BOATsmart! Canada
Knowledge Base

Starboard-Hand Buoys are red in colour, pointed on top, and are marked with letters and even-digit numbers.

Starboard-hand buoys are used to mark:

• The right side of a channel when traveling upstream or;
• The location of a specific danger.

They may also be fitted with a red light. If they do not have a red light they will be conical-shaped on the top.

Starboard-hand buoys that are equipped with a light will flash in:

• An “F1” pattern (single flashes in four second intervals); or
• A “Q” pattern (quick, single flashes one second apart)