IALA Buoyage

The development of a uniform system of buoyage throughout the world was of paramount importance for safe navigation at sea.  Buoys and beacons are indispensable for guiding mariners at sea. There is a IALA Maritime Buoyage System video course with more detailed description.

If in the world was more than one buoyage system it would cause confusion and lead the accidents at sea.

With the aim of improving navigational safety to act as a barrier to dangers to shipping and to solve differences of opinions, efforts were made to establish a single set of rules by IALA – International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities, which gave them a choice of using red to port or red to starboard, on a regional basis.

There are two main IALA buoyage systems:

IALA Region A:

Lateral System: In Region A, the preferred channel is indicated by the colors of the buoys and their lights as you enter a harbor or navigate through a channel.

Red buoys mark the port (left) side of the channel when entering from seaward or heading upstream.

Green buoys mark the starboard (right) side of the channel when entering from seaward or heading upstream.

Cardinal System: In addition to the lateral system, cardinal buoys are placed to mark safe passage around dangerous areas, such as rocks or shoals. Cardinal buoys are named after the cardinal points on a compass (North, East, South, and West) and indicate where the safe water lies concerning that hazard.

IALA Region B:

Lateral System: In Region B, the preferred channel is also indicated by the colors of the buoys and their lights as you enter a harbor or navigate through a channel.

Green buoys mark the port (left) side of the channel when entering from seaward or heading upstream.

Red buoys mark the starboard (right) side of the channel when entering from seaward or heading upstream.

Cardinal System: Similar to Region A, cardinal buoys in Region B are placed to mark safe passage around dangerous areas, but they may differ in their color and characteristics from those in Region A.

Recommended that lights of the same color used for signaling the entrance to the harbour and buoying the fairway should have different rhythms to permit differentiation.

It's important for seafarers to be familiar with the IALA Buoyage System of the region they are navigating in because using the wrong system can lead to navigational errors and potential hazards.

Remember that aids to navigation can include not only buoys but also lighthouses, beacons, sound signals, and electronic navigation aids like GPS and radar. Mariners should always consult nautical charts and publications to ensure safe navigation and be aware of any local variations or updates to the buoyage system in their area.