🔍 Key Concepts

• IALA Maritime Buoyage System (Region B in the U.S.) and the role of different buoy colors and shapes • Purpose and typical light colors of special purpose and information/regulatory buoys • Whether "numbered" or "preferred channel" describes a buoy’s light color, or something else (like its mark/system)

💭 Think About

• Think about which types of buoys are primarily defined by their function (warning, information, special use) rather than by their role in lateral navigation (port/starboard/channel). Which of those might use white lights? • Ask yourself: does the term "preferred channel" tell you about the buoy’s light color, or mainly about its color banding and meaning for channel choice? • Consider whether the fact that a buoy is numbered alone determines its light color, or whether numbering is independent of light color.

✅ Before You Answer

• Review what color lights are commonly associated with lateral buoys (port, starboard, preferred channel) in Region B. • Confirm what the standard light color is for information and regulatory marks in the U.S. Aids to Navigation System. • Check whether special purpose buoys can display white lights and under what circumstances, compared with lateral buoys.