Rules of Maritime Buoyage
The importance of maritime signalling cannot be underestimated, as it plays a crucial role in the safety of mariners at sea. Maritime buoyage rules detail the different types of beacons, their definitions, and their nighttime light characteristics. A clear understanding of these rules is essential to avoiding hazards and navigating safely.
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Beacon
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Definition
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Remarks
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Lateral Marks
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Port (Left)
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At night, these beacons are represented by lights—red for port and green for starboard—with any rhythm in flashes, isophase, occulting, or flashing (except for the 2+1 flashing rhythm, reserved for channel division marks).
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Starboard (Right)
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Marks indicating a channel division
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Preferred channel to Port
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At night, these beacons are represented by a green light for the preferred channel to Port, and light...
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Preferred channel to Starboard
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Cardinal Marks
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East
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At night, this beacon is represented by a quick-flashing white light (3 flashes) every 5 seconds or a flashing white light (3 flashes) every 10 seconds.
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West
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At night, this beacon is represented by a quick-flashing white light (9 flashes) every 10 seconds or a flashing white light (9 flashes) every 15 seconds.
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North
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At night, this beacon is represented by a quick-flashing or flashing white light.
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South
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At night, this beacon is represented by a quick-flashing white light (6 flashes) + 1 long flash every 10 seconds or a flashing white light (6 flashes) + 1 long flash every 15 seconds.
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Isolated Danger
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At night, white light with flashes grouped in pairs (group-flashing white light, 2 flashes).
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Safe Water Marks
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At night, white light, isophase, occulting, single long flash, or Morse code letter "A".
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Prohibited Zone
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At night, yellow light, with any rhythm other than those reserved for white lights.
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