9 Aids to Navigations

8/8/2019 9 Aids to Navigations

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Navigation

NAU 102

Lesson 9



Navigation Aids

Beacons

Manmade objects intended to help fix

your position and avoid hazards.

Buoys

LightsRanges

Fog Signals



Navigation Aids

Some private aids maintained by:

U.S. Coast Guard operates and

maintains U.S. navaids.

State governmentsOther federal agencies

Individuals/Companies



Buoys

Mark channels

Floating navaids

Anchored to the bottom

Indicate shoals & obstructions

Warn of dangers



Buoys

Convey information by:

Shape

Color

Letters or Numbers

LightTopmark



Buoys

Reflective tape

Common equipment:

Radar reflectors

Sound signalsBells & Gongs

Whistles & Horns





Lateral Marks

Sides of channels

Navaids mark:

Channel junctions Channel bifurcations



Cardinal Marks

Indicate direction of navigable water.

Show cardinal directions (N, S, E, W) of safe

water

E.g. Always pass to the North

of a North Cardinal Mark

Note: cardinal marks are not

used in U.S. waters



Safe Water Marks

Indicate an area of safe (navigable)

waters.

E.g. Mid-channel & fairway buoys



Isolated Danger Marks

Navaids mark points of danger.

E.g. Submerged wreck



Special Marks

Traffic separation

schemes

Navaids mark special features of interest:

Anchorages

Recreational zones

Etc.



Lateral Systems

Historically there have been many

buoyage systems in the world.

1970s - International Association

of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA)simplified the system



IALA Buoyage Systems

Two major international systems:

IALA - BIALA - A

Europe

Africa

Most of Asia

Australia

New Zealand

North America

South America

Japan

Philippines

South Korea



IALA Buoyage Systems



Direction Conventions

Based on entering from seaward.

E.g. The right (or starboard) side of achannel is to starboard of vessel entering

from sea.

E.g. The right side is to port of a vessel

heading towards the sea.




Many places ³entering from seaward´ is

not clear.

E.g. Along coasts and Intracoastal

waterways.

Clockwise direction around U.S. is treated

as entering.






Lateral Colors

Red to

starboard

IALA - B

Green to port

³Red-Right-Returning´

Red buoys and green buoys mark the sides of

channels



Lateral Colors

IALA - A is opposite.



Lateral Colors

Horizontal Red & Green Bands

Mark junctions & bifurcations

Top color indicates preferred channel.



Lateral Colors



Cardinal Colors

Horizontal Black

& Yellow Bands



Safe Water Colors

Red & White Vertical Stripes



Isolated Danger Colors

Black & Red Horizontal Bands



Special Marks Color

Solid Yellow



Buoy Shapes

5 Basic Shapes

Can

Cone (Nun)

Sphere

Pillar

Spar



Buoy Shapes

Can

Mark port side of

channels

Mark channel

junctions ±

preferred channel

to starboard



Buoy Shapes

Can



Buoy Shapes

Conical / Nun

Mark starboard

side of channels

Mark channel

junctions ±

preferred channel to

port



Buoy Shapes

Conical / Nun



Buoy Shapes

Sphere

Safe Water Marks



Buoy Shapes

Pillar

Any type of buoy

Often lighted

Tall, central structure

on broad base.

Color & topmark indicate type



Buoy Shapes

Pillar



Buoy Shapes

Spar

Any type of buoy

Often lighted

Usually notfloating, driven into

bottom.

Thin cylinder



Buoy Shapes

Isolated danger marks and

special marks may be any

shape.

Pillar or spar

are preferred.



Topmarks

Shapes attached to pillars and spars.

Indicate type of mark.

Square = port sideCone = starboard

side

Lateral Marks



Topmarks

Isolated Danger

2 Spheres, one

above the other



Topmarks

Safe Water

1 Sphere



Topmarks

Special Purpose ± Yellow X



Topmarks

Double Cones = Cardinal Marks

North South East West



Topmarks

North points up.

South points

down.

West looks like a

Wine glass.

The points point

to the black

stripe(s).



Introduction to Navigation

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9 Aids to Navigations

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