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IALA MARITIME BUOYAGE SYSTEM

IALA means

International Association of Lighthouse Authorities

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IALA MARITIME BUOYAGE SYSTEM

Two forms of the IALA System :– IALA System “A”-Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Green buoys mark the starboard side of a channel in the “A” system.

– IALA System “B” -North, Central, and South America, Korea, and the Philippines. Green buoys mark the port side of the channel in system “B”.

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IALA REGION

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DIRECTION OF BUOYAGE

Defined in one of two ways: • The general direction - approaching a

harbour, river, estuary or other waterway from seaward, or

• Determined by the appropriate authority. In principle, it follows a clockwise direction around land masses.

• Is indicated in appropriate nautical documents.

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IALA MARITIME BUOYAGE SYSTEM

• Five types of navigation buoys:Lateral Cardinal Isolated danger Safe water Special

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LATERAL MARKS

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LATERAL MARKS

• used in conjunction with a conventional direction of buoyage.

• used for well defined channels. • indicate the port and starboard sides of

the route to be followed. • Where a channel divides, a modified

lateral mark may be used to indicate the preferred route.

• Differ between buoyage regions A and B.

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Port hand Marks – Region A

Colour : Red Shape (Buoys):Cylindrical (can), pillaror sparTopmark (if any) :Single red cylinder (can)Light (when fitted)Red, any other thancomposite groupflashing (2+1)Retroreflector: Red band or

square

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Starboard hand Marks – Region A

Colour : Green Shape (Buoys):Conical, pillar or sparTopmark (if any) :Single green cone, pointupwardLight (when fitted):Green, any other thancomposite groupflashing (2+1)Retroreflector: Green band

or triangle

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LATERAL MARKS – Region APort Hand Stbd Hand

Colour Red Green 

Shape Cylindrical (can), pillar or spar

Conical, pillar or spar

Top Mark Single red cylinder (can)

Single green cone, point upward

Light Red, any other than composite group flashing (2+1)

Green, any other than composite group flashing (2+1)

Retroreflector

Red band or square

Green band or triangle

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CARDINAL MARKS

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CARDINAL MARKS

• The four quadrants (North, East, Southand West) are bounded by the true bearings NW-NE, NE-SE, SE-SW, SW-NW, taken from the point of interest.

• A cardinal mark is named after the quadrant in which it is placed.

• The name of a cardinal mark indicates that it should be passed to the named side of the mark.

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CARDINAL MARKS

Used to: • indicate that the deepest water in

that area is on the named side of the mark

• to indicate the safe side on which to pass a danger

• to draw attention to a feature in a channel such as a bend, a junction, a bifurcation, or the end of a shoal

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North Cardinal markColour : Black above yellowShape (Buoys) :Pillar or sparTopmark (if any) : 2 black cones, points

upwardLight (when fitted) : White, VQ or QRetroreflector: Blue above

yellow

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East Cardinal markColour : Black with single

broad horizontal yellow band

Shape (Buoys) : Pillar or sparTopmark (if any) :2 black cones, base to baseLight (when fitted) : White, VQ(3) every 5 sec or Q(3) every 10 secRetroreflector: Two blue band

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South Cardinal markColour : Yellow above blackShape (Buoys) :Pillar or sparTopmark (if any) : 2 black cones, points

downwardLight (when fitted) : White, VQ(6) + long flash every

10 sec or Q(6) + long flash every 15 sec

Retroreflector: Yellow above blue

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West Cardinal mark

Colour : Yellow with single broad horizontal black band

Shape (Buoys) :Pillar or sparTopmark (if any) :2 black cones, point to pointLight (when fitted) : White, VQ(9) every 10 sec or

Q(9) every 15 secRetroreflector: 2 yellow band

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ISOLATED DANGER MARK 

Mark erected on, or moored on or above, an isolated danger which has navigable water all around it.

Colour : Black with one or more horizontal red bands

Shape (Buoys) : Pillar or sparTopmark (if any) : 2 black spheres, one above

the otherLight (when fitted) : White, Group Flashing (2)Retroreflector: Blue above Red

band

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SAFE WATER MARKS 

Indicate that there is navigable water all round the mark;

• include centre line marks and mid-channel marks.

• an alternative to a cardinal or a lateral mark to indicate a landfall.

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Safe Water MarkColour : Red and white

vertical stripesShape (Buoys) : Spherical;

pillaror spar with spherical topmarkTopmark (if any) : Single red

sphereLight (when fitted) : White.Isophase, Occulting, one Long

flash every 10 sec or Morse A

Retroreflector: Red and White stripes or band

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SPECIAL MARKS

Not primarily intended to assist navigation but which indicate a special area or feature. Example:

• Ocean Data Acquisition Systems (ODAS) marks;

• Traffic Separation marks • Spoil Ground marks; • Military Exercise Zone marks; • Cable or pipe line marks;• Recreation Zone marks.

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SPECIAL MARKS

Colour : YellowShape (Buoys) : Optional,

but not conflicting with navigational marks

Topmark (if any) : Single yellow ‘X’ shape

Light (when fitted) : Yellow. Any rhythm not used for white lights.

Retroreflector: Yellow band or an X

Note: If can, cone or spherical shape is used, will indicate which side to pass.

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Preferred channel

At the point where a channel divides, when proceeding in the conventional direction of buoyage, a preferred channel may be indicated by modifying Port or Starboard lateral marks.

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Preferred channel to Stbd : Region A

Colour : Red with one broadgreen horizontal bandShape (Buoys) :Cylindrical (can), pillar or

sparTopmark (if any) :Single red cylinder (can)Light (when fitted) : Red, Composite group

flashing(2+1)Retroreflector: Red band or

square

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Preferred channel to Port Region A

Colour : Green with one broadred horizontal bandShape (Buoys) : Conical, pillaror sparTopmark (if any) : Single greencone, point upwardLight (when fitted) : Green.Composite group flashing

(2+1)Retroreflector: Green band or

triangle

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Preferred channelTO STBD TO PORT

Colour Red with one broad green horizontal band

Green with one broad red horizontal band

Shape Cylindrical (can), pillar or spar

Conical, pillar or spar

Top Mark

Single red cylinder (can)

Single green cone, point upward

Light Red, Composite group flashing (2+1)

Green. Composite group flashing (2+1)

Retroreflector

Red band or square Green band or triangle

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NEW DANGERS

To describe • newly discovered hazards not yet

shown on charts– naturally occurring obstructions

(sandbanks or rocks)– man-made dangers (wrecks).

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NEW DANGERS

• Marking rules:– In the case of an especially grave danger,

one of the marks may be duplicated.– have an appropriate cardinal or lateral

V.Qk.FI. or Qk.FI. light character. – A duplicate mark will be identical to its

partner in all respects. – A duplicate mark may carry a racon, coded

Morse D. – The duplicate mark will be removed when

the new danger has been sufficiently promulgated.

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PHASE CHARACTERISTIC

• Isophase (Iso):This Light has equal duration between light and darkness. A period consists of both a light and a dark interval. Also called Equal Interval (E Int).

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PHASE CHARACTERISTIC

• Group Flashing (Gp Fl(x+x)): – Combination of two patterns in one period.

Example 'Gp Fl(2+3)‘. – the first 2 flashes followed by the pattern of 3

flashes.

• Occulting (Occ): – Occulting is the opposite of flashing, the light is

more on then off.

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The End

Thank You.