Name: North Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep north of this
Top Mark: Two Cones both
pointing up
Colour: Black Top, Yellow
Bottom (cones point to black)
Light: Continuous Flashing
(Quick or V Quick)
Name: South Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep south of this
Top Mark: Two Cones both
pointing down
Colour: Yellow Top, Black
Bottom (cones point to black)
Light: Six Flashes plus one
long (Quick or V Quick)
Name: East Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep east of this
Top Mark: Two Cones top one
points up, bottom one points
down (Easter Egg)
Colour: Black Top, Yellow
Middle, Black Bottom (cones
point to black)
Light: 3 Flashes (Quick or V
Quick)
Name: West Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep west of this
Top Mark: Two Cones top one
pointing down, bottom one
pointing up
Colour: Yellow Top, Black
Middle, Yellow Bottom (cones
point to black)
Light: 9 Flashes (Quick or V
Quick)
Name: Isolated Danger Mark
Action: Keep well clear
Top Mark: Two Balls
Colour: Black and Red Strips
Light: 2 flashes
Name: Safe Water Mark
Action: Check the chart for
meaning, often the start of a
channel but otherwise safe
water around
Top Mark: Single Red Ball
Colour: Red and White
Vertical Strips
Light: Any of Isophase,
Occulting, Morse A…
Name: Special Mark
Action: Check the chart for
meaning, used to mark TSS,
special areas, as race marks
and many other options…
Top Mark: Yellow Cross
Colour: Yellow
Light: Yellow Flashing Light of
a pattern that would not be
confused with a buoys with a
white light
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark
IALA: System A
Action: Leave to port to stay in
the channel
Top Mark: Flat Top
Colour: Red
Light: Sequence of flashing
Red
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark
IALA: System A
Action: Leave to starboard to
stay in the channel
Top Mark: Conical or Pointed
Top
Colour: Green
Light: Sequence of flashing
Green
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark
IALA: System B
Action: Leave to port to stay in
the channel
Top Mark: Flat Top
Colour: Green
Light: Sequence of flashing
Green
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark
IALA: System B
Action: Leave to starboard to
stay in the channel
Top Mark: Conical or Pointed
Top
Colour: Red
Light: Sequence of flashing
Red
Name: Preferred Channel
Marks
IALA: System A
Action: Preferred Channel to
Starboard
Top Mark: Flat Top
Colour: Red with Green Strip
Light: flashing Red (2 + 1)
Name: Preferred Channel
Marks
IALA: System A
Action: Preferred Channel to
Port
Top Mark: Conical or Pointed
Top
Colour: Green with Red Strip
Light: flashing Green (2 + 1)
The United Kingdom is in IALA Region A or B?
A
A
B B
A
A
B
As you enter a harbour in IALA Region A do you
leave the Red Lateral Marks to Port or Starboard?
Port
As you enter a harbour in IALA Region A do you
leave the Green Lateral Marks to Port or
Starboard?
Starboard
As you enter a harbour in IALA Region B do you
leave the Red Lateral Marks to Port or Starboard?
Starboard
As you enter a harbour in IALA Region B do you
leave the Green Lateral Marks to Port or
Starboard?
Port
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark
IALA: System A
Action: Leave to port to stay in
the channel
Top Mark: Flat Top
Colour: Red
Light: Sequence of flashing
Red
Name: Safe Water Mark
Action: Check the chart for
meaning, often the start of a
channel but otherwise safe
water around
Top Mark: Single Red Ball
Colour: Red and White
Vertical Strips
Light: Any of Isophase,
Occulting, Morse A…
Name: Special Mark
Action: Check the chart for
meaning, used to mark TSS,
special areas, as race marks
and many other options…
Top Mark: Yellow Cross
Colour: Yellow
Light: Yellow Flashing Light of
a pattern that would not be
confused with a buoys with a
white light
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark
IALA: System B
Action: Leave to starboard to
stay in the channel
Top Mark: Conical or Pointed
Top
Colour: Red
Light: Sequence of flashing
Red
If you were in the USA would you be in IALA Region A or B?
A
A
B B
A
A
B
Name: Preferred Channel
Marks
IALA: System A
Action: Preferred Channel to
Port
Top Mark: Conical or Pointed
Top
Colour: Green with Red Strip
Light: flashing Green (2 + 1)
Name: Isolated Danger Mark
Action: Keep well clear
Top Mark: Two Balls
Colour: Black and Red Strips
Light: 2 flashes
Name: West Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep west of this
Top Mark: Two Cones top one
pointing down, bottom one
pointing up
Colour: Yellow Top, Black
Middle, Yellow Bottom (cones
point to black)
Light: 9 Flashes (Quick or V
Quick)
If you were in Australia would you be in IALA Region A or B?
A
A
B B
A
A
B
Name: Isolated Danger Mark
Action: Keep well clear
Top Mark: Two Balls
Colour: Black and Red Strips
Light: 2 flashes
Name: Wreck Buoy
Action: Keep Clear of Wreck
Top Mark: Optional Yellow
Cross
Colour: Yellow and Blue
Vertical Strips (minimum of 4
stripes and maximum of 8
stripes)
Light: alternating blue and
yellow flashing light
Name: East Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep east of this
Top Mark: Two Cones top one
points up, bottom one points
down (Easter Egg)
Colour: Black Top, Yellow
Middle, Black Bottom (cones
point to black)
Light: 3 Flashes (Quick or V
Quick)
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark
IALA: System B
Action: Leave to starboard to
stay in the channel
Top Mark: Conical or Pointed
Top
Colour: Red
Light: Sequence of flashing
Red
Name: Preferred Channel
Marks
IALA: System A
Action: Preferred Channel to
Starboard
Top Mark: Flat Top
Colour: Red with Green Strip
Light: flashing Red (2 + 1)
Name: East Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep east of this
Top Mark: Two Cones top one
points up, bottom one points
down (Easter Egg)
Colour: Black Top, Yellow
Middle, Black Bottom (cones
point to black)
Light: 3 Flashes (Quick or V
Quick)
The top mark is missing from this mark
but is it is still possible to identify it?
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark
IALA: System A
Action: Leave to port to stay in
the channel
Top Mark: Flat Top
Colour: Red
Light: Sequence of flashing
Red
Name: South Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep south of this
Top Mark: Two Cones both
pointing down
Colour: Yellow Top, Black
Bottom (cones point to black)
Light: Six Flashes plus one
long (Quick or V Quick)
The top mark is missing from this mark
but is it is still possible to identify it?
Name: South Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep south of this
Top Mark: Two Cones both
pointing down
Colour: Yellow Top, Black
Bottom (cones point to black)
Light: Six Flashes plus one
long (Quick or V Quick)
If you were in Brazil would you be in IALA Region A or B?
A
A
B B
A
A
B
Name: North Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep north of this
Top Mark: Two Cones both
pointing up
Colour: Black Top, Yellow
Bottom (cones point to black)
Light: Continuous Flashing
(Quick or V Quick)
Name: Safe Water Mark
Action: Check the chart for
meaning, often the start of a
channel but otherwise safe
water around
Top Mark: Single Red Ball
Colour: Red and White
Vertical Strips
Light: Any of Isophase,
Occulting, Morse A…
Name: East Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep east of this
Top Mark: Two Cones top one
points up, bottom one points
down (Easter Egg)
Colour: Black Top, Yellow
Middle, Black Bottom (cones
point to black)
Light: 3 Flashes (Quick or V
Quick)
Name: Special Mark
Action: Check the chart for
meaning, used to mark TSS,
special areas, as race marks
and many other options…
Top Mark: Yellow Cross
Colour: Yellow
Light: Yellow Flashing Light of
a pattern that would not be
confused with a buoys with a
white light
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark
IALA: System B
Action: Leave to port to stay in
the channel
Top Mark: Flat Top
Colour: Green
Light: Sequence of flashing
Green
Name: North Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep north of this
Top Mark: Two Cones both
pointing up
Colour: Black Top, Yellow
Bottom (cones point to black)
Light: Continuous Flashing
(Quick or V Quick)
The top mark is missing from this mark
but is it is still possible to identify it?
If you were in France would you be in IALA Region A or B?
A
A
B B
A
A
B
Name: North Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep north of this
Top Mark: Two Cones both
pointing up
Colour: Black Top, Yellow
Bottom (cones point to black)
Light: Continuous Flashing
(Quick or V Quick)
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark
IALA: System A
Action: Leave to starboard to
stay in the channel
Top Mark: Conical or Pointed
Top
Colour: Green
Light: Sequence of flashing
Green
Name: West Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep west of this
Top Mark: Two Cones top one
pointing down, bottom one
pointing up
Colour: Yellow Top, Black
Middle, Yellow Bottom (cones
point to black)
Light: 9 Flashes (Quick or V
Quick)
Name: Lateral Starboard Hand
Mark
IALA: System A
Action: Leave to starboard to
stay in the channel
Top Mark: Conical or Pointed
Top
Colour: Green
Light: Sequence of flashing
Green
Name: South Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep south of this
Top Mark: Two Cones both
pointing down
Colour: Yellow Top, Black
Bottom (cones point to black)
Light: Six Flashes plus one
long (Quick or V Quick)
Name: Lateral Port Hand Mark
IALA: System B
Action: Leave to port to stay in
the channel
Top Mark: Flat Top
Colour: Green
Light: Sequence of flashing
Green
Name: Wreck Buoy
Action: Keep Clear of Wreck
Top Mark: Optional Yellow
Cross
Colour: Yellow and Blue
Vertical Strips (minimum of 4
stripes and maximum of 8
stripes)
Light: alternating blue and
yellow flashing light
Name: West Cardinal Mark
Action: Keep west of this
Top Mark: Two Cones top one
pointing down, bottom one
pointing up
Colour: Yellow Top, Black
Middle, Yellow Bottom (cones
point to black)
Light: 9 Flashes (Quick or V
Quick)
The top mark is missing from this mark
but is it is still possible to identify it?
If you were in Japan would you be in IALA Region A or B?
A
A
B B
A
A
B
