band or square.

Preferred channel to port

Colour: Green with one broad red horizontal band.
Shape: Conical, pillar or spar.
Topmark (when tted): Single green cone point upward.
Retrore ector: Green band or triangle.

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Region B
Region B comprises nations in North America, Central America and South America, the Taiwan,
Philippines, Japan and Korea.

• Port marks are green and may have a green ashing light of any rhythm  other than
composite group ashing (2+1)

Colour: Green.
Shape: Can, pillar or spar.
Topmark (when tted): Single green can.
Retrore ector: Green band or square.

• Starboard marks are red and may have a red ashing light of any rhythm  other than
composite group ashing (2+1)
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Colour: Red.
Shape: Conical, pillar or spar.
Topmark (when tted): Single red cone point upward.
Retrore ector: Red band or traingle.

PREFERRED CHANNELS
At the point where a channel divides, when proceeding in the conventional direction of
buoyage, a preferred channel indicated by:

Preferred channel to starboard

Colour: Green with one broad red horizontal band.
Shape: Can. pillar or spar.
Topmark (when tted): Single green can.
Retrore ector: Green band or square.

Preferred channel to port

Colour: Red with one broad green horizontal band.
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Shape: Conical, pillar or spar.

Topmark (when tted): Single red cone point upward.
Retrore ector: Red band or triangle.

Cardinal Marks
A cardinal mark is a sea mark (a buoy or other oating or xed structure) used in maritime
pilotage to indicate the position of a hazard and the direction of safe water.

Cardinal marks indicate the direction of safety as a cardinal (compass) direction (north, east,
south or west) relative to the mark. This makes them meaningful regardless of the direction or
position of the approaching vessel, in contrast to the (perhaps better-known) lateral mark
system.

A cardinal mark indicates one of the four compass directions by:

• The direction of its two conical top-marks, which can both point up, indicating north; down,
indicating south; towards each other, indicating west; or away from each other, indicating east

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• Its distinctive pattern of black and yellow stripes, which follows the orientation of the cones –
the black stripe is in the position pointed to by the cones (e.g. at the top for a north cardinal, in
the middle for a west cardinal)

• Optionally, its distinctive sequence of ashing light, which consists of a sequence of quick or
very quick ashes whose number gives the clockface position which corresponds to the
direction of the cardinal (e.g. three for an east cardinal, nine for a west; north has continuous
ashes, and south may be augmented with a long ash, to help distinguish it from a west in
di cult conditions)

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Safe Water Marks

It usually implies that open, deep and safe water lies ahead, though it is sometimes also used
to indicate the start and end of a buoyed section of a continuous narrow channel, or a line of
these marks can be used to mark a safe route through shallow areas.

The marker is also sometimes known as a Fairway Buoy.

Colour: Red and White

Shape: Pillar or spar
Topmark: Red sphere
Retrore ector: Red and White

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Special Marks
A Special Mark, as de ned by the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities, is a sea
mark used in maritime pilotage. It is recognisable by its yellow colour and X, (often referred to
as a St. Andrews Cross) top-mark. It has a distinctive sequence of various ashes that does not
match any other navigational mark ashes in its vicinity.

Colour: Yellow
Shape: Optional
Topmark: Yellow
Retrore ector: Yellow

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Isolated Danger Marks

An Isolated Danger Mark, as de ned by the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities,
is a sea mark used in maritime pilotage to indicate a hazard to shipping such as a partially
submerged rock.

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It is recognisable by its black and red bands and top-mark of two black balls. Its distinctive
sequence of ashing light consists of 2 quick ashes with intervals of 5 seconds.

Colour: Black and Red

Shape: Pillar or spar (if a buoy)
Topmark: Two black spheres
Retrore ector: Blue and Red

Emergency Wreck Marking Buoy

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The Emergency Wreck Marking Buoy, introduced by IMO on the recommendation of IALA, in
2006 (on trial until con rmed in 2010). is designed to provide a highly conspicuous visual and
radio aid to navigation. It will be be 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 will be maintained in position until:

The wreck is well known and has been promulgated in nautical publications i.e. Notices
to Mariners.
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.

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