Entering harbour at dusk
Red to port, green to starboard. Developing level, about 3 min. IALA lateral marks, Region A.
The situation
Dusk, entering harbour from seaward in IALA Region A, such as northern Europe. Ahead are flashing red can buoys and green cone buoys. Your present heading takes you to the left of the first red buoy.
How do you enter the channel?
- Alter to starboard and pass between the marks: Red buoys to port, green to starboard.
- Keep the red buoy on your starboard side: Pass to the left of the red marks.
- Hold course; you will pass close to the buoy: Leave the first red buoy close to starboard.
Lookout: Entering from seaward in Region A, red is to port: “Is there any red port left?” The Americas, Japan, Korea and the Philippines use Region B, where the colours are reversed.
The sound answer
Alter to starboard and pass between the marks
In Region A, entering in the conventional direction of buoyage, port-hand marks are red cans kept on your port side and starboard-hand marks are green cones kept to starboard. Turning to come between them puts you in the channel.
Why the other options fall short
Keep the red buoy on your starboard side
Keeping red to starboard on entering is the Region B convention. In Region A it takes you outside the channel, here onto the western shoal.
Hold course; you will pass close to the buoy
That leaves a red port-hand mark on your starboard side and keeps you outside the channel edge, over the shoal it marks.
Lateral marks, Region A
Lateral marks show the sides of a channel in the conventional direction of buoyage, normally entering from seaward. In Region A port-hand marks are red, can-shaped, with red lights; starboard-hand marks are green, conical, with green lights. Region B reverses the colours.