Federal Requirements and Safety Tips for Recreational Boats

Aids to Navigation

Aids to Navigation are placed along coasts and navigable waters as guides to mark safe water and to assist mariners in determining their position in relation to land and hidden dangers. Each aid to navigation is used to provide specific information.

Several aids to navigation are usually used together to form a local aid to navigation system that helps the mariner follow natural and improved channels. Such aids to navigation also provide a continuous system of charted marks for coastal piloting. Individual aids to navigation are used to mark landfall from seaward, and to mark isolated dangers.

Lateral markers are buoys or beacons that indicate the port and starboard sides of a route to be followed. Virtually all U.S. lateral marks follow the traditional 3R rule of "red, right, returning". This means, when returning from sea, keep red marks on the right-hand (starboard) side of the vessel.

Mariners must NOT rely on buoys alone for determining their position. Storms and wave action can cause buoys to move.