How is a Cardinal Mark oriented in relation to safety?

A Cardinal Mark is an integral part of the IALA Maritime Buoyage System and is specifically designed to indicate safe water areas relative to navigational hazards. Its orientation is based on the compass directions, namely North, East, South, and West. This means that a Cardinal Mark will have distinctive characteristics that help mariners determine the direction they should travel to safely navigate around an obstacle.

For example, a North Cardinal Mark indicates that the safest water lies to the north of the mark, while a South Cardinal Mark signifies that safe waters are to the south. The topmarks and colors of the Cardinal Marks provide critical visual cues, but the actual orientation in terms of navigation safety is strictly tied to their compass direction.

This is vital information for maritime navigation, as it allows vessels to understand which side of the mark they should safely pass. The compass direction relative to the mark is the primary factor that guides a ship's course to avoid hazards effectively and ensures a safe passage.