International Association of Lighthouse Authorities
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The International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (or IALA for short) is a non-profit organization founded in 1957 to collect and provide nautical expertise and advice.
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[edit] Headquarters
Its office is located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France.
[edit] Main recommendations
The IALA is primarily known for its buoyage or sea mark systems that are used in the pilotage of vessels at sea:
- Lateral marks indicate the edges of a channel.
- Cardinal marks indicate the direction of safe water at a dangerous spot.
- Safe water marks indicate the deep water and open end of a channel.
- Special marks indicate administrative areas, such as speed restrictions or water skiing areas.
- Isolated danger marks indicate a hazard to shipping.
Each type of mark has a distinctive colour, shape and possibly a characteristic light.
