ALEE – A good definition of alee would be: far from the direction of the wind. In front of Luv. Markings of state waterways are not normally allowed to be placed in the water safety zone (200 feet or less from a coastline), except when they mark canals or hazards to navigation in critical areas with high traffic. The State`s floating waterway marks generally mark hazards covered by less than four (4) feet of water during the low tide navigation season. (Usually, every year, from Memorial Day to October 1.) Prior to 1848, there were no established standards for buoys, and each port decided the shape, size, and colors of its buoys. In 1852, the Lighthouse Board began requiring standard meanings from coast to coast to coast. The first aspect that needed to be standardized was size. Cylindrical buoys that float on the water and are anchored to the ground are commonly referred to as “nuns” and may or may not be equipped with a light. If they have a light, the light is the same color as the buoy itself.
Flat-tipped cylindrical buoys are known as “cans,” says the U.S. Coast Guard. Buoys are also available in the shape of a spar, ball and column. At the beginning of this chapter, we learned more about the Aids to Navigation System (ATS), which uses red and green side markers, day markers, and buoys to help boaters navigate the water. a. MOORING BUOYS: To avoid confusing mooring buoys with aids to navigation or regulatory markings, they must be white in colour, with a single horizontal BLUE strip visible well above the waterline. No berth may be installed so that it or the object moored on it goes beyond the water safety zone (200 feet from each shore) or one-third of the distance to the opposite shore, whichever is lower. Buoys are usually painted green, red or a combination of both.
Yellow, blue, white and black can also be used on buoys. A green buoy tells boaters to go to the right, and a red buoy advises boaters to go left. Red buoys are always uniformly numbered, while green buoys have odd numbers. In both cases, the number of buoys increases as they move up or near a port. The first registered aids to navigation in North America were lighthouses. Boston Light on Little Brewster Island was commissioned in 1716. Seven decades later, the first U.S. Congress passed legislation establishing state support for lighthouses, beacons, buoys and other aids to navigation, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Historian`s Office. Maine cooperates in a uniform national waterway marking system. The State of Maine Aids to Navigation System is the basic waterway marking system (buoys) used in state waters, as recommended by the U.S.
Coast Guard, to minimize hazards to navigation. The system complies with the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) Marine Buoy System (Region B) and complies with applicable U.S. Coast Guard regulations. FREE NAVIGATION. The right of the riparian public to use a body of water is subject only to the restrictions imposed by the judicial authority. Boaters can remember to keep red buoys on the starboard side and green buoys to port by chanting the phrase “straight red coming back” when entering the open sea or returning from the high seas, says california`s Boating and Waterways Division. If a regulatory mark consists of a square or rectangular character displayed from a buoy or structure, the character must be white with an orange border. If a diamond or circular geometric shape is associated with the meaning of the marker, it must be centered on the shield. These buoys are green, cylindrical in shape and have odd numbers. Keep these buoys on the port side (left) when heading upstream or returning in the direction.
SHOW. The area on a buoy or sign used to display a watermark icon and/or relevant information about the boat. MOORING – Arrangement to secure a boat to a mooring buoy or jetty. WATER SAFETY ZONE. This area of water is less than 200 feet from any coastline, be it the mainland coastline or an island. The state generally does not harbor buoy hazards in this area, except when it comes to marking a canal or critical and busy areas. B. POLITICAL SUBDIVISION AUTHORITY: Title 12 MRSA Section 1894; If the Parks and Lands Office, at the written request of the governing body of a city or municipality, refuses to mark a waterway or is unable to mark a waterway, the governing body of the city or municipality may report hazards to recreational boating on that waterway under its jurisdiction.
The Parks and Lands Office is deemed to have refused to mark a particular waterway if it does not respond to a written request within thirty (30) days of receipt. c. A circular symbol indicates that a vessel operating in the marked area is subject to certain operational controls or restrictions. The nature of the controls or restrictions shall be indicated by words, numbers and/or abbreviations known in black letters within or next to the circle. An additional explanation can be given above, below or next to the symbol on a white background. Here are some examples of words that can be used: “Propulsion speed only”, “Slow safety zone” or “No skiing”. Note – Not all restricted or controlled areas are marked with buoys. Every person who attaches a vessel to a buoy, beacon or permanent structure that is attached in any way to the State or to an organization authorized to affix marks by licence in the waters of that State is guilty of a Class E offence. A diamond-shaped buoy that surrounds the letter “T” indicates that boaters should stay away.
A buoy with a painted circle is a control buoy that informs boaters of the speed limit of a particular waterway. A buoy with white and black vertical stripes is a sign that underwater hazards are present, while red and white vertical stripes indicate the center of a navigable channel, Cruise Direct explains. This marker is used to indicate the main or preferred channel when a channel splits into two parts. You can pass these buoys on both sides, but the preferred channel is indicated by the color at the top. As an example, the buoy shown here indicates that the right channel is preferred. Since green is the color at the top, you`ll keep it on the port side (left) when you pass by to reach the preferred channel. BUOY. Any device intended for swimming is anchored in the water and used to transmit a message, with the exception of a mooring buoy used to moor a boat. In 1820, the Thames had more than 70 navigation buoys. The oldest were typical barrel-shaped wooden barrels that evolved into more conical buoys called sea barrels.