Lateral mark

The same arrangement in the entrance to the pier north dike

The Lateralsystem ( from lateral = "lateral" ) is like the cardinal system one of the two labeling systems for waters in the international maritime shipping. The Lateralsystem defines a lateral marking of the fairway, which is done with navaids. The sea mark the port side and the starboard side differ from each other by their shape (or the shape of their top marks ), by coloring and numbering; Leader of vessels (eg ships) allows to identify whether they need to pass a navigation mark left or right to drive in the fairway.

The body, which defines the marking of fairways internationally and thus the Lateralsystem, the IALA. She has the regions A and B set for the Lateralsystem worldwide whose navaids differ in color and numbering, but not in shape.

The Elbtonne 40 to port (system A )

Lateral characters starboard (System A)

Starboard buoy called " VS 5" in Vlieland (System A): green, upward ( relative) pointed, odd numbered

Overview: shape, color, numbering

In Lateralsystem be color, shape (or form of Topp character) and numbering used to distinguish between starboard and port side. Very common is the color differentiation. The numbering is used for all long fairways (eg, access roads to ports or channels).

• Shape of the entire navaid or the masthead character (character at the top of navaids ): obtuse or acute, usually performed as a cylinder or cone; the assignment of the form to the fairway pages is internationally uniform: for coming by sea ships right ( starboard ) and pointed to the left (port ) dull. In particular, in the Wadden rods are marked by broom with the tip pointing upward ( starboard ) or down ( port side). Spier tons and Pricken can be found on the port side of the fairway.
• Color: red or green paint of the navaid or parts of the navaid; in beacons ( lit navigation marks ) also red or green illumination (green fire act at long range but for physical reasons, often white and if necessary only when you get closer than recognizable green ); Assignment to control and port different in region A and B
• Numbering: even numbers or odd numbers (that is, if used, are the first navaids of the fairway usually " 1" and "2", then it is counted ); Assignment to control and port different in region A and B

A lateral navaids can all wear these features, such as a green, lace ton with an odd number (system A ). A "just" green or "just" pointed sea marks naturally fulfills the same purpose. The combination of features allows you to easily distinguish at different visibility conditions or from a distance, but also the ease of communication on board ( numbering ), etc.

The distinction between region A and B

Region A

Region A includes Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and most of Asia ( ie Asia except the Philippines, Japan and Korea).

Navaids are coming from sea:

• Green to starboard, numbered with pointed ( conical ) top marks, with odd numbers
• Red to port, numbered with blunt ( cylindrical ) top marks, with even numbers

Designation of navigable waters

In the name of waterways in the region A one follows a ' fixed buoyage direction '. The main direction of a port access road, a river or a waterway is defined as coming out of the lake.

With fairways that do not result in a port or similar, that side is considered starboard side of the fairway, the one from the west (including Northern, excluding South) has coming vehicle to starboard.

Region B

Region B includes North America, South America, the Philippines, Japan and Korea.

It uses the color of the other way around, retains the shape of the top marks in but.

Navaids are coming from sea:

• Red to starboard, numbered with pointed ( conical ) top marks, with even numbers
• Green on the port side, numbered with blunt ( cylindrical ) top marks, with odd numbers

Code according to IHO S-57

The coding for electronic chart is determined by the IHO in standard IHO S- 57:

Mid - fairway - sign or buoy

Buoy in Tonnenhof Norderney

The middle of waterways is a mid - fairway - mark (: safe water mark ) marks. This is white - red striped vertically and can have a red ball top marks. It is built as a ball, beacons or spar buoy or a rod. It can also serve as a seaward boundary of an area marked by red and green were the fairway. Then it is also called " buoy ".

Fairway division ton

Right side of the fairway through

Branches of a continuous waterway to another waterway from or discharges into this, so you must have one of the laid navaids on the port side of the continuous, but are on the starboard side of the branching or leading- fairway or vice versa. To this end, tons are used which have the characteristics of the remaining tons this side of the continuous fairway, but are provided with a horizontal color ring of the other color, so ( in the buoyage system A)

• On the port side of the continuous fairway red butt, light or Spier tons or poles with a horizontal green ribbon and a red cylinder as top marks ( bars with broom upwards),

• Spitz green or light buoys or poles with a horizontal red ribbon and a green cone as top marks ( bars with broom down) on the starboard side of the through the fairway.