🔍 Key Concepts

• IALA-B lateral buoyage system used in U.S. waters ("red right returning") • Geographic area in question: Lake Michigan via the Straits of Mackinac to Chicago – whose jurisdiction and service applies here? • Meaning of solid-colored lateral buoys vs. special-purpose or danger buoys

💭 Think About

• Think about whether you are in purely U.S. waters or shared U.S./Canadian waters on this route, and who normally maintains the aids there. • Recall the basic rule for red and green lateral buoys in IALA-B when proceeding in the conventional direction of buoyage (returning from sea or heading into a port). Which side should red buoys be on? • Consider which colors/shapes are normally used to mark isolated dangers or wrecks, and whether those are passed on a specific side, rather than all green buoys.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify how red and green buoy numbering works in the U.S. (odd vs. even) and whether "all solid colored buoys" would correctly describe the system. • Check whether green buoys are normally used to mark wrecks/obstructions, or if another marking system is standard for dangers. • Confirm whether aids on Lake Michigan (on this route) are maintained jointly with Canada or solely by one nation’s Coast Guard.