Free interactive quiz
Cones, bands, flashes and which side to pass — ten questions on the four marks that put a danger on the compass.
10 questions · about 6 min · no sign-up · Updated
A cardinal mark is named for the compass quadrant in which safe water lies: pass north of a north cardinal, east of an east cardinal, and so on. The cones, the black bands and the flash count are three ways of telling you which one it is.
Half of these questions show you a mark; the other half give you a light or a description, the way an exam or a night approach would.
Want to learn it first? Cardinal marks: how to remember topmarks, colours and lights.
10 questions
Question 1 of 10
Answer: A north cardinal — safe water to the north
Both cones point up, and black is on top where the cones point: a north cardinal. Its light, if fitted, is white and either continuous quick or very quick flashing. Pass to the north of it — the danger lies to its south.
IALA R1001 §2.2 — north cardinal mark
Answer: East cardinal
The cones are base to base — the egg shape — and the black bands are at the top and bottom where the cones point, with a yellow band between: an east cardinal. Its light is white, three flashes: VQ(3) every 5 s or Q(3) every 10 s. Safe water is to the east.
IALA R1001 §2.2 — east cardinal mark
Answer: A South cardinal mark
Six flashes plus a long flash = South cardinal. The clock face mnemonic puts South at 6 o'clock = 6 flashes. The additional long flash at the end is unique to the South cardinal and prevents confusion with other flash counts. Safe water is to the south of this mark.
IALA R1001 — cardinal mark light rhythms
Answer: East cardinal — pass to the east of the mark
Q(3) = three quick flashes = 3 o'clock on the clock face = East cardinal. Safe water is to the east, so pass on the east side. Confirming chart expectations against observed light characteristics is a key part of safe pilotage — it verifies you are looking at the mark you planned for.
IALA R1001 — cardinal mark light rhythms
Answer: A North cardinal mark — continuous Q or VQ
Continuous quick or very quick flashing with no grouping = North cardinal (12 o'clock on the clock face). All other cardinals have numbered groups (3, 6+long, or 9). If you cannot detect a pattern or pause, it is North. Safe water is to the north.
IALA R1001 — cardinal mark light rhythms
Answer: 9 flashes — Q(9) or VQ(9)
West = 9 o'clock on the clock face = 9 flashes. The light will be Q(9) every 15 seconds or VQ(9) every 10 seconds. Counting to 9 can feel long — if you are counting past 6, it is almost certainly a West cardinal.
IALA R1001 — cardinal mark light rhythms
Answer: White
All cardinal marks show white lights. This is universal across all four cardinal directions. At night, you identify which cardinal it is by counting the flash groups, not by colour. White is also used by isolated danger and safe water marks — the rhythm tells them apart. Lateral marks use red and green lights, and special marks use yellow.
IALA R1001 — cardinal marks
Answer: Pass on the named side — north of a North cardinal, east of an East cardinal, etc.
The cardinal mark's name tells you where the safe water is. A North cardinal means safe water is to the north of the mark — so you pass to the north. The hazard is on the other side. This rule applies to all four cardinal marks and is identical worldwide.
IALA R1001 — cardinal marks
Answer: No — yellow-black-yellow is a West cardinal; safe water is to the west
Yellow-black-yellow = West cardinal (black in the middle, topmark cones point inward to the black). The crew member has confused East and West — a very common mistake. East is black-yellow-black (black at both ends). Always check: where is the black band? That is where the cones point, and the opposite of where you should go.
IALA R1001 — cardinal mark colours
Answer: No — cardinal marks can be placed some distance from the hazard; they indicate the direction of safe water, not the exact hazard position
Cardinal marks indicate the direction of safe water relative to a hazard, but they may be placed some distance from the actual danger. The chart is your definitive source for the hazard's exact position. An isolated danger mark, by contrast, does sit on or very near the hazard itself.
IALA R1001 — cardinal marks
The guides behind these questions — each one sourced, diagrammed and checked against the rule text.
Navigation
North, east, south, west cardinal buoys explained — what the two cones mean, why the black bands follow the cones, the clock-face trick for the light rhythms, and how to use them without shaving the danger.
6 min read
Navigation
Red to port or red right returning? How the two IALA buoyage regions differ, what “direction of buoyage” really means, preferred-channel marks, and the marks that are identical everywhere — with a side-by-side diagram.
9 min read
Navigation
The difference between navigation and pilotage, what goes into a pilotage plan — marks, transits, clearing bearings, depths, tides and the point of no return — and how to run the plan from the cockpit without a chart table.
8 min read
Questions and explanations were checked against the documents below on . Scope: IALA Maritime Buoyage System · Identical in Region A and Region B · Light rhythms per IALA R1001 Table 6. Rules, buoyage and syllabuses change and can differ by jurisdiction — the official text always takes precedence.
Linking to these organisations does not imply that they endorse SailQuiz. SailQuiz is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, accredited by, or otherwise connected to the ASA, US Sailing, the RYA, the USCG, or any other certifying body, and it is not a substitute for their official training or examinations.
The Day Skipper Theory, Actually Explained course covers Buoyage and Marks — every answer explained, with spaced review that brings back what you miss. Free to download, no account, works offline. One full quiz and 3 Daily Challenge rounds a day on the free plan.
