near
Adelaide,
South Australia Marks are distinguished by their shape and colour, being red or green. For historical reasons, two different schemes are in use worldwide, differing in their use of colour. Previously there had been 30 different buoyage systems, before IALA rationalised the system. In 1980 on a conference convened by IALA, they agreed to adopt the rules of a new combined system, which combined the previous two systems (A and B) into one system, with two regions (A and B). The IALA defines them as
Region A and
Region B:
Region A ,
France • comprises
Europe,
Africa, and most of
Asia and
Oceania, as well as
Greenland. • port marks are
red and may have a
red flashing light of any
light characteristic except composite group flashing 2+1 (having abbreviation "Fl(2+1)"). • starboard marks are
green and may have a
green flashing light of any light characteristic except "Fl(2+1)". the
Philippines,
Taiwan,
Hawaii, and
Easter Island. • port marks are
green and may have a
green flashing light of any light characteristic except "Fl(2+1)". See the buoy by the island in the diagram above. In Region A only, the phrase "Is there any red port left?" (referring to the red colour of the fortified wine "port") may be used as a mnemonic, indicating that a red mark must be kept on the left when "returning" to (i.e., entering) a harbour or river. In Region B only, the phrase "red right returning" may be used as a mnemonic, indicating that a red mark must be kept on the right when
returning to (
i.e., entering) a harbour or river. ==See also==