BOATsmart! Canada
Knowledge Base

Module 06 - Markers and Buoys

The Cardinal System

The Cardinal System consists of yellow and black spar or pillar shaped buoys. They are used to help boaters identify the location of safe water.

The colour and top mark of the buoys will indicate where safe water is located (on either the north, south, east, or west side of the buoys). For example, a North Cardinal Buoy indicates that safe water lies to the North of the buoy.

Remember: With Cardinal Buoys, the safest water lies in the direction indicated by the buoy. Water in the opposite direction should be considered unsafe and avoided.

There are four different types of Cardinal Buoys:

North Cardinal Buoys: Positioned so that the safest water lies to the north of the buoy, North Cardinal Buoys are black on top and yellow on the bottom. They are equipped with a top mark consisting of two black arrows pointing upwards.

South Cardinal Buoys: Positioned so that the safest water lies to the south of the buoy, South Cardinal Buoys are yellow on the top and black on the bottom. They are equipped with a top mark consisting of two black arrows pointing downwards.

East Cardinal Buoys: Positioned so that the safest water lies to the east of the buoy, East Cardinal Buoys are black with a wide yellow band around the midsection. They are equipped with a top mark consisting of two black arrows pointing away from each other.

West Cardinal Buoy: Positioned so that the safest water lies to the west of the buoy, West Cardinal Buoys are yellow with a wide black band around the midsection. They are equipped with a top mark consisting of two black arrows pointing towards each other.