UNIFORM STATE WATERWAY

UNIFORM STATE WATERWAY
MARKING SYSTEM
In this article we continue
our review of aids to navigation
and waterway marking systems.
The Uniform State Waterway
Marking System is no stranger to
inland and near-coastal boaters.
It utilizes white buoys with very
distinct orange colored bands on
the top and bottom and between
these bands there can be only one
of four symbols, each with a different
meaning. Let’s look at the
different symbols used.
Diamond with a cross in the
middle – A buoy with this symbol
is used to mark areas that
boats should NOT enter. Its most
common use is to mark swimming
areas, however they are
also found before a waterfall or
environmentally sensitive areas
where boat traffic could harm
migrating or nesting animals or
lead to erosion of the shoreline.
Diamond— The letter ‘D’ in
diamond stands for danger and
that’s exactly what this marker
symbolizes. They are usually
found marking rocks, reefs, obstructions
or any possible danger
to boaters.
Circle — This symbol is a
regulatory marker indicating that
some regulation is in effect. Its
most popular use is for speed
limits and no-wake zones, but it
may be used to mark a ski zone
or for any regulation.
Square — The square is
used to deliver information. It
can indicate a distance or tell you
where the nearest on-water pizza
or hot dog stand is located.
Not all Uniform State Waterway
Marking System markers
are buoys, sometimes they are
signs. If they are in the form of a
sign, they will still have the orange
paint around the border as
well as one of the four above
named symbols displayed. The
markers of the Uniform State
Waterway Marking System are
maintained by the State or by
marinas, yacht clubs, harbormasters
or beach associations. The
bottom line is, whoever took out
the permit to display the buoy
has the obligation to maintain it.
INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY
MARKERS
The Intracoastal Waterway
(ICW) begins in Southern New
Jersey, travels down the Atlantic
coast, hooks around Southern
Florida and follows the coast of
the Gulf of Mexico ending in
Brownsville, Texas. It consists
of a chain of local channels and
fairways linked together to provide
a protected inland route for
vessels making coastwise passages.
The channels that make up
the ICW system are marked
with yellow symbols that are
displayed on the channel buoys.
That means these buoys are
serving two purposes. They are
a navigational aid for the lateral
system as well as an ICW
marker. The symbols that mark
the ICW consist of yellow
squares or triangles. Here’s how
it works. Beginning in New Jersey
and traveling in a clockwise
direction South and then on to
Texas, any marker showing a
yellow triangle should be
passed by keeping it on the starboard
side of the boat. If the
marker has a yellow square on
it then it should be passed by
keeping it on the port side. No
matter what its basic shape, any
aid of any shape carrying a yellow
triangle should be passed to
starboard when following the
ICW from north to south and on
the Gulf coast.
In our next article, we’ll
take a look at proper fueling of
your vessel.
Until then....Safe Boating