Question 1

During daylight you see a buoy with the following features: yellow-black-yellow horizontal banding (top to bottom); topmarks showing two black cones, points TOGETHER (hourglass shape). Light at night would be Q(9) or VQ(9). What is this mark and on which side must you pass?

Accepted Answer

WEST CARDINAL MARK. Topmark: two cones POINTS TOGETHER forming an hourglass or "W" shape — points inward to each other (waist inward = west). Colour: yellow — black — yellow (three bands, like a yellow sandwich with black filling). Light: Q(9) or VQ(9) white — 9 quick flashes (9 = 9 o'clock = west). Meaning: safe water lies to the WEST of this mark. The hazard is to the east of the buoy. Action: pass this mark to the WEST. The mark protects you from danger on the east side — pass to the west of the buoy, keeping the buoy to your east as you pass. A west cardinal effectively says "the danger is behind me to the east — safe water ahead to the west." West cardinal topmark memory: "W for Waist" — the hourglass shape with points touching at the waist. Alternatively: look at the shape from above — it looks like a "W" if the two triangle points meet in the middle and you see the outline. Colour: yellow-black-yellow — yellow on the outside, black in the middle (think of a black waist on a yellow background, or the waist of a wasp). Light: Q(9) — nine is 9 o'clock, which is west on a clock. The full set: N=continuous Q; E=Q(3); S=Q(6)+LFl; W=Q(9). The pattern 3-6-9 runs clockwise around the compass E-S-W (with N being continuous because it comes "before" 3 on the clock). This clock-based memory system allows any cardinal to be identified from the group count alone at night without needing to see the buoy. At OOW exam level, the examiner will test all four cardinals repeatedly until identification is instant and confident.

Question 2

Your examiner asks: in IALA System A (used in the UK and Europe), a red can buoy is seen to port on the starboard side of a channel. Are you entering or leaving harbour, and on which side do you pass it?

Accepted Answer

IALA System A — Red to PORT when entering harbour (proceeding from seaward). Red can buoy on your port side means you are on the starboard side of the channel, heading seaward (leaving harbour). To re-enter, you would keep the red buoy to PORT. Rule: In IALA A: RED = PORT = entering harbour (coming from sea). Green = Starboard = entering harbour. Memory aid for IALA A: "Red to Port Returning." The question states the red buoy is to port — therefore you are ENTERING HARBOUR correctly, keeping the channel to starboard. Pass the red buoy keeping it to PORT (leave it on your port side). In IALA B (Americas, Japan, Philippines, Korea): colours are reversed — red to starboard entering. IALA System A covers Europe, Africa, India, Australia, and most of Asia. IALA System B covers the Americas, Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea. The fundamental difference is the colour assignment for lateral marks. IALA A: PORT side mark = RED (can or spar shape, red light any rhythm); STARBOARD side mark = GREEN (conical shape, green light any rhythm). IALA B: PORT side mark = GREEN; STARBOARD side mark = RED. The "conventional direction of buoyage" defines port and starboard: in harbour approaches and rivers, it is the direction proceeding from seaward into the harbour/upstream. On coasts, the conventional direction runs clockwise around continents (in the northern hemisphere: north along the east coast, east along the south coast, south along the west coast). A candidate serving on UK vessels must know IALA A thoroughly and understand IALA B for voyages to the Americas. The examiner will use a colour card or verbal description and expect immediate identification of the mark type, meaning, and passing action.

Question 3

On radar you detect a buoy at 358° 0.8nm. As you approach visually you see: two black cones both pointing UP as topmarks; black upper body, yellow lower body; the light characteristic is VQ (very quick flashing — approximately 120 flashes per minute). What is this mark, what does it indicate, and how do you pass it?

Accepted Answer

NORTH CARDINAL MARK. Topmark: two cones BOTH pointing UP (like an arrow pointing north). Colour: black over yellow (black upper, yellow lower). Light: white VQ (very quick) or Q (quick) — uninterrupted. Meaning: safe water lies to the NORTH of this mark. The mark indicates a hazard to its south — the safe side to pass is to the NORTH. Action: pass the mark to the NORTH — i.e., keep the mark to the SOUTH of you as you pass. In this scenario the buoy is bearing 358° (nearly north), so you are approaching from the south — the mark is warning you of danger to your south; you are already in the safe water north of the mark. Monitor: do not pass to the south of this buoy. Cardinal marks are the most systematically tested buoyage topic at OOW level because the examiner can test all four quadrants with slight variations. The cardinal system is based on the compass: the mark indicates the safe water lies in the direction of the compass point named. NORTH cardinal: safe water to the NORTH. SOUTH cardinal: safe to the SOUTH. EAST cardinal: safe to the EAST. WEST cardinal: safe to the WEST. Topmark memory aid: think of the clock face — N = both points UP (12 o'clock, both up); S = both points DOWN (6 o'clock, both down); E = both points OUT (3 o'clock, open to east); W = both points IN (9 o'clock, hourglass shape, like a W). Colour: N = black over yellow (black on top); S = yellow over black (yellow on top); E = black-yellow-black banding; W = yellow-black-yellow banding. Light characteristics (all white): N = VQ or Q (continuous); S = VQ(6)+LFl or Q(6)+LFl (6 quick + long flash — the 6 at the bottom = 6 o'clock = south); E = VQ(3) or Q(3) (3 groups = 3 o'clock = east); W = VQ(9) or Q(9) (9 groups = 9 o'clock = west).