Definition. A newly discovered hazard to navigation not yet shown on the charts or included in sailing directions, nor sufficiently promulgated by notices to mariners, is termed a New Danger. The term covers naturally occurring obstructions such as sandbanks, or rocks or man-made dangers such as wrecks. Marking. Cardinal or lateral marks, one or more,…
Purpose. To indicate to the mariner a special area or feature the nature of which is apparent from reference to a chart, sailing directions or notices to mariners. Special marks may be lettered to indicate their purpose. Uses include the following: ODAS (Ocean Data Acquisition System) buoys. Traffic separation schemes where use of conventional marking…
Purpose. Safe water marks are used to indicate that there is navigable water all round the mark. It could be used as a centre line, mid-channel or land fall buoy, or to indicate the best point of passage under a bridge. Colours. Red with white vertical stripes are used for safe water marks. Shape. Spherical,…
Purpose. Isolated danger marks are erected on or moored on or above isolated dangers of limited extent which have navigable water all round them. On Admiralty charts the position of the danger is the centre of the symbol or sounding indicating the danger. Top mark. Black double sphere top marks placed vertically above one another…
Cardinal marks are used together with the compass to indicate where the mariner may find the best navigable water. They are placed in one of the four quadrants (North, south, east or west), boundered by inter-cardinal bearings. The mariner is safe if he passes north of a North cardinal mark, etc. Uses. Cardinal marks are…
Purpose. Lateral marks are used for well defined channels in conjunction with the general direction of buoyage. They indicate the port and starboard hand sides of the route to be followed. Direction of buoyage. The conventional direction of buoyage is defined in one of two ways: Local direction of buoyage. The direction taken by the…
Application and purpose. The system applies to all fixed and floating marks, other than lighthouses, sectors of lights, leading lights and marks, lanbys, certain large light floats and light vessels. Its purpose is to indicate: The sides and centrelines of navigable channels; Navigable channels under fixed bridges; Natural dangers and other obstructions such as wrecks;…
The boundaries of the two buoyage regions A and B in which the colours of the lateral marks and their lights are reversed, are shown in the following diagram:
Up till approximately 128 years ago there was no uniform system of buoyage among maritime nations. This was an unacceptable situation and in 1889 a number of countries got together and decided to do something about it. They agreed to mark the port side of channels with black can buoys and the starboard side with…
RULE 37: Distress Signals When a vessel is in distress and requires assistance she shall use or exhibit the signals described in Annexure IV to these regulations. Annexure IV – Distress signals Need of Assistance: The following signals, used or exhibited either together or separately, indicate distress and need of assistance: a gun or other…
