NS100

Fundamentals of
Naval Science

Visual Navigation Aids

 Types of Aids to Navigation
Buoys - Floating aids to navigation.

Lights - Fixed aids to navigation with

distinctive light characteristics that make
them identifiable at night.
Major Lights
 Range Lights

On the Range
 Visual Range

To the right of the

range. On the
The location of the rear range
relative to the front range will
Range
indicate your relationship to the
range line.
 Beacons
✔ Fixed aids to navigation used in U.S.
waters
– Each has daymark ( or ) to
denote right or left-side channel boundary
– Beacons may be unlighted (daybeacons)
or lighted
 Types of Aids to Navigation
Radio Beacon - used with a direction
finding receiver, will yield an LOP.
 RACON Buoys
 to identify aids to navigation, both seaborne (e.g. buoys) and
land-based (e.g. lighthouses)
 to identify landfall or positions on inconspicuous coastlines
 to indicate navigable spans under bridges
 to identify offshore oil platforms and similar structures
General Buoyage Classification
Lateral - Used to indicate on which side
the buoy should be passed and are used to
mark channels.
4
Cardinal System
of Buoyage
Buoy Description and Purpose
Can Buoy

13
Buoy Description and Purpose
Nun Buoy

12
 Sound Buoys
8 8

✔ Bell
✔ Gong
5

✔ Whistle
✔ Horn
Lighted Buoys

4
 Combination Buoys
✔ Any buoy in which a light and a sound
signal are combined

5
✔ Examples include: 4

– Lighted bell
– Lighted gong
– Lighted whistle
– Lighted horn
Buoy Description and Purpose
Buoys are painted different colors
according to their purpose.

Lateral Aids - Either red or green or the

combination of the two.

Cardinal Aids - Painted black and yellow.

 Lateral Buoys
either red 8 8

or green, or a
combination of the two.
Numbered from seaward, 5

meaning the numbers increase

as you approach land.
Buoy Description and Purpose
Safe Water Marks - presence of a channel.
Fitted with a red ball topmark or a white
light flashing MORSE ALPHA.
Special Marks - Painted yellow.
Isolated Danger Marks - Painted black
and red.
 Special Buoys
✔ Used to mark:
– Prohibited areas
– Limits of fish traps
– Cable crossings
– Anchorages
– NOAA weather buoys 13
Color is yellow
– Usually unlighted
– NOAA weather buoys are lighted and typically use a
flashing 4 or 6 second yellow light
 Buoyage Systems
There are two buoyage systems in the
world today: IALA “A” and IALA “B”.

International Association of Lighthouse

Authorities (IALA)
 Buoyage Systems
IALA “B” memory aids:

Red Right Returning

Even Red Nuns have Odd Green Cans

 Light Attributes
✔ Color
✔ Phase Characteristics
✔ Period
 Color
Common colors:
White
Red
Green
Illustration Symbol and meaning
F. = Fixed

F.Fl. = Fixed and flashing

F.Gp.Fl. = Fixed and group flashing

Fl. = Flashing

Gp. Fl. = Group flashing

Gp. Fl. (1+2) = Composite group flashing

Mo. (A) = Morse code

Qk. Fl. = Quick flashing

I.Qk.Fl. = Interrupted quick flashing

E.Int. = Equal Interval (Isophase)

Occ. =Occulting
Gp.Occ. = Group occulting
Gp.Occ. (2+3) = Composite group occulting
 Lights and Lighted Buoys
Lateral and Channel Buoys - red or green with flashing
phase characteristics.
U.S. Safe Water Marks - Show a white light with Morse
“Alpha” ( ) with a period of about eight
seconds.
Fixed Lights and Lighthouses - variety of phase
characteristics, lights, and colored sectors to
distinguish from the background lights of the shore.
Channel
Buoys
Safe Water Buoys
Preferred Channel Buoys
 10 8 4
20 Kentmore marina
10
10
Mast
Mast 6
12
12 8
4
2
20 10
20 16 14 G1 G C 3 Piles
Dredged 10 ft 1996
16 R2 RN4
16
14 4
16
R12 10
14
14 14 Aids To Navigation Fl R 2.5s

Hobbs
2

Pepe Pt
10 Rks 4 Fl 6s 54ft 7M
4 6 6
1 12 14 2
Pepe
8 G13 8 10
Island 12 4 Pepe 6
10 14 Fl G 2.5s 14
14 8
16 13 Uncov. Reef 12
14 1m 14
16
16
R14
16
20 16 Fl R 5s
16
 Using Buoys and Lights in Piloting
Buoys should never be
used to fix your
position!
Lights and Lighthouses - fixed and
provide for good visual fixing both during
the day and at night.