🔍 Key Concepts

• U.S. lateral buoyage system (IALA Region B) and the saying "red right returning" • Difference between a simple red buoy and a junction/preferred channel mark (bifurcation buoy) • How light characteristics (single-flashing vs group-flashing/composite) change the meaning of the buoy

💭 Think About

• When you are entering from seaward, which side of the channel do red aids mark in the U.S.? • Which kind of buoy marks a preferred channel at a junction—what are its colors (top/bottom) and what kind of flash pattern does it usually have? • Does a single-flashing red light more likely mark a simple lateral boundary of the channel, or a special hazard/junction?

✅ Before You Answer

• Confirm what red buoys indicate in IALA Region B when returning from sea • Check how a preferred channel to the left buoy is colored and what light rhythm it normally uses • Verify that a single-flashing red (not group-flashing, not alternating) corresponds to a standard lateral mark, not a junction or isolated danger mark