Buoyage system (Questions and Answers)Cardinal Buoys for Buoyage System A & BNorth CardinalEast Cardinal South Cardinal West Cardinal

White Light;V.Q. FlashingOr Quick FlashingContinuous;Pass to the Northside of this buoyWhite light; V.Q.or Q. Flashing 3 every 5 or 10 seconds; Pass to the East side of this buoy White light; V.Q. or Q. 6 flashes plusa long flash every 10 or 15 seconds; Pass to the South side of this Buoy White light; V.Q. or Q. 9 Flashes every 10 or 15 seconds; Pass to the West side of this buoy

Cardinal Buoys (Marking a new danger)

This lets you know there is a new danger that may not be in the weekly notices to mariners; The second cardinal buoy will have a racon beacon that you will see on your radar display, usually Morse D You still keep to the North side of the buoy's

Lateral Marks for Buoyage System A (Check charts for direction of Buoyage)

Port Hand Lateral Mark Port Hand Lateral MarkPreferred channel to Starboard Starboard Hand Lateral MarkPreferred channel to Port Starboard Hand Lateral Mark

Red Light; Any Rhythm except 2 +1; Going with direction of Buoyage, alter to starboard and take the buoy down your port side Red Light; Flashing 2 +1; Going with direction of Buoyage, alter to starboard and take the buoy down your port side, you can go up the wrong side of the buoy if you have a shallow drafted vessel and have local knowledge of the area Green Light; Flashing 2 + 1; Going with direction of Buoyage, alter to port and take the buoy down your starboard side, you can go up the wrong side of the buoy if you have a shallow drafted vessel and have local knowledge of the area Green Light; Any Rhythm except 2 + 1; Going with direction of Buoyage, alter to port and take the buoy down your starboard side

Lateral Marks for Buoyage System B (Check Charts for Direction of Buoyage)

Port Hand Lateral Mark Port Hand Lateral MarkPreferred channel to Starboard Starboard Hand Lateral MarkPreferred channel to Port Starboard Hand Lateral Mark

Green Light; Any Rhythm except 2 +1; Going with direction of Buoyage, alter to starboard and take the buoy down your port side Green Light; Flashing 2 +1; Going with direction of Buoyage, alter to starboard and take the buoy down your port side, you can go up the wrong side of the buoy if you have a shallow drafted vessel and have local knowledge of the area Red Light; Flashing 2 + 1; Going with direction of Buoyage, alter to port and take the buoy down your starboard side, you can go up the wrong side of the buoy if you have a shallow drafted vessel and have local knowledge of the area Red Light; Any Rhythm except 2 + 1; Going with direction of Buoyage, alter to port and take the buoy down your starboard side

Special Marks

Port Hand Lateral Special MarkStarboard Hand Lateral Special MarkSpar Buoy Special MarkSafewater Special Mark

Yellow Light; Any Rhythm not used for any buoys with white lights in the area;

Going with direction of Buoyage, alter to starboard and take the buoy down your port side Going with direction of Buoyage, alter to port and take the buoy down your starboard sidePass either side, preferable alter to starboard and take the buoy down your port side Pass either side, preferable alter to starboard and take the buoy down your port side

Safe Water and Isolated Danger Buoys

Safewater or Landfall BuoyIsolated Danger Mark

White Light; One of four flashes Isophase Occulting Morse A Long flash every 10 seconds You can pass either side of this buoy, preferable altering to starboard and take the buoy down your port side Long Flash is between 4 6 seconds White Light; Group Flash 2; You can pass either side of this buoy, preferable altering to starboard and take the buoy down your port side

Direction Of Buoyage

Magenta Arrow This will be on every chart and lets you know the direction of Buoyage Caution !!! During the Oral Exam, the captain will test your knowledge on the buoys, it's common for them to place the wrong top marks on the buoys

Direction of Buoyage in Buoyage System A ( U.K. )

North up the North Sea, North up the Irish Sea, North up the west coast of Ireland, East to West in the Pentland Firth and English Channel, and also going into every harbour unless there is two channels going into that harbour then direction of buoyage is going in the South entrance