Cardinal MarkIALA System
North Cardinal Mark
Identification guide and characteristics for safe navigation.
Indicates that the deepest water or safe passage is to the North of the mark. Often used to point out a danger to the south.
👁️ Visual Characteristics
Color Scheme
Black above Yellow
Topmark
Two black cones pointing upward
Buoy Shape
Pillar or Spar
💡 Night Identification (Light)
Color of Light
White
Light Rhythm
Quick (Q) or Very Quick (VQ)
IALA Regions
The world is divided into two IALA regions (A and B). While Cardinal, Isolated Danger, Safe Water, and Special marks are the same globally, Lateral Marks have different color conventions depending on the region.
- Region A: Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Gulf and some Asian countries.
- Region B: Americas, Japan, South Korea, Philippines.