MODULE 6 - BOATsmart!

RED RIGHT RETURNING HOW DO I DETERMINE WHICH WAY IS UPSTREAM?
What side of a red starboard-hand
buoy should you pass on? What
about a green port-hand buoy?
Doesn’t it depend on which direction
you’re travelling? If you encounter a
red or green buoy on an open body
of water, which way do you go?
These are some of the most common
questions that boaters have. In fact,
many boaters are not certain on
which side of a marker buoy they
should pass. A simple way to
remember is to use the Red Right
Returning memory aid:
PROCEEDING EDINGG FROM
SEAWARD OR
UPSTREAM
Red Right Returning refers to keeping the Red starboard-hand buoy
on the Right side of your vessel when:
- Heading upstream
- When entering a channel from seaward
- When returning upstream to headwaters or to harbour
When traveling upstream:
- Always keep the red starboard-hand buoy on the right side of your vessel
- Always keep the green port-hand buoy on the left side of your vessel
When traveling downstream:
- Always keep the red starboard-hand buoy on the left side of your vessel
- Always keep the green port-hand buoy on the right side of your vessel
In order to apply the Red Right Returning Rule you will need to determine which
direction is “Upstream” and which direction is “Downstream” - “Upstream” and
“Downstream” refers to the direction of the current (i.e. the direction of water
flow). Unfortunately, there is no one way to determine the direction of the current.
For example, on “land-locked” lakes (i.e. lakes that are not connected by a river,
canal system or other waterway) it can be very difficult to determine which direction
is upstream and which is downstream. In many places, the direction of the current
is determined by consensus or by the tide. On canal systems (such as Ontario’s Trent
Severn Canal and Rideau Canal) the current changes direction at specific “high”
points on the canal system. For example, from Ottawa, you rise with each lock going
“upstream”. However, when you reach the Newboro Locks, you begin heading
back “downstream” (even though you are still heading in the same direction). The
direction of current can also change where lakes connect to one another. To help you
determine the direction of water flow there are several tips to remember:
- If you’re entering a channel from seaward (i.e. from the sea) you are considered
to be travelling “upstream”
- If you’re travelling on a sea channel that runs parallel to the coast, you
should consider the “clockwise” direction as if it were “upstream” (i.e. in a
Southerly direction along the Atlantic Coast and in a Northerly direction along
the Pacific Coast)
- Marine charts identify the upstream direction of travel. If you’re operating on
a “land-locked” lake or a body of water on which you are unable to determine
the direction of water flow, you can refer to a marine chart to identify the
upstream direction of travel and the location of waterway hazards.
LATERAL SYSTEM NAVIGATION
Module 6 I 105