Page 199 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

~ I AR1 NE NAV I GAT IO N 205

B uoys A lighted buoy carries batteries or gas tanks and has a frame-
work that supports a light.
Navigational buoys are moored, floating markers placed to guide
A fOlllbil/(ltioll bllo)' is one in which a light and sound signal
ships and boats safely along channels and in and out of ports.
Buoys on water are like street signs for motorists on land. They are combined. such as a lighted bell. gong. or whistle buoy.
also warn vessels away from hidden dangers and lead them to
anchorage areas. They may be of various sizes and shapes, but it is COloring of Buoys
mainly their coloring that indicates their purpose. BUD}, symbols As stated previously. in the inland waters of the United States,
are printed on harbor charts. so buoys can be llsed for determining red buoys mark the right side of a channel, and green buoys the
positions in piloting, left side, coming from seaward. Of great help in remembering this
A system of buoy age called the IALA (International Association placement of buoys is the jingle "red-right-returning." Unlighted
of Lighthouse Authorities) System B is llsed 011 all navigable waters red channel buoys are always cone-shaped nun buoys. Unlighted
of the United States. Under this system. the coloring. shape. and green channel buoys are always can buoys.
lighting of buoys all indicate the direction of danger. These char- Green and red horizontally banded buo)'s. called preferred-
acteristics and the numbering of buoys have been standardized on c/UHlllei VI/o)'s, mark obstructions or channel junctions. They may
the basis of what their direction is when coming from seaward. be passed on either side, but it is wise to give them a wide berth. If
In offshore channels. the lateral buoyage system considers the the top band on a preferred-channel buoy is red. the best channel
following directions as coming from seaward in U.S. waters: in a is to the left of the buo)'. coming from seaward. If the top band is
southerly direction along the Atlantic Coast; a northerly and west- green. the preferred channel is to the right.
erly direction along the Gulf Coast; and a northerly direction along Red and white vertically striped buo)'s. called safe-water blloys.
the Pacific Coast. All coastal buoys on the right are red, even-num- mark the middle of a channel or fairway.
bered buoys when proceeding in those directions. Left-hand buoys Some special buoys are not meant to be lIsed for navigation.
are green and are marked with odd numbers. The Intracoastal ''''hite-painted buoys, for instance. mnrk anchorage areas. Buoys
'Vaterway is so marked. proceeding from the North Atlantic states with black and white horizontal stripes are sometimes used to
to the lower coast of Texas. mark fish trap areas. A white buoy with a green top usually desig-
Buoys are valuable aids to navigation. but the)' must never be nates a dredging area. A yellow buoy signifies a quarantine anchor-
depended upon alone. They may drag their moorings in hea\')' age, where ships go to await customs clearance. Cylindrical white
weather or ma)' be set adrift if hit by a passing ship. Lights on them buoys with orange markings are informational buoys marking
may go out, and whistles, bells, and gongs may fail to function. restricted areas, speed limits, and the like.

Types of Buoys
A buoy's type has no special navigational significance but can help
identif,' it. There are eight main types of buoys used in U.S. inland
waters. described as follows: 1

Spar buoys are upright wooden poles, or tubes of steel, which HUN
CAN SPAR
are often used to mark obstructions.
~~
A ((111 blloy is shaped like a cylinder. much like an oil drum. If
unlighted, green left-hand channel buoys must be can buoys.
1111/11/ blloy has a conical shape. If unlighted. red right-hand BEL L' WHISTLE •
channel buoys must be nun buoys.
II bell blloy has a framework supporting" bell. Older bell
buoys are sounded by the Illotion of the sea. Newer types are
operated automatically by compressed gas or electricity.
A whistle, or hom, blloy is similar to a bell buoy in shape but it
carries a whistle sounded by the sea's motion or horns that are LIGHTEO ' LIGHT EO ' lIGHTE O'
sounded at regular intervals by mechanical or electrical means. BELL WHIStl E
Types at buoys used in the inland waters of the United States.
A gOllg vlloy is also similar to a bell buoy in shape but it has a
series of gongs, each with a different tone, with hammers that
are moved by the motion of the sea.