By Michelle Marchante
From Miami Herald
Miami–Just like traffic lights and signs help drivers on the road, boaters have buoys and signs to guide them to and from shore safely.
What you’ll see out on the water depends on where you boat. In the United States, the majority of American waterways use the U.S. Aids to Navigation System or IALA-B, although the Intracoastal Waterway has its own system.
Buoys, beacons and channel markers serve as the traffic signals of the water.
They can provide directions or alert boaters if they need to slow down, or if there are hazards in the area such as sand bars….