The IALA Maritime Buoyage System (MBS)

The IALA Maritime Buoyage System (MBS)
Captain Duncan Glass, THLS, Chairman ANM, UK
ABSTRACT
Although the maritime buoyage system (MBS) has served the maritime community well
since its inception in the 1970s, after the 2006 IALA Conference in Shanghai, China, it was
decided to review the system in light of changes in the navigation environment and the
further development of electronic aids to navigation.
Worldwide consultation revealed that the fundamental principles of the MBS should be
retained. However, due to changes in navigation practices and patterns, as well as
innovations and technological developments, some enhancements to the MBS were needed.
The most significant changes in the 2010 revision are the inclusion of aids to navigation
used for marking, recommended by IALA, that are additional to the floating buoyage system
previously included. This is aimed at providing a more complete description of aids to
navigation that may be used. It includes the Emergency Wreck Marking Buoy, descriptions
of other aids to navigation specifically excluded from the original MBS, and the integration of
electronic marks via radio transmission. With regards to aids to navigation, the changes
provided by this revision will allow the emerging e-Navigation concept to be based upon the
marks provided by this booklet.
RESUME
Bien que le système de balisage maritime (MBS) ait bien servi la communauté maritime
depuis sa création dans les années 1970, il a été décidé, suite à la conférence de l’AISM en
2006 à Shanghai (Chine), de revoir le système à la lumière des changements dans
l’environnement maritime et du développement des aides à la navigation électroniques.
Une consultation mondiale a révélé que les principes fondamentaux du MBS devaient être
gardés. Cependant, en raison des changements de pratiques et de modèles de navigation,
ainsi que des innovations et développements technologiques, il était nécessaire d’apporter
des améliorations au MBS.
Le changement le plus important dans la révision de 2010 est l’ajout d’aides à la navigation
utilisées pour le balisage, recommandées par l’AISM, en complément du système de
balisage flottant précédemment inclus. Cette action vise à fournir une description plus
complète des aides à la navigation susceptibles d’être utilisés. Ceci inclut les bouées de
balisage d’urgence des épaves, les descriptions d’autres aides à la navigation expressément
exclues du MBS original, et l’intégration des marques électroniques par transmission radio.
En ce qui concerne les aides à la navigation, les changements apportés par cette révision
permettront au concept émergeant de l’e-Navigation d’être fondé sur les marques fournies
dans cette brochure.
17th IALA Conference
Cape Town, South Africa, 22‐27 March 2010
Session: THE FUTURE OF VISUAL AIDS TO
NAVIGATION
17ème Conférence de l’AISM
Le Cap, Afrique du Sud, 22 27 mars 2010
Session: L’AVENIR DES AIDES VISUELLES A LA
NAVIGATION
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BACKGROUND ~ TAKEN FROM THE REVISED MBS
Prior to 1976
There was once more than thirty different buoyage systems in use world wide, many of
these systems having rules in complete conflict with one another.
There has long been disagreement over the way in which buoy lights should be used since
they first appeared towards the end of the 19th century. In particular, some countries
favoured using red lights to mark the port hand side of channels and others favoured them
for marking the starboard hand.
Another major difference of opinion revolved around the principles to be applied when laying
out marks to assist the mariner. Most countries adopted the principle of the Lateral system

whereby marks indicate the port and starboard sides of the route to be followed according to
some agreed direction. However, several countries also favoured using the principle of
Cardinal marks whereby dangers are marked by one or more buoys or beacons laid out in
the quadrants of the compass to indicate where the danger lies in relation to the mark, this
system being particularly useful in the open sea where the Lateral buoyage direction may
not be apparent.
The nearest approach to international agreement on a unified system of buoyage was
reached at Geneva in 1936. This Agreement, drawn up under the auspices of the League of
Nations, was never ratified due to the outbreak of World War II. The Agreement proposed
the use of either Cardinal marks or Lateral marks but separated them into two different
systems. It provided for the use of the colour red on port hand marks and largely reserved
the colour green for wreck marking.
At the end of World War II many countries found their aids to navigation destroyed and the
process of restoration had to be undertaken urgently. In the absence of anything better, the
Geneva rules were adopted with or without variation to suit local conditions and the
equipment available. This led to wide and sometimes conflicting differences particularly in
the crowded waters of North Western Europe.
In 1957 the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) was formed in order to
support the goals of the technical lighthouse conferences which had been convening since
1929.
Attempts to bring complete unity had little success. Fresh impetus was given to the task of
the IALA Technical Committee, by a series of disastrous wrecks in the Dover Strait area in
1971. These wrecks, situated in one lane of a traffic separation scheme, defied all attempts
to mark them in a way that could be readily understood by mariners.
There were three basic issues to address:
i. the need to retain existing equipment as far as possible to avoid undue expense
ii. the need to define how the colours green and red were to be used when marking
channels
iii. the need to combine Lateral and Cardinal rules.
To meet the conflicting requirements, it was thought necessary as a first step to formulate
two systems, one using the colour red to mark the port hand side of the channels and the
other using the colour red to mark the starboard hand side of channels. These were called
System A and System B, respectively.
17th IALA Conference
Cape Town, South Africa, 22‐27 March 2010
Session: THE FUTURE OF VISUAL AIDS TO
NAVIGATION
17ème Conférence de l’AISM
Le Cap, Afrique du Sud, 22 27 mars 2010
Session: L’AVENIR DES AIDES VISUELLES A LA
NAVIGATION
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The rules for System A, which included both cardinal and lateral marks, were completed in
1976 and agreed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The System was
introduced in 1977 and its use has gradually spread throughout Europe, Australia, New
Zealand, Africa, the Gulf and some Asian Countries.
From 1980
The rules for System B were completed in early 1980. These were considered to be suitable
for application in North, Central and South America; Japan; Korea and The Philippines.
The rules for the two Systems were so similar that the IALA Executive Committee was able
to combine the two sets of rules into one, known as “The IALA Maritime Buoyage System”
(MBS). This single set of rules allows Lighthouse Authorities the choice of using red to port
or red to starboard, on a regional basis; the two regions being known as Region A and
Region B.
At a Conference convened by IALA in November 1980 with the assistance of IMO and the
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), Lighthouse Authorities from 50 countries and

the representatives of nine International Organisations concerned with aids to navigation met
and agreed to adopt the rules of the new combined System. The boundaries of the buoyage
regions were also decided and illustrated on a map annexed to the rules. The Conference
underlined the need for co-operation between neighbouring countries and with Hydrographic
Services in the introduction of the new System.
From 2010
Although the maritime buoyage system (MBS) has served the maritime community well
since its inception in the 1970s, after the 2006 IALA Conference in Shanghai, China, it was
decided to review the system in light of changes in the navigation environment and the
further development of electronic aids to navigation.
Worldwide consultation revealed that the fundamental principles of the MBS should be
retained. However, due to changes in navigation practices and patterns, as well as
innovations and technological developments, some enhancements to the MBS were needed.
Ideally, a unified marking arrangement would, in principle, be desirable for Regions A and B.
All IALA Members view this change as impractical, detrimental to safety, and probably
unachievable. However, with the aim of improving navigational safety, advances towards a
global unified system can be achieved through adoption of common characteristics, such as
consistent lighting rhythms, on port and starboard hand Marks regardless of region.
The most significant changes in the 2010 revision are the inclusion of aids to navigation
used for marking, recommended by IALA, that are additional to the floating buoyage system
previously included. This is aimed at providing a more complete description of aids to
navigation that may be used. It includes the Emergency Wreck Marking Buoy, descriptions
of other aids to navigation specifically excluded from the original MBS, and the integration of
electronic marks via radio transmission. With regards to aids to navigation, the changes
provided by this revision will allow the emerging e-Navigation concept to be based upon the
marks provided by this booklet.
Thus, the IALA Maritime Buoyage System will continue to help all Mariners, navigating
anywhere in the world, to fix their position and avoid dangers without fear of ambiguity, now
and for the years to come.
17th IALA Conference
Cape Town, South Africa, 22‐27 March 2010
Session: THE FUTURE OF VISUAL AIDS TO
NAVIGATION
17ème Conférence de l’AISM
Le Cap, Afrique du Sud, 22 27 mars 2010
Session: L’AVENIR DES AIDES VISUELLES A LA
NAVIGATION
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GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF THE MARITIME BUOYAGE SYSTEMAND OTHER AIDS TO
NAVIGATION
The responsibility for safe navigation resides with the mariner, through the appropriate use
of aids to navigation in conjunction with official nautical documents and prudent seamanship,
including voyage planning as defined in IMO Resolutions.
The IALA Aids to Navigation system comprises two components: The Maritime Buoyage
System and other aids to navigation. This is primarily a physical system, however all of the
marks described in the revised booklet may be provided, presented and recorded by
electronic means.
Within this system there are six types of marks which may be used in combination. The
mariner can distinguish between these marks by identifiable characteristics. Lateral marks
differ between Buoyage Regions A and B, as described below, whereas the other five types
of marks are common to both regions.
THE FIRST STEPS IN THE REVIEW
The IALA Aids to Navigation Management (ANM) Committee agreed that the first step in the
review of the Maritime Buoyage System, in accordance with the Council instructions to: “to
review the system in light of changes in the shipping environment and the development of
digital aids to navigation”, was to write to all IALA Members, under the Secretary General’s

signature, requesting their views on a review of the MBS and providing them with an
accompanying rationale to assist them when considering their response
The letter was worded as follows and produced a significant response from IALA Members.
Dear IALA Member
Re: IALA Maritime Buoyage System
I am writing to request your comments on and suggestions for improvements (if any)
to the IALA Maritime Buoyage System.
Please find attached to this letter, a brief rationale for reviewing the MBS and the
preliminary findings made by the IALA Aids to Navigation Management (ANM)
Committee.
I will be grateful if you can respond to the IALA Secretariat by no later than 31
December 2007.
I look forward to hearing from you.
The supporting rationale was as follows:
Review of the IALA Maritime Buoyage System (MBS)
Background
One of the conclusions of the XVIth IALA Conference (held in China in May 2006) was
Although the maritime buoyage system has served the maritime community well
since its inception in the 1970s, it is time to review the system in light of changes in
the shipping environment and the development of digital aids to navigation.
17th IALA Conference
Cape Town, South Africa, 22‐27 March 2010
Session: THE FUTURE OF VISUAL AIDS TO
NAVIGATION
17ème Conférence de l’AISM
Le Cap, Afrique du Sud, 22 27 mars 2010
Session: L’AVENIR DES AIDES VISUELLES A LA
NAVIGATION
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This led to a recommendation that
IALA review the maritime buoyage system in consultation with all related organizations and
user groups.
The task to review the IALA Maritime Buoyage System, as first published in 1980, was
placed on the ANM Committee’s 2006-2010 Work Programme.
Stakeholder Consultation
The ANM Committee began discussing this task immediately after the Shanghai Conference
in 2006. Since that time, members have been collecting and analyzing opinions and options
for the future of the MBS. All of this has fed into the collation of stakeholder consultation that
followed.
The ANM Committee initiated a consultation process in April 2007, and continued with a
second stage, later in that year. This resulted in numerous responses which were collated
and analysed at ANM11 (April 2008).
Over six hundred responses to the MBS questionnaire were received from national
members; varying from individual users, pilot associations, harbour master associations,
shipping interests, hydrographic offices, and maritime and aids to navigation authorities.
Responses were received from all major regions of the world.
Consolidated responses were provided by national authorities as well as some individual
users. All responses were collated by a working group of the ANM committee dedicated to
this single task and the general findings are shown below.
Findings
The results of the widespread consultation endorsed the view of the committee that the
fundamental principles of the MBS should be retained. However, due to changes in shipping
patterns, innovations and technological developments it was found that some enhancements
to the MBS were required.
Ideally, a unified marking arrangement would, in principle, be desirable for Regions A and B.
However, almost all view this change as impractical, costly, detrimental to safety and

possibly unachievable. However, particular suggestions for more commonality between the
two marking regions was identified and will be progressed by the committee.
More details on the responses to the MBS questionnaire, produced by the ANM committee,
are given at the Annex.
Proposed Revision of the IALA MBS Booklet
Having considered the responses to the MBS survey, the committee, following much debate,
captured the following points as key elements that will shape the revision of the MBS:
• The MBS is effective and should not be fundamentally altered. Responses indicate
general satisfaction with the existing MBS, noting the substantial contribution made
to the safety of navigation since its inception.
• There is significant opportunity to improve the scope of the MBS, taking advantage
of innovations and new technologies.
• It is unrealistic to consider progressing to a unified system (Region A and B)
• The IALA Emergency Wreck Marking Buoy (EWMB), currently on trial, is gaining
acceptance and should be incorporated fully into the MBS.
17th IALA Conference
Cape Town, South Africa, 22‐27 March 2010
Session: THE FUTURE OF VISUAL AIDS TO
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17ème Conférence de l’AISM
Le Cap, Afrique du Sud, 22 27 mars 2010
Session: L’AVENIR DES AIDES VISUELLES A LA
NAVIGATION
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• There is considerable support for the view that the EWMB when deployed should
remain on station for as long as required.
• There is some support that the EWMB should be re-designated as an Emergency
Danger Marking Buoy.
• There has been a proliferation in the use of Special Marks as an ‘all-purpose’ aid; it
is desirable to distinguish the different uses of Special Marks.
• There is support for re-defining Special Marks to allow its use as a navigational mark.
• There is support that Special Marks have additional IHO approved symbology
attached to the buoy.
• There has been a proliferation in the use of Cardinal Marks with consequent
confusion or inability to distinguish the meaning of individual AtoNs.
• There is support that the Isolated Danger Mark should have clearer guidance on its
use and that there should be means of indicating the extent of the hazard.
• It is desirable that the revised MBS document makes reference to existing IALA
guidance on the efficient disposition and types of buoyage.
• The revised MBS booklet should also make reference to innovations and integration
of new technologies (such as sequential and synchronised lights, blue lights, radio
aids and AIS as Aids to Navigation).
• The information contained in the MBS Booklet ought to be widely promulgated so
that the mariner may use it in conjunction with the appropriate nautical chart or
publication and other systems.
Action Plan
Following the collation of the findings, the IALA Council was invited to:
iv. Note the results of the widespread consultation carried out by IALA
v. Accept the findings as the basis for a revision of the existing IALA MBS Booklet
vi. Approve the circulation of the draft revised MBS Booklet to all the technical
committees of IALA in time for the Sep/Oct 2008 meetings.
vii. Approve the production and distribution of a revised IALA MBS Booklet (and the
resources required)
viii. Approve a draft information paper for input to IMO NAV 55 (July 2009), outlining the

update of the MBS Booklet.
ix. Advise the ANM Committee of their decision, after their May 2008 meeting (43rd
Council Session).
The aim is to
• Present the final MBS booklet to the IALA Council in December 2009 for approval.
• Circulate the final MBS booklet at the 2010 IALA Conference (to be held in March
2010, Cape Town, South Africa).
• Encourage the widest possible circulation of the new MBS booklet, including, through
the IMO, the mandatory carriage requirements on board vessels.
17th IALA Conference
Cape Town, South Africa, 22‐27 March 2010
Session: THE FUTURE OF VISUAL AIDS TO
NAVIGATION
17ème Conférence de l’AISM
Le Cap, Afrique du Sud, 22 27 mars 2010
Session: L’AVENIR DES AIDES VISUELLES A LA
NAVIGATION
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REVISION OF THE IALA MARITIME BUOYAGE SYSTEM BOOKLET
The ANM Committee, at its 12th session and at an intersessional working group that was
held in London from 9th to 11th December 2008, completed the draft revision of the IALA
Maritime Buoyage System Booklet as agreed by Council at its May 2008 meeting.
The MBS Booklet is clearly the highest level document in the IALA hierarchy and as such
must avoid repeating what is contained in the Recommendations, Guidelines, Navguide and
other IALA publications. However, the reader is directed to these documents for further
information.
The draft booklet was circulated in pdf format for consideration by the other IALA
Committees prior to submission to the Council for approval at their meeting in May 2009.
The document was produced in pdf format in order that comments and contributions could
be received as liaison notes for consideration for inclusion in the final draft. As time was of
the essence it was believed that this method of consultation would be the most expedient
and efficient. Hence the wish to avoid substantial input of tracked changes.
As described in the Liaison Note to the Committees following ANM Committees 11th Session,
the revision of the MBS Booklet contains no substantive changes to the System itself, but as
agreed, extends the ‘system’ to include reference to other aids to navigation.
ANM Virtual Working Group on the draft revised Maritime Buoyage System Booklet
An ANM Working Group meeting was held on Wednesday 22nd July 2009 with members in
Montreal, London, Dublin and Beijing convening by Conference call and MS ‘GoToMeeting’
in order that they all had sight of the draft revised MBS Booklet on their computer screens.
One member took control of the screen and made changes and additions to the text of the
draft booklet as they were discussed and agreed by the Working Group.
The objective of the virtual meeting was to consider the comments and input from IALA
Council Members following their rejection of the draft document when it was submitted to the
IALA Council in May 2009, and produce a final draft version of the revised MBS Booklet at
ANM14 in October 2009 for the Council to approve at their December meeting.
This virtual meeting continued without a break for 5 hours, during which time the members
considered all the comments and input from a number of IALA Council Members that had
been added to the original draft document that was an output from the ANM13 Committee
meeting, as tracked changes, highlighted additions and comments. This draft revised
Maritime Buoyage System booklet was considered section by section with attention to text,
layout, graphics and diagrams.
Whilst all comments and input from Council Members were considered, it was decided that
the Chairman of ANM should write individually to those major contributors with explanation
of the outcome of the Working Groups deliberations with respect to inclusion / non-inclusion
of their comments. This was subsequently completed by the end of August 2009.

Following the Virtual Working Group meeting, further work on the graphics and diagrams for
inclusion in the draft revised booklet was undertaken and included in the final version that
was submitted to ANM14 Committee meeting.
Following ANM 14 and the final editorial and design checks the draft revised booklet will be
circulated by the Secretariat, to the IALA Council Members in order that they may have the
17th IALA Conference
Cape Town, South Africa, 22‐27 March 2010
Session: THE FUTURE OF VISUAL AIDS TO
NAVIGATION
17ème Conférence de l’AISM
Le Cap, Afrique du Sud, 22 27 mars 2010
Session: L’AVENIR DES AIDES VISUELLES A LA
NAVIGATION
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opportunity to further consider the document before final approval is given at the Council
Meeting in December 2009.
Once approved, the draft revised booklet will be published and made available for launch at
the IALA Conference in Cape Town in March 2010.
The content of this paper will form the basis of the presentation to be given at the IALA
Conference in Cape Town in March 2010 and will accompany the official launch of the
revised edition of the IALA Maritime Buoyage System Booklet.
The International Maritime Organisation and the International Hydrographic Organisation will
be invited to adopt this revised edition at their meetings following the IALA Conference.
Captain Duncan Glass
Chairman
IALA ANM Committee
September 2009