Question 1 of 10
Region A. Which picture shows a port-hand mark?
Correct!Not quite. The answer is Port-hand mark.
Keep it on your port side when following the direction of buoyage.
IALA buoyage quiz (Region A)
Ten questions on the IALA Maritime Buoyage System, Region A: which mark is it, and which side do you pass it.
10 questions · answers explained · no sign-up
Question 2 of 10
Region A. Which picture shows a north cardinal mark?
Correct!Not quite. The answer is North cardinal mark.
The safe water is to the north. Pass north of the mark.
Question 3 of 10
Region A. What is this mark?
Correct!Not quite. The answer is Isolated danger mark.
A danger of limited extent with navigable water all around it. Light: Fl(2) 5s
Question 4 of 10
Region A. What is this mark?
Correct!Not quite. The answer is Safe water mark.
Navigable water all around, for example a landfall or mid-channel mark. Light: Iso 4s
Question 5 of 10
Region A. What is this mark?
Correct!Not quite. The answer is Special mark.
A special area or feature, for example a cable, spoil ground or data buoy. Light: Fl(4) Y 12s
Question 6 of 10
Region A. What is this mark?
Correct!Not quite. The answer is Emergency wreck marking buoy.
Marks a new wreck until it is surveyed and permanently marked. Light: Al.Bu.Y 3s
Question 7 of 10
Region A. You see this mark ahead. How do you pass it?
Correct!Not quite. The answer is Pass to the east of it.
It is a east cardinal mark: the safe water is to the east of it, so you pass to the east of the mark. Light: Q(3) 10s
Question 8 of 10
You are steering north towards the harbour and this sector light (see the chart). You see a red light. What do you do?
Correct!Not quite. The answer is Alter to port until the light turns white.
The colour you see tells which sector you are in. On this chart the green sector is to the west of the white sector and the red one to the east. Red means you are east of the safe line, so you alter to port (west) until the light turns white. Which colour is on which side differs from light to light – always check the chart.
Question 9 of 10
Region A. You are entering harbour from seaward and see a red, can-shaped buoy ahead. How do you pass it?
Correct!Not quite. The answer is Keep it on your port side.
In Region A, port-hand marks are red and can-shaped. When following the direction of buoyage, keep them on your port side. (IALA MBS (R1001), lateral marks, Region A)
Question 10 of 10
Which memory aid matches the flash counts of the cardinal marks?
Correct!Not quite. The answer is A clock face: East 3, South 6, West 9.
East shows 3 flashes, South 6 and West 9, like the hours on a clock face. North flashes continuously. (IALA MBS (R1001), cardinal marks)
You have right out of answered.Ten of ten? The app draws every question new: other angles, other light, other wrong answers.
80+ questions like these in Lanterna
This page shows ten. The app has 80+ in this category, every picture drawn from the rules in changing light and angles, with the rule behind every answer, and mistakes that come back until you know them. Works offline.
Free round of ten questions in every category, then everything with a single purchase. Made by a serving chief officer and master mariner. Lanterna is independent and not affiliated with the IMO, IALA or any maritime authority.
More quizzes
Navigation lights and day shapes quizIdentify vessels by their lights at night and their shapes by day.COLREGs quizHead-on, crossing, overtaking, radar in fog and the Rule 18 order.Sound signals quizManoeuvring, warning and fog signals (Rules 32–35).Signal flags quizThe letter flags and the single-letter signals of the International Code.Distress signals and GMDSS quizAnnex IV signals, the MAYDAY message, DSC and GMDSS.Chart symbols quiz (INT 1)Wrecks, rocks, lights and abbreviations from INT 1.VHF and SMCP quizMessage markers, the phonetic alphabet, wheel and engine orders.Morse code quizFree in the appLetters, numbers and single-letter signals. Free in the app, too.