The fixed and floating marks that guide mariners: lateral buoys marking channel sides, cardinal marks showing the safe side of a hazard, isolated danger marks, lighthouses, leading lights, racons and AIS virtual marks. Buoyage follows two regions that swap the colours of lateral marks. Hydrographic surveys position these aids and check the depths around them, and a buoy found off station is reported for correction.
Aids to navigation check found the red at the bend 40 metres off station, report it to the buoy tender.
Also heard as
- AtoN
- ATON
- navaids
- buoyage
Related terms
Notice to Mariners
An official bulletin of chart corrections and navigational warnings, issued regularly to keep charts current.
Nautical chart
A map of waters and coasts made for mariners, showing depths, hazards, aids to navigation and landmarks.
Wreck
The remains of a sunken vessel, charted as a hazard or a feature depending on its depth and size.
DtoN
Danger to navigation: a newly found hazard reported urgently so charts and warnings change before the survey ends.