Here in Casco Bay there are many places where the general rules you
would rely on would be at odds with the "Returning" concept. A
committee could spend days without coming to a clear conclusion about
which side red should be on depending on whether they are thinking
from the mindset of big ships that use only the major channels, yachts
that use pleasure boat anchorages, etc.

By relying on buoy layout alone, do you want to bet your boat that you
will come always to the same conclusion as the long ago guy who laid
out the buoy system when it could have been a coin toss in some
situations?

Maybe it's different where you sail but, in many parts of Maine, the
buoys are primarily markers to help you locate yourself on the chart.
Even if you can figure out which side red is supposed to be on, just
keeping the right color on the proper side will WHAM!

--

Roger Long