Coastal Lights. Erected on major headlands to assist vessels on coastal passage, or on particular natural coastal features that represent a danger to navigation. Lights in the Port Curtis area are at Bustard Head, Clews Point, East Point and North Point on Facing Island, Cape Capricorn, and Sea Hill. In addition, lights are located on North Reef and Lady Musgrave Island. Recreational boat owners should familarise themselves with the characteristics of these lights so they may be readily identified.

The Maritime Buoyage System “A” applies to all fixed and floating marks other than lighthouses, sector lights, leading lights and marks, lightships, and lighthouse buoys.
The system serves to indicate :-
The sides and centerline of navigable channels.
Natural dangers and other obstructions in restricted waters. e.g. reefs, shallows, wrecks, areas in which navigation is subject to regulation, or other features of importance to the mariner.

Navigation buoys and beacons are commonly identified by the term mark, and will be in the form of a main body shape with a smaller top mark. The visible daylight shape is preferably in the form of a rectangular can, cone, triangle, sphere , depending on the type. Top marks may be a smaller version of the main mark shape.
A buoy will normally be a floating/moored mark, and a beacon will normally be a fixed mark.
Navigation charts indicate the colours of night time lights as Y, G, R, Or, Bu etc. If a colour is not indicated, the light is white. Refer to the light characteristic list in the Qld. Boating Safety Manual.

The System “A” is divided into five types of marks :-
Lateral marks, when entering a port, or with the direction of the flood tide, indicate the Port (red) and Starboard (green) sides of channels. (Lateral broadly means ‘to the side’). Lateral marks are numbered even to red and odd to green. Note the directional arrows on the Gladstone Boating Safety chart for the entrance channels. A change of direction in a channel will be indicated by a directional mark, (special mark) commonly on the green side, normally a yellow cone shape with a flashing yellow night light.
Note the marking and numbering detail of lateral marks on the local charts, particularly for the Narrows passage. Lateral mark numbers are a handy location reference for s. & r.

Cardinal marks, used in conjunction with the compass, indicate that navigable water lies to the indicated side of the mark, i.e. North, East, South , or West.

Isolated Danger marks, erected directly on, or moored over dangers of limited extent.

Safe Water marks such as mid channel buoys. Sometimes used in lieu of lateral marks, indicating there is safe water either side.

Special marks, the purpose of which is apparent by reference to the chart or other nautical document such as a notice to mariners. May be used around dredging operations etc., and are commonly used to note change of direction of a channel, or a channel junction. Identify them, and the side on which to pass, on local charts.

Characteristics of System ‘A’ marks. By day - colour, shape, and topmark. By night - light colour and characteristic.

Lateral Mark Characteristics. By day - Red, rectangular, or can shapes. Green, conical, or triangular shapes.
By night - Red or green light flashing to a rhythm noted on the chart. e.g. lateral lights in the Gladstone main channel flash once every 4 seconds. i.e. Code Fl R 4s or Fl G 4s .

Cardinal Mark Characteristics. By day, the topmark on all Cardinal marks are a combination of two black cones or triangles.
On the North mark, both cones point up.
On the East mark, cones point away from each other.
On the South mark, both cones point down.
On the West mark, cones point towards each other.
The colours on all Cardinal marks are black and yellow horizontal bands. The topmark cones indicate the positioning of the black band.

The North mark is black over yellow.   by night - VQ or Q continuous flashing.
The East mark is black, yellow, black.   by night - VQ(3) 5 s. or Q(3) 10 s.
The South mark is yellow over black.   by night - VQ(6) + L Fl.10s. or Q(6) + L Fl.15s.
The West mark is yellow, black, yellow.   by night - VQ(9)10s. or Q(9)15s.

Cardinal Marks show only white lights. The light characteristics may be Quick flashing or Very Quick flashing together with an identifying long flash for the South Cardinal mark. Refer to the light characteristics above, and note the sequential pattern for each type. Light characteristics are noted on navigation charts.
When navigating, you should pass :
North of a North Cardinal mark.
East of an East Cardinal mark.
South of a South Cardinal mark.
West of a West Cardinal mark.

Isolated Danger Mark Characteristics. Colour. Black and red horizontal bands. Shape. Pillar buoy or spar beacon. Light. White Fl (2) i.e. two consecutive flashes within a period specified on the chart. Topmark. Two black spheres disposed vertically.

Safe Water Mark. Colour. Red and White vertical stripes. Shape. Spherical, pillar or spar. Light. White, and either isophase, occulting, L. Fl Xs or Mo “A” Topmark. For non spherical marks, one red sphere.

Special Marks. Colour. Always yellow. Light. Yellow. Shape. Various. e.g. a conical special mark is kept to starboard when entering port. Topmark. St. Andrews Cross.

Leads. Lead lights are unidirectional, relatively narrow beam ‘flashing’ or ‘fixed’ lights (shapes) installed in pairs on extensions of a harbour access channel. The rear light (shape) is more distant and higher than the front light (shape), and by keeping the lights (shapes) vertically aligned, a vessel can safely follow the central line of a channel. Night light may be any colour, but usually white or blue. Shapes are cans or triangles. Note the characteristics of the directional leads on Clinton Wharf for the Auckland Channel. On chart AUS 819, identify the leads for the main channel, and for North Entrance.

N.B. Do not round too close to a buoy as the mooring chain may foul. Always round a buoy or beacon by at least one boat length clearance. e.g. N6 in the North Entrance channel requires particular care due to the extended mud bank to the west.
Be familiar with all lateral and special marks in our area, i.e. Main channel, North Entrance Channel, East Channel, Narrows passage, and the relevant compass courses. Refer to the current Gladstone Boating Safety Chart. Be conversant with light characteristics as noted on the chart so they can be readily identified.

Light Characteristics, as indicated on a chart.

WR	Indicates a sectored light. e.g. white - red.
Al.WR	A light which alters colour e.g. white /red in successive flashes.
F	A continuous steady light e.g. FR - a fixed red light.
Fl	A single brilliant flash a regular intervals e.g. Fl 5s means one flash every 5 seconds. Duration of the light is always less than the period of darkness.
FFl	Fixed and flashing. A steady light with one flash at regular intervals.
Fl( )	Group flashing. Two or more flashes in succession at regular intervals. e.g. Fl(3)10s means 3 flashes in succession within a period of 10 seconds.
Fl(2+1)	Composite group flashing. e.g. two flashes in succession followed by one flash, at regular intervals.
Oc	Occulting. Steady light with total eclipse at regular intervals. the period of darkness is less than that of light.
Oc( )	Group Occulting. Two or more eclipses in a group at regular intervals. e.g. Oc(6)
Q	Quick Flashing. Continuous flashing at a rate of 50 - 60/min.
IQ	Interrupted Quick Flashing. Flashing rate of 50-60/min with eclipse at regular intervals.
Q( )	Group Quick Flashing. Two or more quick flashes in a group at regular intervals. e.g.Q(3) 10s means a group of 3 quick flashes within a ten second period.
VQ	Very Quick Flashing. Continuous flashing at the rate of 100 - 120 /min. or groups as per Q.
Iso	Isophase light, where periods of light and darkness are equal.
Mo( )	Morse code light.
Lfl	Long flashing, where the flash is of two or more seconds.

It is important to recognise the difference between Flashing, Occulting, and Isophase lights.

Recognition of Lights on Other Vessels. As part of boating safety, recreational navigators must be able to recognise the displayed lighting on approaching vessels, on vessels being overtaken or on any given course. This covers the variations in port and stbd. hand lights, aft running lights, steaming lights, anchor lights. These are detailed in the Small Ships Manual. (available at VMRG base for $15.00)
Become familiar with all local navigational lighting by doing an occasional night run around the harbour, checking magnetic bearings of marks in the channels and identifying lights by their characteristics.

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