Lateral marks

bullet Used for a well defined channel.
bullet Used in conjunction with conventional direction of buoys.
bullet Indicate port and starboard sides of the route to be followed.

 

Lateral marks in Region-A

Colour

If you are following the conventional direction, you will have green buoys to starboard and red buoys to port.

Port hand mark Starboard hand mark

 

Shapes

Port hand: Can, pillar or spar.   

Starboard hand: Conical, pillar or spar.

 

Topmark:

Port hand: Single red can.

Starboard hand: Single green cone, point upward.

 

Port hand topmark Starboard hand topmark

 

 

Retroreflector

Port hand: Red band or square.

Starboard hand: Green band or triangle.

Port hand retroteflector Starboard hand retroreflector

 

Lights:

bullet Red buoys will have red lights, green buoys green lights.
bullet May have any rhythm other than  composite group flashing.

 

Admiralty chart symbols:

 

Lateral marks in Region-B

Colour

If you are following the conventional direction, you will have red buoys to starboard and green buoys to port.

Port hand mark Starboard hand mark

 

Shapes

Port hand: Can, pillar or spar.   

Starboard hand: Conical, pillar or spar.

Same as region-A.

 

Topmark:

Port hand: Single green can.

Starboard hand: Single red cone, point upward.

 

Port hand topmark Starboard hand topmark

 

 

Retroreflector

Port hand: Green band or square.

Starboard hand: Red band or triangle.

Port hand retroteflector Starboard hand retroreflector

 

Lights:

bullet Red buoys will have red lights, green buoys green lights.
bullet May have any rhythm other than  composite group flashing.
bullet Same as region-A.

 

Admiralty chart symbols:

 

 

 

Updated: July 03, 2003