BUOYS......??? (best answer recieves full marks)?

Question

I have been studying for my restricted boat operator licence (melbourne, australia) for a week now and am stuck on understanding the following. Please help me and I will give full marks to the best answer.

1. On starboard hand marks on which side should I pass them.

2. On port-hand side which side should I pass on.

Cheers George

Answer 1

When traveling in the Conventional Direction of Buoyage, starboard hand marks should be on the starboard side of your vessel and port side marks should be on the port side of your vessel.

You can't just say that you should stay between them, because you may encounter areas where there is only one green or red buoy visible.

Good luck.

Note:

What I did not realize until you posted your question was that the world is divided on the colour of starboard and port side buoys, Zone A and Zone B.  

In Canada, and in the US, (both are Zone B) our Starboard Side Buoys are red. They are on the right hand side of the channel when traveling in the Conventional Direction of Buoyage (upstream or into port).  So I always remember "Red - Right - Returning", but that won't work for you since you're in Zone A.

Answer 2

First answer is correct.

1. The Starboard Buoy/Marks you would pass on the Port side.

2.The Port Buoy/Marks you pass on the Starboard side. This keeps you between the buoys and in the channel.

Draw you a small picture with a few Starboard and Port buoys and markers with the color names. It may help you see more how they work.

Answer 3

use your boat like a center line. keep your boat between the bouys and the deeper water.  the bouys are there to act as warning to the shallows .

Answer 4

"Starboard hand marks" should be left to starboard and "port-hand marks" should be passed on the port side. Stay to the right of the channel's center to leave room for meeting traffic heading the other way.

Answer 5

Well, it depends.

"Port" and "Starboard" buoys are positioned according to the stream or tidal stream, so if you make a trip upstream, they will be on the opposite side to the one they would be on going downstream. Stay between them, closer to whichever is on your starboard hand, and you shouldn't have too much trouble.

Answer 6

I can't believe the previous answers - you '35 years boat skippers' ought to be ashamed of yourselves. No wonder there are so many collisions between vessels.

The world is divided into the IALA system of bouyage - unfortunately it is not universal (blame the Admiralty for changing their minds twice!!).

You, in Melbourne, like us in the UK, are lucky enough to be in IALA region A. Therefore if we are approaching a port, or sailing up river we 'match' colours i.e. we pass port to port and starboard to starboard (you show the starboard mark the right hand side of your boat (pass to the left)) and vice versa for port hand marks (you pass it to the right).

Of course, leaving a port, or traveling downstream, you do the opposite - pass to the right of the right of the green cones and to the left of the red cans.

Look at these websites-

http://www.deck-officer.info/ialamap.htm

http://www.rya.org.uk

http://www.central-sailing.co.uk

Unfortunately, the other half of the world, runs under IALA region B rules, which completely reverses the above.

An American sailor will enter port, or sail upstream passing to the right of the green starboard cones and to the left of the red port cans, and vice versa when traveling downstream or out of a harbour.  

It's amazing that there are not more shipping disasters.

All the best with your qualification Bigpathome.