Cardinal Buoys

Cardinal buoys are pillars or spars with black and yellow horizontal stripes. The colour pattern and the triangles (marks) on top tell you if the deepest or safest water is to the North, South, East, or West.

North Cardinal Buoy: The North cardinal buoy is black on the top and yellow on the bottom. Both triangles point up. Go to the north of this buoy to find the safest water.

South Cardinal Buoy: The South cardinal buoy is yellow on the top and black on the bottom. Both triangles point down. Go to the south of this buoy to find the safest water.

East Cardinal Buoy: The East cardinal buoy is black with a yellow horizontal stripe. The top triangle points up, and the bottom triangle points down. Go to the east of this buoy to find the safest water.

West Cardinal Buoy: The West cardinal buoy is yellow with a black horizontal stripe. The top triangle points down, and the bottom triangle points up. Go to the west of this buoy to find the safest water.