Can anyone explain the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) buoyage system?

Question

Why is it different than IALA?

What the small and yellow squares and triangles in the marks means?

Thanks.

Answer 1

The US is on the IALA "B" system along with other countries. The yellow squares and triangles represent the marks for the ICW route. The triangles represent red nun buoys and the squares stand for green can buoys, no matter what color or shape buoy you see them on when transiting the ICW.

Answer 2

Above are good. Just remember "Red, right, returning". When you coming back in from the ocean the Red buoy is on your right. It easy to figure out as you stay between them. But, at night it good to know, red, right, returning. There are numbers, but, unless you have Navigation charts they not do much help.

Answer 3

It depends where you are. In America, for instance the buoys used to mark a channel are the opposite way round to the rest of the world.

Answer 4

an easy way to use the triangles and squares is:  Think of the squares as flat like the beach,  keep them to beach or ocean side,  think of triangles as like mountains and keep them to the landmass side.  It is crude and simple but works.  Most importantly keep your chart and tide tables handy, monitor the vhf for traffic, weather and safety broadcast, watch out for oncoming and passing traffic, be careful of manatees and dolphins, watch for debris, crabtraps, read your guidebooks, and by the way,  relax and enjoy  the trip.  The ICW is a very nice trip if you do not let a schedule ruin your fun.

Answer 5

just remember when in the ICW "Triangles Right South".

if the yellow triangle is on your right you are heading south.

it does not matter if it is on a red or green marker, if yellow triangle is on your right you are heading south.

Answer 6

er, maybe they've changed things since I ran the Ditch, but back in the day.......

in North and South America, red buoys are left  to the right side of the ship., "the Red Right Returning from the Sea" rhyme.

The ICW is set up so that red buoys are on the right as you run south.

The ICW  many times crosses other channels.....so that you can tell ICW markers from "regular" channel markers the ICW buoys have the yellow triangle   or square on the markers.

Hope this helps.