Understanding Channel Markers For Boating: Reading Markers & Buoys 

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Great video. The 'aha' moment for me was the Key West home port rule while in the ICW. Thanks!!

Very helpful because it simplifies things. Every waterway is different so i understand sometimes how people can get confused.

Great run down. I found this just to confirm that I was doing things correctly and happy to know I am. :) Excellent!

Thank you sir. Just got back from islamorada. Finally completed the Irma repairs at Topsider resort at 75500🎣. Was worth the wait.

Just got a Pontoon boat and this information is very valuable to me !

Great basic information! Unfortunately, you could hang a big neon arrow out there on them with a loud speaker blaring left or right and folks would still get it wrong!😂 Thanks for sharing though, maybe a few unknowing folks got it now!👍👍

Always a great refresher

Nice video, I like the 'brown brown run aground' it made me chuckle. I fish in Texas and we have the super shallow flats all over the place, I would like it if you would talk about clues for when it isn't as sunny and you can't really see the color as well. Clues like a cluster of white caps in the middle of smooth water, or super smooth water in the middle of wind blown water, things that indicate shallow water.

Red right return... Only if you head south. With the intracoastal, red is always the inland side regardless of north or south direction.

Great info, thanks

That's interesting. In Australia, it's Red Left return.

Holy crap that stay in between shout at .52 scared the crap out of me. 😆😆

Great video

Miami is not the home port for the ICW but it is a good rule for SW florida. The red markers for ICW is always indicating the side that the mainland is on. FYI 🤷‍♂️😎

Great video, however something that you could clarify, if I'm right gets most people confused is when your retrurning how do you tell which way is considered the inland direction? The marker numbers increase on the red as you travel inland. So keep them to your right as the numbers go up. I think this fact would help clarifying alot of basic confusion.

Thanks!

Additionally, the markers in the Intracoastal Waterway are distinguished from local or private markers by a reflective gold decal affixed to the face of the marker. A gold square on the square, green, odd numbered marker and a triangle decal on the triangle, red, even numbered marker. This is especially helpful when other channels intersect the ICW such as near inlets, the St. Johns River, etc.

BZ Captain. Good video 📹 👍

I’m totally new to this and I hope this question makes sense. But when it’s a single marker is it always going to be orange? Or could it be green? Which is goin to sea. What is most important to me to know is which side do I pass it on? Let’s say I’m going north. I come up on a triangle I can pass it with it on my left or I can pass it with it to my right. Which side is the channel on?

thank you

Awesome for a landlumber.

Or you could run on thru "Midnight Pass" between the Arcenikers" in South Biscayne Bay ignore the markers and wait a while. I that Lignumvitae Key in the background?

When in doubt, throttle out!

If you had that red marker over your right shoulder on your right when you were coming back to port from the sea would you be up in that shallow area you pointed out? I understand on your right going out then you’ll be in the deep channel but if it’s on your right coming back you’re going to be in the shallows won’t you?

ill be there in 2 weeks - any good recommendations for a 4 some? looking to get some redfish or yellowtail (2 guys 2 girls) we wil be right next. to bud n mary's

👍

Very important to know... disappointing how many boaters don’t know what markers mean

I guess things could have changed but when I went through the Merchant Marine Academy decades ago red left or right was based on coming or going from a larger body of water to a smaller body of water not home port. Intracoastal markers are a whole nother world where inland side is the base.

Ha ha.....here in England we have green on the right and red on the left when returning to port.

Question, why does the water color means like why water have different colors? I thought all water color are the same.

White White you just might. Something to add to that list.

Red on right in the direction you were facing... So coming thru the opposite direction, red would be in the left? I understand it it's mostly common sense & reading the water it's most important, but this video instruction seems to only cover one direction???

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So do we really need the return, in red right return? Wouldn’t it always just be red right, regardless of whether you are coming or going? Or are they only visible in one direction?

Just get Florida Marine Tracks and take all the guess work out of it.

What do you do when there is only one color line for miles?

Right on red on return.

So he points behind him and points at the red marker that seems to be the direct opposite of what is in front of him: Ummm, doesn't that mean it want's me running through that shallow brown spot?

🚢⛵

That's in the Northern Hemisphere. Southern Hemisphere is the opposite.

U ole dawg u.

This is glorious, I have been researching "boat registration numbers lookup" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Ever heard of - Siyichael Mysterious Smasher - (do a google search )? It is a great exclusive guide for discovering how to get a cheap boat title report without the normal expense. Ive heard some decent things about it and my neighbour got cool results with it.

Generally speaking the normal markers are understandable, but there are times where they are not. In the case of your video, I am a bit confused on your boat position, looking over your right shoulder, red on right out to bay and we see the shallow water to the right of the red marker. However, to your left pan view, it shows red on right going the opposite direction and we see shallow water to the right of the marker? Are you sitting at an intersection? Where I get most confused is at an intersection. Would be good to see some examples explained how to read them and know which way to go...... I have yet to find a clear explanation where I boat in North Carolina in Morehead City area. Which side to hug past the intersection, etc.

US systems...ok. UK ugh oh....could be a problem.

Totally missed the most important part of navigating the keys. The direction you are traveling when on the bay side on the intercostal. This is the most confused part that boaters have. Red on the right is not correct for traveling north.

Red right return? I don't get it......

You confused me by saying, your port is keywest, regardless where your actual port you launched from/return to... hence when you said "Red Right Return" always when returning to port, welll actually you could be travelling away from Key West in an area going to your port am I wrong or correct? And other thing you failed to explain, are the Red and Green markers The same color and number from both sides??? Yeah... you failed to explain that, because if you are going East fore example and you keep the Red Marker on your right, then when you return West, if the Marker is on your "Right" you will actually be on the opposite side compared to travelling East... so its actually false to say "Always keep the red marker to your right"... thats just wrong... you made crappy video... delete and repost or edit this thing

And also remember most of the world is opposite this.

only applies in USA.

Red Right Return. Red Green Stay Between. Don't trust brown water.

I see orange. Not red. And if we always keep red on our right we'll be traveling all around the marker. Doesn't that make it useless? But thanks for the video

yea ill just bottom out

Sorry but your description is confusing. You seem to contradict yourself. And should in not be from "closed waters ti open waters? and then you need cover up stream or down stream

This is so wrong , green light on your boat is starboard, red light is port side. How can you as you said allways keep the red marker on the right side when returning and your pointing to the bay which is behind you going out . Thats opposite of what your saying . Also if you keep it on your right sideas your saying when you come back the opposite way keeping it on the right puts you out of the channel . These markers are for larger vessels with a deeper draft . All you need to remember is stay in between if you have a deep draft vessel . If you in that clear water and you can see it to shallow you dont need a boat.

I don't think of myself as a "dummy" so this video isn't for me.

It's a shame that this is posted on the internet because outside of the center of universe 🇺🇸 this information is completely irrelevant 🤷‍♂️

I do not see a decal on any of the channel markers in this video. So, your red right returning isn't correct. Red right returning is only if you're on the ICW. Otherwise, the red should be on your left when returning from sea.