Navigational Marks, Signs and Buoyage
Reading the water
Buoyage and marks tell you where the safe water is and what hazards to avoid. Learn the main categories. Lateral marks show the sides of a channel: in the direction of buoyage, port-hand marks are red and kept to your left, and starboard-hand marks are green and kept to your right. Cardinal marks indicate the direction of safe water relative to the mark and use yellow and black with distinctive topmarks. Isolated danger marks sit on a hazard. Special marks are yellow and mark features such as swimming areas or pipelines. Safe water marks indicate navigable water all around.
Signs and shapes
Signs on shore and on the water can indicate speed limits, no-wash zones, prohibited areas and swimming areas. Learn the common shapes and colours used for regulatory and warning signs, and read the wording rather than guessing.
Traps
Questions often swap red and green, or confuse a special mark with a lateral mark. Another trap is assuming you may pass on either side of a lateral mark; you must keep to the correct side in the direction of buoyage. Cardinal marks are frequently tested, so learn the topmark shapes.
Worked rule of thumb
If a mark is red and you are travelling in the direction of buoyage, keep it to your left. If you are unsure of a mark, slow down and identify it before proceeding rather than cutting close.