Safety is of utmost importance to Carefree Boat Club. In this week’s #TrainingThursday, we cover the navigation rules of boating. Most people are very familiar with roadway traffic laws, but sadly it is a different story on the water.

Markers

Port Side Buoy Marker

The port side buoy is often times shaped like a can or drum and displays an odd number. The numbers will typically go up as you head upstream.

 

Port side markers can come in many different shapes and sizes, can be lit or not lit, but oftentimes have a cylinder shape (similar to the picture on the left).

 

Port and “left” both have four letters that’s a good way to remember port side is your left side.

Starboard Side Buoy Marker

Often referred to as “Red Right Returning,” is always marked with an even number. The numbers will go also typically go up as you head upstream.

 

Starboard side markers have a bit of a different shape and size than port side buoy markers and tend to sit above the water.

 

Starboard refers to the right side of the boat.

 

Did you know? At night all boats have a red light on their port side and green light on their starboard side to signal to other boats which side is safe to pass. Hint: green is safe to pass, red is not.

Other Signals

According to BoatUS.org, the shape of a signal indicates what it means:

• A square or rectangular shape is used for conveying instructions.
• An open diamond shape signifies danger.
• A diamond with a cross in it signifies an exclusion area that you may not enter.
• A circle indicates an upcoming operating restriction, such as a speed limit.

The white diamond signal you see in the picture to the left is an example of a signal indicating danger. Usually, regulatory signals are white with an orange symbol on them.

How to Read Water Buoys and Markers

Tune in to our next blog for boating navigation lights and night navigation!

(Images and lessons sourced from Thinkstock, BoatUS.org, Wikipedia, Boat-ed.com)

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