1. About Buoyage System
航海英语教学团队
2013年2月

2. At the end of the lessons, the students will be able to :
1. grasp the technical terms “lateral buoyage system", “cardinal buoyage system", “pillar-shaped", “spar", “spherical", “conical”, “can”“isolated danger marks" “topmark” etc. ;
2. grasp the basic knowledge about buoyage system;
3. Give a brief presentation of the buoyage system.

3. Presentation steps:
Step 1 Pre-reading – learn technical terms(introduce background information, predict…)
Step 2 Ask the sts to read through the text, and highlight the technical terms that have been introduced.
Step 3 Deal with the difficult points in the text – past participle
Step 4 Go over the whole text and check the sts’ understanding by asking them to complete comprehensive tasks.
Step 5 Draw a semantic map of the text as a conclusion.

4. The Buoyage System Lateral system
Buoys in the lateral system are used to indicate the port- and starboard sides of the fairways.

5. Cardinal Buoyage System
Buoys in the cardinal system are used to indicate how to pass a danger (e.g. a wreck) in a certain quadrant or area.
The four cardinal buoys are:
North cardinal buoys
South cardinal buoys
West cardinal buoys
East cardinal buoys

6. Isolated danger marks
Isolated danger marks are pillar-shaped or spar-shaped with 2 black spherical topmarks.

7. Safe water marks
Safe water marks, or landfall marks, indicate that one approaches the coast.

8. Special buoys
Special buoys indicate special features in the fairway that can be looked up in the Pilot Book.

9. Shapes of buoys

10. The shape of the pillar buoy / spar buoy itself does not give the information of the fairway .
It needs topmarks, light characteristics or colours.
Spar buoy
Pillar buoy

11. The Spherical buoy
The yellow coloured spherical buoy is used to indicate important features in the fairway.
RWVS-sphericals are used to indicate safe water or that one approaches the coast.

12. Lights Buoys may be fitted with a light.
The type of the light that is used is indicated by an abbreviation.
Fixed light F (a light that shines continuously )
Flashing light FL (a light with a long dark interval and short light interval)
Occulting light OC (a light with a long light interval and short dark interval)

13. Isophase light ISO (light and dark intervals with equal duration)
The alternating light AL. ( a light that shows different colours alternately)
Group lights ( flashing lights or occulting lights in groups that are repeated at regular intervals )

14. Topmarks

15. Lateral System
Green to green,
Red to red
Perfect safety
Go ahead.

16. In the IALA – A system :
The green-coloured conical buoy
indicates the starboard side.
The red-coloured can buoy indicates the port side.

17. In the IALA – A system :
Even numbers on lateral buoys indicate port hand.
Odd numbers on lateral buoys indicate starboard hand.

18. In the IALA – A system :
Counting from seaward, we find red-coloured, even-numbered can buoys, pillar buoys, or spar buoys on port side.

19. In the IALA – A system :
Counting from seaward, we find green-coloured, odd-numbered conical buoys, pillar buoys or spar buoys on starboard side.

20. In the IALA – A system :
A can on a pillar or spar buoy indicates port hand.
A cone on a pillar or spar buoy indicates starboard hand.

21. In the IALA – A system : Lights fitted on lateral buoys may be:
FL red or green
OC red or green
ISO. red or green
F red or green

22. In America or Japan, the IALA-B system is employed
In America or Japan, the IALA-B system is employed. This means red indicates starboard, green indicates port.

23. The cardinal system:
The buoys used in the cardinal system are the spar buoy and the pillar buoy.

24. Cardinal lights On a cardinal buoy a white flashing light is fitted.
Charted abbreviations for a flashing light is Q or VQ .
North cardinal light: Q or VQ (continuously flashing light)
South cardinal light: Q6 + 1LFl. VQ6 + 1LFl.
West cardinal light: Q9 or VQ9
East cardinal light: Q3 or VQ3

25. Cardinal topmarks
North
south
West
East
The topmarks (or daymarks ) on a cardinal buoy are two black cones.

26. Cardinal colours Yellow with a black horizontal band
Black with a yellow horizontal band
Black over yellow
Yellow over black

27. North cardinal buoy Colour: B/Y Topmarks: two black cones points up
Lights: Q or VQ

28. South cardinal buoy Colour: Y/B Topmarks: 2 black cones points down
Light: Q6 +1LFL or VQ6 + 1 LFL

29. West cardinal buoy Colour: yellow with a black band
Topmark: 2 black cones point to point
Light: Q9 or VQ9

30. East cardinal buoy Colour: black with yellow band
Topmarks: two black cones, base to base
Lights: Q3 or VQ3

31. Isolated danger buoys
Isolated danger buoys are pillar-shaped or spar-shaped buoys with two black spherical topmarks.
Lights: white Fl,Oc. Or Iso.

32. Safe water buoys
Safe water buoys are red-and-white pillar-shaped, spar-shaped or spherical-shaped buoys with a single red spherical topmark.
Light: white Fl. Oc. Iso)

33. Special buoys
Special buoys are yellow cans, cones, pillars, spars or spheres.
Topmark: yellow cross
Light : yellow Fl. Oc. Iso.