PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122

Muhammad Rasidi Bin Suriade

Aids To Navigations (ATONs)

Daytime visual system: Day marks, beacons and buoys.

Nighttime visual system:Lights and retro reflective signals.

Radar system: Radar reflectors and RACONs.

International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA)

Buoyage System
Location
System A System B
Europe, Africa, Australia, North and South America,
New Zealand, Singapore and Japan, South Korea, and
most of Asia Philippines
Information shown by Buoy shapes, colours and if lighted, rhytm of flashes and
coloured ligths
Topmarks Small distinctive shapes above the basic aid that assist in
identification of the aid.
Marks Cardinal and lateral marks Mostly lateral
Cardinal marks have black and yellow horizontal bands regardless of the IALA system.
When entering from seaward:
Keep Red Buoys to Port Starboard,
“red-right-returning”
Keep Green Buoys to Starboard Port

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PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122
Muhammad Rasidi Bin Suriade

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PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122
Muhammad Rasidi Bin Suriade

Buoys and beacons are floating markers which are used to mark hazards/dangers to sea farers

There are 5 types of marks which can be used in combinations:

i. Lateral marks
ii. Cardinal Marks
iii. Isolated Marks
iv. Safe water marks
v. Special marks

Lateral Marks
Lateral marks are red and green buoys and beacons which indicates the port and starboard sides
of a channel, respectively direction as the ‘Conventional Direction of Buoyage’

Starboard Lateral Mark

Colour Green
Shape (Buoy) Conical, pillar or spar
Top Mark Single green cone, point upward
Light Colour Green

Port Lateral Mark

Colour Red
Shape (Buoy) Cylindrical (can), pillar or spar

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PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122
Muhammad Rasidi Bin Suriade

Top Mark Single red cylinder (can)

Light Colour Red

Point where a channel divides, when proceeding in the “Conventional Direction of Buoyage”
A preferred channel may be indicated by a modified Port or Starboard lateral mark.

Preferred Channel to Starboard

Colour Red with one broad green horizontal band

Shape (Buoy) Cylindrical (can), pillar or spar
Top Mark Single red cylinder (can)
Light Colour Red.
Composite group flashing (2+1)

Preferred Channel to Port

Colour Green with one broad red horizontal band

Shape (Buoy) Conical, pillar or spar
Top Mark Single green cone, pointing upward
Light Colour Green.
Composite group flashing (2+1)

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PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122
Muhammad Rasidi Bin Suriade

Cardinal Mark
A Cardinal Mark may be used, for example:

- To indicate that the deepest water in that area is on the named side of the mark.
- To indicate the safe side on which to pass a danger but does not indicate where is the
danger.
- To draw attention to a feature in a channel such as a bend, a junction, a bifurcation or the
end of a shoal.

Four quadrants (N, S, E, W) are bounded by the true bearings NW-NE, NE-SE, SE-SW, SW-NW.
Mark is named after the quadrant in which it is placed.
Name of the mark indicates that it should be passed to the named side of the mark.

North Cardinal Mark

Colour Black above yellow

Shape (Buoy) Pillar or spar
Top Mark 2 black cones, 1 above the other, point upward
Light Colour White
(VQ or Q)

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PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122
Muhammad Rasidi Bin Suriade

South Cardinal Mark

Colour Yellow above black

Shape (Buoy) Pillar or spar
Top Mark 2 black cones, 1 above the other, point
downward
Light Colour White
(VQ (6) + 1 Long fl every 10 sec)
(Q (6) + 1 Long fl every 15 sec)

East Cardinal Mark

Colour Black with single broad horizontal yellow band

Shape (Buoy) Pillar or spar
Top Mark 2 black cones, 1 above the other, base to base
Light Colour White
(VQ (3) every 5 sec)
(Q (3) every 10 sec)

West Cardinal Mark

Colour Yellow with a single broad horizontal black band

Shape (Buoy) Pillar or spar
Top Mark 2 black cones, 1 above the other, point to point

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PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122
Muhammad Rasidi Bin Suriade

Light Colour White

(VQ (9) every 10 sec)
(Q (9) every 15 sec)

Isolated Danger Mark

- Fitted with a top mark of 2 black spheres.

- To indicate isolated danger of limited size which have navigable water all round them.
- Erected on or moored on/above a small area of danger such as a pinnacle of rock.

Colour Black with one or more broad horizontal red

bands
Shape (Buoy) Optional, but not conflicting with lateral marks;
pillar or spar preferred
Top Mark 2 black spheres, 1 above the other
Light Colour White
(Group flashing (2))

Safe Water Mark

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PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122
Muhammad Rasidi Bin Suriade

- There is navigable water all round their positions: e.g. the mid- channel and center line
marks.
- Red and white vertical stripes are used and the top mark is a single red sphere.
- Such mark may also be used as an alternative to a Cardinal or a Lateral Mark to indicate
a landfall.

Colour Red and white vertical stripes

Shape (Buoy) Spherical pillar or spar with spherical top mark
Top Mark Single red sphere
Light Colour White
(One long flash every 10 sec or Morse ‘A’)

Special Mark

- Marks not primarily intended to assist navigation.

- To indicate a special area or feature referred to inappropriate nautical documents, for
example:

i. Ocean Data Acquisition Systems (ODAS) marks.

ii. Traffic separation marks where use of conventional channel marking may cause
confusion.
iii. Spoil Ground marks

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PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122
Muhammad Rasidi Bin Suriade

iv. Military exercise zone marks

v. Cable or pipeline marks
vi. Recreation zone marks

Colour Yellow
Shape (Buoy) Optional, but not conflicting with navigational
marks
Top Mark Single yellow ‘X’ shape
Light Colour Yellow
(Any other than those described in the above)

New Danger Mark

- Used to describe newly discovered hazards not yet indicated in nautical document.
- Include naturally occurring obstructions such as sandbanks or rocks or man made
dangers such as wrecks.

Marking of New Dangers

- It shall be marked in accordance with these rules.

- If the appropriate Authority considers the danger to be especially grave at least one of
the marks shall be duplicated as soon as practical.
- Any lighted mark used for this purpose shall have an appropriate Cardinal or Lateral VQ
or Q light character.
- Any duplicated mark shall be identical to its partner in all respects.
- It may be marked by a Racon, coded Morse “D”, showing a signal length of 1 NM on the
radar.
- Duplicate mark may be removed when the appropriate Authority is satisfied that
information concerning the “New Danger” has been sufficiently promulgated.

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PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122
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Lights characteristics

Buoys & Beacon

Buoys: Floating ATON anchored at a given position to provide easy identification by

mariners.
Beacons: Fixed ATON structures that are attached directly to the earth’s surface.

Sector Light

- Sectors of colour to indicate danger bearing.

- Sector bearings are true bearings.
- Expressed as “BEARINGS FROM THE VESSEL TOWARDS THE LIGHT”.
- Dir.Fl.WRG.2,5s12m5-3M.

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PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122
Muhammad Rasidi Bin Suriade

Lighthouse

- May have high intensity & audible signalling devices, radio beacons and radar beacons
(RACONS).

Semaphore Tower @ Pulau Satumu (Raffles Lighthouse)

Day An upright black cone over a black drum.
Night An Isophase White ‘X’ every 10seconds.

Purpose:
- To warn passing vessels of a VLCC crossing Main Straits (from West Raffles passage or
Philip Channel) into Singapore Port Limit bound for Shell Single Buoy Mooring (SBM).

Action:
- Approaching Raffles Lighthouse either from East or West to look out for such signal.
- Upon sighting signals, to reduce speed consistent with safe speed & stop if necessary
Recommended not to impeded safe passage or cross ahead of VLCC under no
circumstances.

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PCG Compilation Of Notes Compiled by: SSG T04122
Muhammad Rasidi Bin Suriade

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