Isolated Danger Buoy Description & Characteristics

March 3, 2023

An isolated danger buoy serves to mark an isolated hazard that has navigable water all around it. The dangers may be natural in origin, such as shoals, or man-made, such as shipwrecks. When encountering an isolated danger buoy, it’s best to check your marine charts for more information about the hazard, such as its dimensions and depth.

The appearance of isolated danger buoys

Isolated danger buoys are black with one broad red horizontal band. They are usually spar-shaped, but that isn’t a requirement. If they are equipped with a light or retroreflective material, these items will be white. If the buoys have a topmark, it will be two black spheres stacked one on top of the other.

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