BUOY, a floating body employed to mark the navigable lim its of channels, their fairways, sunken dangers or isolated rocks, mined or torpedo grounds, telegraph cables, or the position of a ship's moorings when they have been slipped ; buoys also serve for a vessel to make fast to instead of anchoring. They vary in size and construction from a log of wood to steel mooring buoys for warships or a steel gas buoy. The origin of the word may be traced through O.Fr. boie, or Dutch boei, and English 15th Cen tury "boye" from Lat. boia, fetter : it is now usually pronounced as "boy," and it has been spelt in that form ; but Hakluyt's Voy ages spells it "bwoy," and this seems to indicate a different pro nunciation which is also given in some modern dictionaries. The date when the first navigation buoy was laid off the coasts of the British Isles cannot be traced, but the regular marking by buoys of such places as the Thames estuary and the river Tees is known to have been in existence nearly 30o years ago. (See LIGHTHOUSES.) Uniform Systems of Marking Buoys.—In 1882 a conference was held at Trinity House with H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, as president to investigate a proposal for the establishment of a uniform system of buoyage. The conference consisted of repre sentatives from various bodies interested, and the questions of col our. visibility, shape and size of buoys were considered and a system of buoyage evolved which subsequently was adopted as the uniform system of buoyage for the United Kingdom and extended to India and the Dominions.
In 5889 an International Marine Conference was held at Wash ington, U.S.A., including representatives from most of the princi pal maritime nations of the world, as well as from countries as remote as China, Siam and Uruguay; it recommended the adop tion of an international "lateral" system based primarily on colour, i.e., starboard-hand buoys were to be red and port-hand buoys black or parti-coloured, while the use of spherical-shaped buoys to mark middle-grounds was definitely excluded. So far as the United Kingdom was concerned, the reasons advanced were not suffi ciently strong to induce the authorities to depart from the uniform system arranged for Great Britain at the 1882 Conference.
Another Maritime Conference was held in St. Petersburg in March 1912, but Great Britain was not represented, and although the Conference proposed the reversal of the buoyage colouring recommended by the Washington Conference, only South Russia, Spain and Italy adopted its sueeestions.
The coasts of some countries, in particular those in the Baltic, are not well suited to a "lateral" system of buoyage and a system known as the "compass" or "cardinal" system has been adopted, under which a combination of the shape, colour and topmark of the buoy indicates the compass bearing of the danger from the buoy. The countries using the cardinal system are Norway, Sweden, North Russia, Germany, Italy and Turkey (the last three use a "lateral" system as well).
As regards systems of buoyage in general, the British view is that buoys, not being essentially reliable seamarks, are only addi tional aids to the mariner, and so long as they conform in shape to some more or less simple general system and can easily be identi fied from the chart, uniformity in colouring is a secondary consid eration, particularly as variations in colouring to distinguish differ ent channels in the same estuary are a help to the mariner. As regards the colours of lights on lighted buoys, the system in the United States is to have red on starboard-hand buoys in conso nance with the colour of the buoy and green lights on port-hand buoys. White lights may be used on either side. Under the sys tem followed in the British Isles red is usually for lights on port-hand buoys and white for starboard-hand buoys in narrow waters, but for positions in the open sea a red light has the disadvantage inherent in reduced intensity and is only adopted when some distinctive character other than white is essential and then generally is confined to port-hand buoys; in any case, buoys with green lights are used exclusively for marking wrecks.
The uniform system of buoyage for the British Isles, including the system of buoying and marking of wrecks adopted in 1922, is now as follows : (I) The mariner when approaching the coast must determine his position on the chart, and note the direction of the main stream of flood tide. (2) The term "starboard-hand" shall denote that side which would be on the right hand of the mariner either going with the main stream of the flood, or approaching a harbour, river or estuary from seaward; the term "port-hand" shall denote the left hand of the mariner in the same circum stances. (3) Buoys showing the pointed top of a cone above water shall be called Conical and they shall always be starboard hand buoys, as above defined. (4) Buoys showing a flat top above water shall be called Can and they shall always be port-hand buoys, as above defined. (5) Buoys showing a domed top above water shall be called Spherical and they shall mark the ends of middle grounds, i.e., shoals in the middle of a channel. (6) Buoys having a tall central structure on a broad base shall be called Pillar buoys, and like all other special buoys, such as bell buoys, gas buoys, and automatic sounding buoys, shall be placed to mark special positions either on the coast or in the approaches to har bours. (7) Buoys showing only a mast above water shall be called Spar buoys. (Useful where floating ice is encountered or the cur rent velocities are high.) (8) Starboard-hand buoys shall always be painted in one colour only. (In Scotland, red is invariably used.) (9) Port-hand buoys shall be painted of another character istic colour, either single or parti-colour. (In Scotland, black is invariably used.) (I o) Spherical buoys at the ends of middle grounds shall always be distinguished by horizontal stripes of white colour. (I I) Surmounting beacons (on buoys) such as "staff and globe" and others, shall always be painted of one dark colour. (12) Staff and globe shall only be used on starboard-hand buoys, staff and cage on port-hand; diamonds at the outer ends of middle grounds ; and triangles at the inner ends. (St. George and St. Andrew crosses are principally employed to surmount shore beacons.) (13) Buoys on the same side of a channel, estuary or tideway may be distinguished from each other by names, numbers or letters, and where necessary by a staff surmounted with the appropriate beacon. (14) Buoys intended for moorings may be of any colour (other than green) and shape according to the dis cretion of the authority within whose jurisdiction they are laid, but for marking submarine telegraph cables the colour shall be black with the word "Telegraph" painted thereon in white letters. Spherical and Pillar buoys are not used by the United States and its possessions. (J. M. N.) Buoyage System in the United States.—The colouring and numbering of buoys is determined by their position with respect to the navigable channel as such channels are entered and followed from seaward toward the head of navigation. This method, known as the lateral system, is uniform in all United States waters. As all channels do not lead from seaward, arbitrary assumptions must be made in order that the system may be consistently applied.
Distinctive colours are painted on all buoys to indicate their purpose or the side of the channel which they mark. Red buoys mark the right-hand sides of channels, entering from seaward. Black buoys mark the left-hand sides of channels, entering from seaward. Red and black horizontally-banded buoys mark obstruc tions, or a junction of two channels, and indicate that there is a channel on either side. Black and white vertical-striped buoys in dicate the middle of a channel, and should be passed close to, but on either side, for safety ; white buoys mark anchorages ; yellow buoys mark quarantine anchorages ; white buoys with green tops mark areas in which dredging is being carried on. Black and white horizontally-banded buoys mark the limits of areas in which there are fish nets and traps. Red or black (unlighted) buoys with white tops have the same significance as similar buoys without white top.
Numbers are painted conspicuously upon most buoys. These numbers serve to indicate which side of the channel the buoys mark, and also facilitate the locating of the buoys upon the charts. Numbers increase from seaward and are kept in approximate se quence on the two sides of the channel by omitting numbers as required.
Odd-numbered buoys mark the left-hand sides of channels enter ing from seaward. Even-numbered buoys mark the right-hand sides of channels entering from seaward. Numbers followed by letters, such as 24A, 24B, 24C, indicate that buoys have been added to a channel and the series not at once renumbered. Num bers followed by letters, such as 1 DR, are used on important buoys, particularly those marking isolated offshore dangers. The letters are the initials of the station name, in this instance Dux bury reef, and the number has the usual significance. Letters with out numbers are applied in some cases to black and white ver tically-striped buoys marking fairways, and to red and black hori zontally-banded buoys marking junctions or bifurcations.
Definite shape characteristics have been given to a large portion of the unlighted buoys used in United States waters, to indicate, as in the British system, which sides of the channels they mark. Cylindrical buoys with flat tops are known as can buoys, and if painted black, mark the left-hand sides of channels entering from seaward. Conical buoys with pointed tops are known as nun buoys, and if painted red, mark the right-hand sides of channels entering from seaward. Cylindrical or can buoys, painted in red and black horizontal bands, with the topmost band black, are used to indicate an obstruction or a junction of one channel with an other, where the principal channel entering from seaward lies to the right of the buoy. Conical or nun buoys, painted in red and black horizontal bands, with the topmost band red, indicate an obstruction or a junction of one channel with another, where the principal channel entering from seaward lies to the left of the buoy. Conical or nun buoys with black and white vertical stripes indicate the middle of a channel, and may be passed on either side. No special significance is to be attached to the shapes of spar buoys, bell buoys, whistle buoys, gong buoys, lighted buoys, or combination buoys, their purpose being indicated by their colour ing, numbering, or light.
For all buoys with lights, the following system of colouring is used. Green lights are used only on buoys marking the left-hand sides of channels entering from seaward. Red lights are used only on buoys marking the right-hand sides of channels entering from seaward. White lights may be used on either side of the channel, and such lights are frequently employed in place of coloured lights at points where a light of considerable brilliance is required, particularly as leading or turning lights.
Fixed lights (lights that do not flash) may be found on either black or red buoys. Flashing lights (flashing at regular intervals and at the rate of not more than 3o flashes per minute) are placed on either black buoys or on red buoys. Quick-flashing lights (not less than 6o flashes per minute) are placed on black buoys and on red buoys at points where it is desired to indicate that special caution is required, as at sharp turns or sudden constrictions. Interrupted quick-flashing lights (the groups consisting of a series of quick flashes, with dark intervals between groups of about 4 seconds) are placed on buoys painted in red and black horizontal bands, indicating obstructions or a junction of one channel with another. Short-long flashing lights (groups consist ing of a short flash and a long flash, the groups recurring at a rate of about 8 times per minute) are placed on buoys painted in black and white vertical stripes, indicating a fairway or the middle of a channel where the buoy should be passed close to. The light is always white. Occulting lights, in which the light period is equal to or longer than the dark period, are placed on either black buoys or red buoys, and have the same significance as the ordinary flashing lights, being used principally where a distinction is desirable between two or more buoys. (X.) Buoy Moorings and Buoys for Special Purposes.—Buoys are moored with specially tested cables secured, as a rule, to blocks of cast iron or concrete known as sinkers, the length of chain and weight of mooring depending on the depth of water and the strength of tide : in narrow waters the length of chain is also governed by the scope of the limits within which the buoy can be allowed to swing. Buoys are ordinarily constructed of steel. Buoys provided with oil-gas lights were first used about 1878; automatic apparatus for giving an occulting or flashing characteristic to the light was introduced in 1883. Further improvements in the light ing of buoys have followed the introduction early in the present century of dissolved acetylene gas. (See LIGHTHOUSE.) Buoys, both lighted and unlighted, fitted with automatic whis tles on the Courtenay principle are sometimes used in posi tions where it is desirable to provide a sound-signal as well as a marking buoy, and where the depth of water is sufficient for the special type of buoy employed. The lower end of the air cylinder in the Courtenay buoy is open to the water which, rising relatively to the cylinder as the buoy descends in the trough of a wave, compresses the imprisoned air which is forced through the whistle at the top of the buoy. As the buoy rises on the crest of a wave, air is drawn into the cylinder through two tubes fitted with non return valves at the upper part of the buoy. Bells whose clappers are moved by the motion of the buoy are also used as fog signals in connection with marking buoys. Sound signalling appa ratus which depends for its functioning on the movement of a buoy cannot be relied on in calm weather, and as this so often coincides with fog conditions it militates against the efficiency of such apparatus as fog-signals.
Boat-shaped buoys carrying a light and also a bell are some times used in positions where there are strong currents, as in the Humber and Mersey. They have also been employed in similar conditions in other countries. A Nun buoy is one whose form is that of two cones joined together at the base and is ordinarily used for marking positions when surveying work is in progress and also for buoying temporarily the positions of sunken objects such as anchors, slipped moorings, etc. Small buoys lighted with dis solved acetylene gas are used by cable ships for marking tem porary positions during cable laying operations.
On the Thames and the Tyne and in other narrow anchorages in rivers and in harbours of restricted area ships are moored fore and aft to two buoys. Where, however, there is ample scope for swinging a single mooring buoy suffices. Mooring buoys are also commonly made in the form of shallow drums. Those used by the Royal Navy are of steel. Heavy mooring anchors of various forms are also used for permanent buoy moorings, and occasionally large concrete blocks sunk in holes dredged in the harbour bed are employed in the place of anchors or screws. (J. M. N.) See E. C. Shankland, Modern Harbours and publications of the International Hydrographic Bureau Monaco.