"Red, Right, Return"

A buoy is a floating device with a number of uses. Today I want to write a little about the most common use which is an Lateral Aid to Navigation. The U.S. Aids to Navigation System is primarily a lateral system which employs a simple arrangement of colors, shapes, numbers and light characteristics to mark the limits of navigable routes. Lateral Aids to Navigation indicate which side of an aid to navigation a vessel should pass when entering from seaward. The most important characteristic is the color. When entering from seaward, the red aids(buoys) should be kept to starboard(right) side and the green aids(buoys) to port(left) side. Thus the phrase "RED, RIGHT, RETURN". This is know as the "3R" rule. So, the next time you are on the water and you pass a red buoy on your right, you'll know that you are heading away from the ocean, even if it is several hundred miles away. Here are a couple more facts about lateral buoys. All red buoys are cone shaped and are marked with even numbers. They are also called "nun buoys". Green buoys are marked with odd numbers.They are the shape of a cylinder and called "can buoys".