... 39Navigationbuoysandbeaconsareplacedalongcoastalandnavigablewatersasguides to marksafewaterandhiddendangers,aswellas to assistboatoperatorsindeterminingtheirpositioninrelation to landEachaid to navigationprovidesspecificinformationSeveralAidsareusuallyusedtogether to form a localsystemthathelpstheboatoperatorfollownaturalandimprovedchannelsSuchAidsalsoprovide a continuoussystemofchartedmarkersforcoastalpilotingIndividualAidsareused to marklandfallfromseaward,and to markisolateddangersLateralmarkersarebuoysorbeaconsthatindicatetheportandstarboardsidesof a route to befollowedVirtuallyallUSlateralmarksfollowthetraditional3-Rprincipleof“Red,Right,Returning”Thismeansthatwhenreturningfromseaward,keeptheredmarkersontheright-hand(starboard)sideofthevesselBoatoperatorsrelyonAids to Navigationalonefordeter-miningtheirpositionStormsandwaveactioncanmovebuoysoutofplace1shortblast(1sec)1shortblast(1sec)Port -to- PortPassing(preferred)2shortblasts(1seceach)2shortblasts(1seceach)Starboard -to- StarboardPassing40 ... 45TheseAidsareused to markfairways,mid-channels,andoffshoreapproachpointsTheyhaveunobstructedwateronallsides A buoy,lightedorunlighted,mayshow a redtopmarkAnappropriatenauticalchartmustbeconsulted to determineexactpositionOneofthemostimportanttoolsforsafelynavigatingwaterwaysis a NauticalChartToday,manyrecreationalboatersuseGPSreceiversandperformelectronicwaypointnavigationAlthough a GPScantellyouwhereyouareintermsoflatitudeandlongitude,itcannotshowwhatisaroundorbeneaththeboat,orwhatobstaclesmaybeinthewayNauticalchartsshowthenatureandshapeofthecoast,includingwaterdepths,marinehazards,generalconfigurationandcharacterofthebottom,andAids to Navigation,aswellasprominentlandmarks,portfacilities,andotherrelevantinformationChangesbroughtaboutbypeopleandnaturerequirethatnauticalchartsbeconstantlymaintainedandupdated to aidsafenavigation To meettheneedsoftheboatingpublic,theNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration’sNationalOceanService(NOS)produces a varietyofnauticalchartsandrelatedproductsNauticalchartscanvaryinscaleandformatChartscalerefers to a measurementofanarea,notthedistance A chartcovering a relativelylargeareaiscalled a “smallscale”chart; a “largescale”chartwillcover a relativelysmallareaandshowmuchgreaterdetailHavingthemostcurrentchartisimportantThatiswhythepublicationdateiscriticalStormsandwaveactioncanalterthecoastline,soonlyup -to- datechartsshouldbeusedfornavigationForallnavigation,boatoperatorsshouldalsousethechartthatprovidesthelevelofdetailneededNOSnauticalchartsmaybepurchaseddirectlybymailfromtheNOSDistributionBranchorthroughanauthorizedagentTherearemorethan1,700nauticalchartagentsthatsellNOSchartsUsetheaddressandcontactnumbersbelow to obtain a listofagentsnearyouor to request a freecatalog: ... 39Navigationbuoysandbeaconsareplacedalongcoastalandnavigablewatersasguides to marksafewaterandhiddendangers,aswellas to assistboatoperatorsindeterminingtheirpositioninrelation to landEachaid to navigationprovidesspecificinformationSeveralAidsareusuallyusedtogether to form a localsystemthathelpstheboatoperatorfollownaturalandimprovedchannelsSuchAidsalsoprovide a continuoussystemofchartedmarkersforcoastalpilotingIndividualAidsareused to marklandfallfromseaward,and to markisolateddangersLateralmarkersarebuoysorbeaconsthatindicatetheportandstarboardsidesof a route to befollowedVirtuallyallUSlateralmarksfollowthetraditional3-Rprincipleof“Red,Right,Returning”Thismeansthatwhenreturningfromseaward,keeptheredmarkersontheright-hand(starboard)sideofthevesselBoatoperatorsrelyonAids to Navigationalonefordeter-miningtheirpositionStormsandwaveactioncanmovebuoysoutofplace1shortblast(1sec)1shortblast(1sec)Port -to- PortPassing(preferred)2shortblasts(1seceach)2shortblasts(1seceach)Starboard -to- StarboardPassing40...