AVIARA OWNERS MANUAL / 54
Reading Buoys and
Other Markers
The waters of the United States are marked for safe navigation
by the lateral system of buoyage. The markers and buoys
you encounter will have an arrangement of shapes, colors,
numbers and lights to show which side of the buoy a boater
should pass when navigating in a particular direction.
The Uniform State Waterway Marker System has been devised
for these waters. This system uses buoys and signs with
distinctive shapes and colors to show regulatory or advisory
information. The markings on these buoys are oriented from
the perspective of being entered from a seaward direction
while the boater is going toward the port. Red buoys are
passed on the starboard (right) side when proceeding from
open water into port, and green buoys are passed on the port
(left) side. When navigating out of port, your position to the
buoys should be reversed: red buoys to port (left) and green
buoys to starboard (right).
Uniform State Waterway Marker System
Green or Black Channel Marker Buoy: Traveling upstream, you
should pass to the right of the buoy as it marks the left side of
the channel.
Red Channel Marker Buoy: Traveling upstream, you should pass
to the left of this buoy as it marks the right side of the channel.
Junction Buoy (Green over Red): Means two channels are coming
together and you should pass to the right of the buoy as you
travel upstream.
Junction Buoy (Red over Green): Means two channels are coming
together and you should pass to the left of the buoy as you
travel upstream.
Passing Daymark (Green): A sign mounted on poles in the water
or on the bank which is used in the same manner as a channel
marker buoy. In this case it marks the left side of the channel
as you travel upstream.
Passing Daymark (Red): A sign mounted on poles in the water or
on the bank which is used in the same manner as a channel
marker buoy. In this case it marks the right side of the channel
as you travel upstream.
Channel Crossing Daymark (Green): A sign mounted on poles in
the water or on the bank which means the channel is crossing
from the left bank to the right bank as you travel upstream.
Channel Crossing Daymark (Red): A sign mounted on poles in the
water or on the bank which means the channel is crossing
from the right bank to the left bank as you travel upstream.
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