Seamarks/Buoys

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This page defines values for the seamark:type=* key for buoys and their category attribute tags. These tags may be used in various nautical charts.

Types

A buoy is a floating object moored to the bottom in a particular place, as an aid to navigation or other specific purposes.

Type S100 Code seamark:type Definition Example renderings Photo
Cardinal buoy BOYCAR buoy_cardinal A cardinal buoy is used in conjunction with the compass to indicate where the mariner may find the best navigable water. It is placed in one of the four quadrants (North, East, South and West), bounded by inter-cardinal bearings from the point marked. Buoy Cardinal.png Knoll-North-Cardinal-Canthusus.JPG
Installation buoy BOYINB buoy_installation An installation buoy is a buoy used for loading tankers with gas or oil. Buoy Installation.png
Isolated danger buoy BOYISD buoy_isolated_danger A isolated danger buoy is a buoy moored on or above an isolated danger of limited extent, which has navigable water all around it. Buoy Isolated Danger.png Buoy marking the wreck of HMS Natal - geograph.org.uk - 1280172.jpg
Lateral buoy BOYLAT buoy_lateral A lateral buoy is used to indicate the port or starboard hand side of the route to be followed. They are generally used for well defined channels and are used in conjunction with a conventional direction of buoyage. Buoy Lateral.png Lateral Buoy.jpg
Mooring buoy MORFAC mooring See: Moorings Mooring Buoy.png Ankertonne.jpg
Safe water buoy BOYSAW buoy_safe_water A safe water buoy is used to indicate that there is navigable water around the mark. Buoy Safe Water.png The Fairway Buoy, Tremadog Bay - geograph.org.uk - 120195 - cropped to buoy.png
Special purpose buoy BOYSPP buoy_special_purpose A special purpose buoy is primarily used to indicate an area or feature, the nature of which is apparent from reference to a chart, Sailing Directions or Notices to Mariners (UKHO NP 735, 5th Edition). Buoy in general: A buoy whose appearance or purpose is not adequately known. Buoy Special Purpose.png Buoy off Seahill - geograph.org.uk - 920114.jpg

When top-marks, retro reflectors and/or lights are fitted to these marks, they are encoded as separate objects. Note that such top-marks are encoded as separate "topmark" (TOPMAR) objects). Buoys may also have lights and if such lights are fitted they are encoded as separate "light" (LIGHTS) objects.

Categories

Cardinal buoys

Main article: OpenSeaMap/cardinal marks

Cardinal buoys do not have a distinctive shape but are normally pillar or spar. They are always painted in yellow and black horizontal bands and their distinctive double cone top-marks are always black. The tags seamark:buoy_cardinal:colour_pattern=horizontal and seamark:topmark:colour=black are used regardless of cardinal direction.

Category (CATCAM) seamark:buoy_cardinal:category Definition seamark:buoy_cardinal:colour seamark:topmark:shape
North north Quadrant bounded by the true bearing NW-NE taken from the point of interest it should be passed to the north side of the mark. black;yellow 2 cones up
East east Quadrant bounded by the true bearing NE-SE taken from the point of interest it should be passed to the east side of the mark. black;yellow;black 2 cones base together
South south Quadrant bounded by the true bearing SE-SW taken from the point of interest it should be passed to the south side of the mark. yellow;black 2 cones down
West west Quadrant bounded by the true bearing SW-NW taken from the point of interest it should be passed to the west side of the mark. yellow;black;yellow 2 cones point together

Installation buoys

Category (CATINB) seamark:buoy_installation:category Definition
Catenary anchor leg mooring calm Incorporates a large buoy which remains on the surface at all times and is moored by 4 or more anchors. Mooring hawsers and cargo hoses lead from a turntable on top of the buoy, so that the buoy does not turn as the ship swings to wind and stream.
Single buoy mooring sbm A mooring structure used by tankers to load and unload in port approaches or in offshore oil and gas fields.

Isolated danger buoys

There are no categories of isolated danger buoys. The default colours and topmarks are:

Lateral buoys

There are two international buoyage regions, A and B, between which lateral marks differ. The buoyage region is encoded using the separate attribute system (MARSYS). Lateral buoys generally have distinctive shapes (can for port-hand, conical for starboard-hand) or may be a pillar or spar with distinctive topmarks. The buoys and their topmarks are always painted in red, green or red & green horizontal bands.

The tag seamark:buoy_lateral:colour_pattern=horizontal should be used.

Category (CATLAM) seamark:buoy_lateral:category Definition seamark:buoy_lateral:colour seamark:topmark:shape
Port-hand buoy port Indicates the port boundary of a navigational channel or suggested route when proceeding in the 'conventional direction of buoyage'. IALA-A: red, IALA-B: green cylinder
Preferred channel to port buoy preferred_channel_port At a point where a channel divides, when proceeding in the 'conventional direction of buoyage', the preferred channel (or primary route) is indicated by a modified starboard-hand lateral mark. IALA-A: green;red;green, IALA-B: red;green;red
Starboard-hand buoy starboard Indicates the starboard boundary of a navigational channel or suggested route when proceeding in the 'conventional direction of buoyage'. IALA-A: green, IALA-B: red cone, point up
Preferred channel to starboard buoy preferred_channel_starboard At a point where a channel divides, when proceeding in the 'conventional direction of buoyage', the preferred channel (or primary route) is indicated by a modified port-hand lateral mark. IALA-A: red;green;red, IALA-B: green;red;green
Inland waterway lateral buoy ... Many more categories of lateral marks are used in inland waterways. See: CEVNI lateral marks

Safe water buoys

There are no categories of safe water buoys. The default colours and topmarks are:

Special purpose buoys

Special purpose buoys can be any shape and are generally yellow in colour, with a variety of topmarks.

For "buoy_special_purpose:category" (CATSPM) definitions, see: special purpose marks.

Shapes

Shape (BOYSHP) seamark:<buoy_type>:shape Definition Rendering
Conical (nun, ogival) conical The upper part of the body above the water-line, or the greater part of the superstructure, has approximately the shape or the appearance of a pointed cone with the point upwards. Buoy Cone.png
Can (cylindrical) can The upper part of the body above the water-line, or the greater part of the superstructure, has the shape of a cylinder, or a truncated cone that approximates to a cylinder, with a flat end uppermost. Buoy Can.png
Spherical spherical The upper part of the body above the water-line, or the greater part of the superstructure, has the shape of a part of a sphere. Buoy Sphere.png
Pillar pillar The upper part of the body above the water-line, or the greater part of the superstructure is a narrow vertical structure, pillar or lattice tower. Buoy Pillar.png
Spar (spindle) spar The upper part of the body above the water-line, or the greater part of the superstructure, has the form of a pole, or of a very long cylinder, floating upright. Buoy Spar.png
Barrel (tun) barrel The upper part of the body above the water-line, or the greater part of the superstructure, has the form of a barrel or cylinder floating horizontally. Buoy Barrel.png
Super-buoy super-buoy A very large buoy, generally more than 5m in diameter. Buoy Super.png
Ice buoy ice_buoy A specially constructed shuttle shaped buoy which is used in ice conditions. File:Buoy Ice.png

Colours

Buoys can painted in many different colours and colour patterns. See: colours.

Other objects

Buoys may have other objects as part of their structure

Object S100 Definition
Topmarks TOPMAR A characteristic shape secured at the top of a buoy or beacon to aid in its identification.
Lights LIGHTS A luminous or lighted aid to navigation.
Fog signals FOGSIG A warning signal transmitted by a vessel, or aid to navigation, during periods of low visibility. Also, the device producing such a signal.
Radar transponder beacons RTPBCN A transponder beacon transmitting a coded signal on radar frequency, permitting an interrogating craft to determine the bearing and range of the transponder.
Radar reflector RADRFL A device capable of, or intended for, reflecting radar signals.

References

OSM seamark resources

JOSM presets & styles

External sources