boias

Boias, the Portuguese term for buoys, are floating structures deployed on seas, rivers, and lakes to mark channels, hazards, or mooring positions. In Portuguese-language boating contexts, boias are installed and maintained by maritime authorities and port authorities, and they come in various forms used for navigation, safety, research, and regulation.

Types include lateral marks (marking the edges of navigable channels), cardinal marks (indicating direction relative to hazards), safe-water marks (showing the presence of safe water all around), isolated danger marks, and special marks conveying regulatory information. Mooring buoys provide fixed points for tying vessels, while research or data buoys carry instruments for weather, currents, or oceanographic measurements.

Construction and appearance vary by purpose. Buoys are usually floats made from plastic, fiberglass, or steel with flotation cores such as foam. They are anchored or moored with chains or lines and are designed to withstand marine conditions. Their color, topmarks, and shapes communicate warnings or instructions. Most lateral buoys use the IALA buoyage system, in which color and shape indicate the direction to pass (red and green on opposite sides) and other marks signal hazards or boundaries.

Maintenance involves regular inspection for structural integrity, buoyancy, and attached signage. Damaged or missing buoys are reported to harbor authorities to prevent confusion and reduce accident risk.

Boias play a central role in safe navigation, harbor operations, and marine research, complementing other aids to navigation such as lighthouses and lighted beacons.