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McDonough Marine

International Code For Signal Flags

Alfa Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf

Diver Down Hotel

Dangerous Cargo India

Yes Juliett

Keep Clear Kilo

Altering Course to Starboard Lima

Disabled Mike

Want A Pilot November

Pilot On Board Oscar

Altering Course To Port Papa

On Fire Keep Clear Quebec

Desire To Communicate Romeo

Stop Instantly Sierra

I Am Stopped Tango

No Uniform

Man Overboard About To Sail Victor

Request Pratique Whiskey Xray

Engines Going Astern Yankee

Keep Clear Of Me Zulu

Standing Into Danger

Require Assistance

Require Medical Assistance

Stop Your Intention

Am Dragging Anchor

Require A Tug

Code and Answering Pennant (Decimal Point)

1st Repeater

2nd Repeater

3rd Repeater

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Storm Warning Signals These signals are displayed when necessary at principal harbors, yacht clubs and Coast Guard stations and vessels.

Night Signal

Day Signal

Small Craft Warnings

Winds to 38 mph

Gale

Storm

Hurricane
Winds 74 mph & up

Winds 39-54 mph Winds 55-73 mph

(International Association of Lighthouse Authorities) Lateral Aids

(Mark Sides of Channel)

All Lateral Aids will be numbered. Green aids will be odd numbered. Red aids will be even numbered. When returning from sea, keep the green Lateral Aids to your left or port side and the red Lateral Aids to your right or starboard side.

Preferred Channel Aids

(Mark Converging Channels)

Junction or Preferred Channel Aids will be plain or lettered. These aids are combined red and green in color and are used where two channels converge. Lights will match the top most color of the buoy. The top most color marks the preferred channel and the lower color indicates a converging channel with converging traffic. When entering from seaward, if green is top most color, for preferred channel, keep buoy to your left or port side. If red is the top most color, for preferred channel, keep buoy to your right or starboard side.

Safe Water Aids

(Mark Mid-Channel and Fairways)

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Safe Water Aids have no lateral significance and will be plain or lettered. Unlighted buoys will be spherical. Both lighted and sound Safe Water Aids will have a red spherical top mark. Lighted Safe Water aids will display a white, flashing light (Morse Code A, ). Although nonlateral shore structures display white flashing lights (lighthouses) take notice that some white flashing shore lights have a red danger sector. If a white flashing shore light suddenly changes to red flashing light, you are in the danger sector of shoal waters. 2/5

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danger sector of shoal waters.

Buoy Regions A & B IALA - International Association of Lighthouse Authorities has sponsored an agreement to standardize aids to navigation in order to promote uniform systems for navigation. Two regions have been delineated with most countries in each region participating in use of the standardized aids. Shown above are the aids in use in Region B which have been adopted by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Intracoastal Water (ICW) Lateral Aids Intracoastal Navigation Aids (including daymarks, can, nun, lighted junction, preferred channel and mid channel aids) are distinguished by yellow, horizontal stripes. When entering the Intracoastal Waterways (from New Jersey thru Texas) from North or East, treat the yellow stripes on navigation aids by the colors of the aid, keeping the red aids to your right or starboard side as you proceed South or West.

Midchannel Aids Midchannel Aids have no lateral significance and will be either plain or lettered. Lighted buoys will display a white light only.

Preferred Channel Aids Junction or Preferred Channel Aids mark junctions and obstructions and indicate the preferred channel. Preferred Channel Aids will be either plain or lettered. The top most color marks the preferred channel and the lower color marks the converging channel with converging traffic. Lights will correspond to the top most color.

Dual Purpose Aids Dual Purpose Aids are used

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Dual Purpose Aids are used when the Intracoastal Waterway temporarily joins with other waterways. These aids are painted with fluorescent yellow triangles or squares. Ignore the color and shape of the aids and follow the yellow triangles and squares, keeping the yellow triangles to your right and the yellow squares to your left as you proceed South or West.

Special Purpose Aids

All Waters

Special Purpose Aids are used to designate special areas such as dredging, anchorage, fish net, spoil ground, traffic separation, military zones, ocean data buoys as well as others. They have no lateral significance. Lighted aids will display yellow lights only and will have a slow flashing pattern.

Information and Regulatory Aids

All Waters

Information and Regulatory aids are used to convey important information about or control access to particular areas of navigable waterways. Lighted aids will display yellow lights only and will have a slow flashing pattern.

Non-Lateral Daymarks
All Waters

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Daymarks are placed on shore or marine structures as reference navigation aids which have no lateral significance. They are diamond shaped boards which provide visibility for aids which are difficult to see in poor daylight weather conditions.

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McDonough Marine

B - Black Fl - Flashing Rhythm I - Intracoastal Aid M - Midchannel Aid OR - Orange

Key To Abbreviations S - Square Daymark T - Triangle Daymark W - White C - Can Buoy G - Green

J - Junction Aid N - Nun Buoy R - Red SP - Spherical Buoy Y - Yellow

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