Merenkulkumerkinnät

Merenkulkumerkinnät, known in English as maritime markings or navigational marks, are a system of visual aids used at sea to guide vessels and warn them of potential hazards. These markings are crucial for safe navigation, especially in coastal waters, harbors, and along shipping channels. The most common international system is the IALA (International Association of Lighthouse Authorities) Maritime Buoyage System, which is divided into two regions, Region A and Region B, differing primarily in the color and numbering of lateral marks.

Lateral marks indicate the sides of a navigable channel. In Region A, port (left) side marks are red and starboard (right) side marks are green when approaching from seaward. In Region B, this color scheme is reversed. These marks can be buoys, beacons, or other fixed structures. Cardinal marks indicate the direction of safe water relative to a hazard. They are characterized by their black and yellow horizontal bands and black cones, with the arrangement of colors and cones indicating whether safe water lies to the north, south, east, or west of the mark.

Special marks, often yellow, are used to indicate a special area or feature, such as a spoil ground, military exercise area, or traffic separation scheme. Isolated danger marks are black with red bands and are placed directly on or above a hazard of limited extent. Safe water marks, which are red and white vertical stripes, indicate that there is safe navigable water all around the mark. The consistent use of these markings worldwide significantly enhances maritime safety by providing clear, unambiguous information to mariners.