1. Session V Introduction to Basic Aid to Navigation Training

2. Training Objectives
1. Review the definitions for the various Federal and Private AtoNs.
2. Understand why AtoNs are established.
3. Understand the specific purpose of the various AtoNs.
4. Become familiar with the flash characteristics used on AtoNs.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

3. AToN System Definitions
IALA = International Association of Lighthouse Authorities.
Divides the world into 2 regions:
Region “A”: Most of the World
Region “B”: North & South America, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines
Bowditch pg.72
Each country had their own system of navigation. Ships going to other countries were confused.
All the countries got together and came up with a standard.
In 1980 IALA maritime buoyage system was adopted.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

4. AToN System Definitions
The US uses the IALA-B System
IALA-B = Red, Right, Returning from sea
Bowditch pg.72
Each country had their own system of navigation. Ships going to other countries were confused.
All the countries got together and came up with a standard.
In 1980 IALA maritime buoyage system was adopted.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

5. AtoN System Modes Region “B” Region “A” Green – Even - Triangles
Red - Odd - Squares
Region “B”
Red – Even - Triangles and nuns
Green - Odd - Squares and cans

6. Western River System ATON System Names U.S. Marking System
Intracoastal Waterway System
Western River System

7. U. S. Marking System Lateral System:
Employs a simple arrangement of . . .
1. Colors RED & Green
2. Numbers EVEN & ODD
3. Shapes NUNS & CANS
4. Shapes TRIANGLES & SQUARES
Bowditch pg.73
The LATERAL system indicates the PORT & STBD sides of the channel.
Europeans use a CARDINAL system, developed from the four points of the compass, that marks where navigable water is located. an eastern quadrant buoy means that there is navigable water on the eastern side of the buoy .
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

8. Lateral Marks
define the port and starboard sides of a channel or fairway being followed.
Their most frequent use is to mark the sides of channels - may be used individually to mark obstructions located outside of clearly defined channels.
have three criteria that assist the mariner in their quick identification – shape, color, and numbering.
Bowditch pg.73
The LATERAL system indicates the PORT & STBD sides of the channel.
Europeans use a CARDINAL system, developed from the four points of the compass, that marks where navigable water is located. an eastern quadrant buoy means that there is navigable water on the eastern side of the buoy .
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

9. U. S. Marking System Lateral System Numbering:
Red aids get even numbers
Green aids get odd numbers
Number start from sea and increase toward shore
Bowditch pg.73
The LATERAL system indicates the PORT & STBD sides of the channel.
Europeans use a CARDINAL system, developed from the four points of the compass, that marks where navigable water is located. an eastern quadrant buoy means that there is navigable water on the eastern side of the buoy .
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

10. Conventional Direction of Buoyage
Purpose: To identify how aids should be passed in areas other than channels.
Regions:
Atlantic Coast: Southerly
Gulf Coast: North and Westerly
Pacific Coast: Northerly
Great Lakes: North and Westerly (Lake Michigan: Southerly)
4-3 AM / Bowditch pg.73,74
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

11. Conventional Direction of Buoyage
Used for marking the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and the off-shore ocean buoys along the coast.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

12. Definition of an Aid to Navigation
Any device, external to a vessel,
intended to assist navigators to
determine their position, safe
course, or to warn them of
dangers or obstructions to
navigation.
Admin manual 1-2/ 1-5
Any device external, could be a landmark, building, jetty, buoy, or whatever... that assists YOU with navigation.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

13. Definition of a Buoy
Any unmanned, floating aid to navigation that is moored to the seabed.
May be lighted or unlighted.
The seabed is owned by the Corp of Engineers and is licensed to the Coast Guard who authorizes private parties to deploy PATONs.

14. Definition of a Beacon Any fixed aid to navigation located
on a shore or marine site.
Lighted beacons are called Lights.
Unlighted beacons are called
Daybeacons or Daymarks.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

15. Definition of a Daymark
The daytime identifier of an aid to
navigation presenting one of
several colors, shapes, numerals
or letters.
Shape may be square, triangle,
rectangle, diamond or octagon.
4-1
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

16. Starboard Lateral Marks
Color: Red
Shape: Triangular
or conical—nuns.
Character: Even Numbers
Light: Red
3-6 tech manual
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

17. Port Lateral Marks Cans Numbers Color: Green Shape: Square /
Character: Odd
Numbers
Light: Green
3-6 tech manual
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

18. Red Daymark 2
Should have a contrasting red number 2

19. Will have a contrasting GREEN number3 3
Green Daymark

20. Nun Buoy
Should have a white number 6

21. Can Buoy 7
Should have a white number 7

22. Preferred Channel Marks
Purpose: Marks junctions / bifurcations
Description:
Color: Red & Green horizontally banded (top color band is preferred channel)
Shape: Same as preferred channel (uppermost band is preferred channel)
Character: Letter not number.
Light: Same color as uppermost band.
Characteristic: Gp Fl (2+1) 6s
Bowditch pg / TM 4-28
TO SEA
JUNCTION BIFURCATION
energize 2+1 flashing lantern A
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

23. Safe Water Mark all around the mark Purpose: Indicates navigable water
Description:
Color: Red and White vertically striped
Shape: Sphere or Buoy with Topmark
Character: White letters
(ex. “NC” North Channel)
Light Color: White
Characteristic: Mo(A)
4-5
usually the sea buoy / entrance buoy
We use a RED BALL for the topmark.
IALA states that spheres signifies a safe water mark.
U.S. uses a red/white striped aid.
This is to costly for us to change to a sphere, so we use the topmark to comply with the sphere requirement.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

24. Safe Water Marks MR
Spherical
Lighted and or sound

25. Isolated Danger Mark banded
Purpose: Marks isolated dangers or obstructions that can be passed on all sides
Description:
Color: Black and Red horizontally
banded
Shape: Buoy with Top marks
Character: White Letters
Light: White
Characteristic: Gp Fl (2) 5s
Bowditch pg / 4-5AM
This doesn’t have anything to do with the channel. This is off by itself.
Topmark is 2 black balls.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

26. Special Marks
Purpose: Not intended to assist safe navigation but to indicate special areas marked on charts (anchorage, traffic separation, data gathering)
Description:
Color: Yellow
Shape: Various
Character: Black letters
Light: Yellow
Characteristic: Fixed, Flashing (except Mo A, 2+1, Qk)
3-16TM / 4-5AM
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

27. Regulatory & Information Marks
Not part of Lateral System
Diamond - means danger and words may appear explaining the danger.
Called a Danger Buoy
Circle- means restricted operations.
Speed Buoys (5 MPH) or No Wake Buoys.
Diamond with a Cross - tells you that vessels are not allowed in the area.
Sometimes called Exclusion Buoys
Square - contains directions to the boater.
Bridge Regulatory Signs.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

28. Regulatory and Information Marks
Purpose: Alert the mariner to such things as submerged pipes, no wake zones, etc.
Description:
Color: White with orange band or border
Shape: Square, Round, or Diamond
Character: Letters (black, usually words)
Light: White
3-24
Maintained by state and civilians. CG has some also.
Orange boarder is retro.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

29. Definition of a Range A pair of beacons arranged so
that when they are aligned they
indicate the center of the
navigable channel.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

30. Range Marks KGW = Range Green with White Stripe.
Purpose: Indicate the center line of a channel when aligned as you traverse the channel.
Description:
Color: They will have colored panels equal in size vertical striped.
Shape: Rectangle tall side up.
Light - Green, Red, White and Yellow.
Front range light is lower of the two.
Rear range light is higher and further from the mariner.
KGW = Range Green with White Stripe.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

31. WRECK MARKS Purpose: To alert the mariner to wrecks. Description:
Color: Appropriate to side of channel.
Shape: Appropriate to side of channel.
Character: White letters “WR”, numbered
in sequence with channel (WR2).
Light: Same as buoy color.
Characteristic: Quick Flashing
(unless aid is a preferred channel aid)
4-36AM
This is part of the lateral system, and is numbered consecutively.
Can be red or green.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

32. DAY MARK
Some markers will have no lateral significance. They are not designed to indicate the channel but rather, to help you determine where you are.
2003 Aids to Navigation Workshop

33. Light Structures Major Lighthouses Minor Lights Not named
Are named. e.g. Boston Light
Symbol is large exclamation point.
Fixed position
Minor Lights
Not named
Same symbol

34. Lighthouse
Enclosed edifice that houses protects, displays, or supports visual, audible, or radio aids to navigation.
All US Lighthouses are now unmanned (except Boston Light)

35. Light Patterns – see page 12
Fixed (F) – continuous, unblinking light
Flashing (Fl) – light duration shorter than darkness. Frequency not greater than 30 per minute.
Quick Flashing (Q) – light duration shorter than darkness. Frequency is at least 60 per minute.
Very Quick Flashing (VQ) – light duration shorter than darkness. Frequency is at least 100 per minute.
Interrupted Quick Flashing (IQ) – like quick flashing but having a brief, extended darkness period.
Isophase (Iso) – Light has equal duration between light and darkness. Period consists of both light and dark interval. Also called Equal Interval (E Int).

36. Light Patterns
Group Flashing (Gp Fl (x+x)) – Combination of two patterns in one period, i.e. 2 flashes followed by three flashes.
Occulting (Occ) – Opposite of flashing – light is on more than it is off.
Alternating (AL) – Alternating light changes color. Special purpose light for situations requiring significant caution. Example shows AL.WG…alternating white and green light.
Morse (Mo) – Morse code light signal. Example is Morse “U” which is two short flashes followed by one prolonged flash then a period of darkness. Shown as (Mo(U)) on charts.
Long Flashing (LFL) – One long flash in a period with lighted period of at least 2 seconds.

37. Timing for Lights Lights are timed for 60 seconds
See Standard Rhythms Table for time
i.e. Quick, 60 flashes/min FL 4, 15 fl/min and FL 6, 10 fl/min

38. Intracoastal Waterway
Begins in New Jersey.
Goes south to the Florida Keys.
Then north along the west coast of Florida.
Then west along the Gulf of Mexico to Brownsville, Texas.

39. Intracoastal Waterway Marks
When aids in a channel are also used to identify an ICW channel.
The normal “Red right returning from the sea” rule applies to both.
Intracoastal Waterway Marks

40. Yellow triangles, squares and bands are used to identify ICW marks.
The material used is retroreflective.
Yellow triangles are usually displayed on red lateral marks used on the ICW.
Yellow squares are usually displayed on green lateral marks used on the ICW.
Yellow bands are displayed on non-lateral ATONS used on the ICW.

41. Aids marking the Intracoastal Waterway

42. Dual Purpose Marks Are found on cans and nuns in the ICW.
Sometimes a yellow triangle appears on a can or square daymark or a yellow square appears on a nun or triangle daymark. The buoy has dual purpose.
To use the ICW, follow the yellow marks.
When following the local waterway, use the (red or green) lateral system marks.

43. Intracoastal Waterway Marks
Dual Purpose Marks

44. END OF
Session V