The MAMS system (International Lighthouse Association): floating, lateral, cardinal signs

Today, the movement of vehicles is carried out in various environments: land, air, sea. As for land transport, and for sea vessels, there is a system of rules and signs regulating their movement and ensuring safe navigation on the surface of water canals.

What is the MAMS system?

The IAMA (International Association of Marine and Lighthouse Services) is a unified hazard protection system, established in 1957 to ensure the safety of ships' movement on the surface of the world's oceans. It has several types of regulating floating signs and other navigational equipment to prevent accidents in the maritime space and to ensure the safety of the property of moving vessels.

Principles of IALA

The main principle of IAMA is the territorial division of the world ocean by the conventional axis - the main channel (channel). To the left of the fairway, the sea area is usually called the region A, and on the right - the region B. The countries included in them differ in the color of the designation of the navigation equipment (SNO). So, for region A, red is provided, and for region B - green. For each of them, the reference point of the sea space begins in the direction from the main fairway (with the exception of individual cases).

The MAMS system is also based on the following legitimate principles:

• The minimum number of SSS required for the safe navigation of seaworthy vehicles.
• Floating marks МАМ are easy to recognize in the dark time of the day by the color of the lights on them and the frequency of glimpses, and in the daytime - by the shape and color of the top figures.
• The color of lights (white, green and red) differs on different types of navigational signs and have different meanings.
• Along with navigational hazards, provided for by signs, there are also those who have fallen into an accident and sunken ships.

The International Association of Lighthouse Services regulates marine navigation using five types of floating signs:

1. Lateral.
2. Cardinal.
3. Special.
4. Axial.
5. Signs of fencing of certain hazards.

Lateral signs

In contrast to the following types of signs, the lateral types have a characteristic coloration that is different for regions A and B. Thus, the lateral signs of region A have a red color, and in region B they are colored in green.

The purpose of these means of navigation is to designate the boundaries of the path of movement. They are exposed along the longitudinal canals, fairways and other sea and river courses (which have pronounced borders), representing a danger for movement.

The lateral system of navigational signs has figures of a cylindrical or conical shape.

Fencing of the fairway with lateral signs is carried out on the principle of the right and left sides. Thus, if you move in the direction from the sea, then on the right should be buoys or landmarks of green color with a top top figure located at the top - a triangle (sometimes the construction is supplemented by a flashing green light). The left side is indicated by red figures with a rectangle and red fire on top.

Lateral signs are used not only to delimit the boundaries of sea and river courses, but also to divide the water channel in order to identify priority. Thus, red signs with a wide green stripe in the middle and a possible additional top shape (cylinder) and red fire will mean that the main fairway is on the right. Conversely, green milestones / buoys with a red stripe and green fire and a triangle from above are interpreted as a symbol of the fact that the main fairway is on the left.

Cardinal signs

This system of navigational signs is used to identify the dangers and obstacles to the movement of sea or river transport, and also shows which side to bypass the danger.

Signs have a pillar-shaped black-and-yellow color with two black triangles and sometimes with white fire from above. Variants of the arrangement of black and yellow bands, as well as triangles differ depending on the type of cardinal sign.

They are exhibited according to the principle of finding from danger depending on the sides of the world. Thus, cardinal signs are divided into 4 types: northern (located from the north of danger), southern (from the south), western (from the west), east (from the east). Seeing one of them, the ship's driver must bypass the danger from the direction of the world to which this means of navigation equipment belongs. That is, if there is a southern cardinal sign, then you need to bypass the danger from the south side.

Special Signs

Special allocation of floating signs is used to identify special areas or objects. Examples of the use of special signs: the place of separation of traffic, landfill, cable or pipeline communication, military zone, landfill, the location of fishing gear, anchorages, etc.

Floating signs may be of any shape provided for by a single navigation system in an aquatic environment. The characteristic color of the signs of this group is yellow, as a top figure, a cross or letter "x" is used. If there is a signal light on them, you can see a yellow light.

The number of displayed signs depends on the significance and area of the area or facility. For a small object, one special mark is placed in the middle of the object, and if you need to select a fairly significant area, the location of special characters is used according to the perimeter method.

Axial Signs

An axial sign or, as it is also called, a sign of clean water informs the boatmaster that there is a water area around the facility that is safe for navigation, in other words, it designates the fairway axis and indicates a safe course.

The navigation system MAMS means 3 forms of axial signs: sphere, landmark and cylinder. Coloring is alternately arranged vertical stripes of red and white colors. At the top is a top figure - a red ball and a white flashing light.

Signs of fencing of certain hazards

Fencing floating signs are used to designate individual underwater objects that pose a danger to a moving ship. These means of navigation mean that different kinds of obstacles are only directly under the sign, and around the water space is safe for the movement of sea and river transport. The category of individual hazards include: underwater rocks, remains of a sunken ship, shallow water.

The navigation aids group is represented by pillars or conical shapes with a wide base (milestones), black color with one or more horizontal red stripes. Top figure - two black ball, located one above the other.