Symbols You’ll Find On Marine Charts in Australia and What They Mean

If you’re new to nautical navigation, the plethora of symbols found on marine charts in Australia can be quite overwhelming. Fortunately, paper maps all come with a key that gives you further information on what these symbols mean. If you’re using digital charts, you can simply hover the cursor over the symbol if you want to learn more.

Here at Boat Books, we are your local experts when it comes to marine charts and nautical books. In this article, we’ll provide valuable insight about some of the most common symbols you’ll come across on your nautical navigation journey.

Lateral Marks

What they look like: Red squares for port marks, green triangles for starboard marks.

What they mean: These symbols indicate the starboard and port sides of channels, which can help you enter harbours and navigate rivers.

Cardinal Marks

What they look like: Black triangles in different positions to indicate north, south, east, and west.

What they mean: Cardinal marks also help with navigating channels. For example, you should always pass east of an east cardinal mark and north of a north cardinal mark, etc.

Leads

What they look like: A pair of red triangles.

What they mean: When lined up vertically, these triangles give you a bearing to help you navigate through a difficult channel.

Isolated Danger Marks

What they look like: A black and red band with two black circles on top.

What they mean: These symbols indicate some sort of danger, so steer clear if you see them on a chart.

Safe Water Marks

What they look like: Red and white vertical stripes, sometimes with a red circle on top.

What they mean: These marks indicate that there is safe water all around, often found at the opening or along the centre of a channel.

Special Marks

What they look like: Yellow marks with a yellow ‘x’ on top.

What they mean: They can indicate a variety of ‘special’ areas, such as aquaculture or spoil ground.

Are you looking to purchase marine charts in Australia? Whether you’d prefer digital or paper, Boat Books has an extensive range of nautical charts available. Feel free to browse our online store or contact us if you have any questions about our products.