Comments interspersed:

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
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.

What I am commenting on are not "general rules you rely on", but instead are
"general rules you begin with".


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?

I don't look at just one buoy without looking at it's meaning within the
particular area/system I am transiting.
If approaching an unfamiliar area, I will have looked at the "big picture"
to see why a particular buoy is where it is and how it relates to the
area/system it's concerned with (which may easily involve an apparent
departure from the initial basics).


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!

Yes a buoy will locate your position, yes it will tell you where a danger
lies, yes it will tell you where the good water is....... as long as it's on
station (oops, guess that's not where I am). If you concentrate on a single
buoy without knowing how it relates to a particular system/area, then you
will frequently have reason for confusion.
There are many areas where the beginning basics may not and don't help you
out (they're a starting point). When they don't look at the approaches to
your area and/or what comes after in the scheme of the system you are
working (something you definitely need a chart for).
The N-S along the East Coast is for someone coming in from the Atlantic (and
Intracoastal) and not necessarily for someone in Penobscot Bay.
So we're sure it's understood ..... I am in no way suggesting you can or
should run without charts. My point being that there ARE some areas where
the basic "from seaward" rules do apply and need to be used and as you move
inland, you need to keep these basic rules in mind and be aware that you may
have trouble relating them to what you are now seeing. Do not focus on one
buoy, instead focus on the system and use all your info to help solve any
confusion.

otn