buoyage

1. (nautical) Any of several codes of practice under which buoys of various shapes and colours are used for the same navigational purpose.Examples: "For the more important channels the marking is done principally by means of buoys, and this makes the buoyage systems of very special importance in North America, and accounts for the large number in proportion to the area considered; more than half of the buoys of the world are in North America."; "This chart will be affected by the introduction of a new system of buoyage (IALA System A) scheduled for implementation between April and August 1977."; "In some charted waters, obsolescent buoyage ( Uniform System of Buoyage ) may still be encountered ."countableuncountable