Buoys

Our Buoys range covers mooring and marker buoys – floating markers for identifying a mooring position, marking a hazard or anchor position, or supporting a mooring line at the surface.

A mooring buoy typically marks and supports a permanent or semi-permanent mooring line, keeping the pickup point visible and accessible at the surface regardless of tide – size and buoyancy should be enough to support the mooring line’s weight and stay clearly visible without being so large it becomes difficult to handle when picking up the mooring. A marker buoy serves a different purpose, flagging a position (an anchor, a hazard, a race mark) rather than supporting a permanent mooring – visibility (colour, size) matters more here than buoyancy capacity, since its job is purely to be seen. Whichever type, check the buoy’s line attachment point is secure and appropriately rated, since a buoy that detaches from its mooring or marker line defeats the purpose entirely.

Consider colour and visibility against your local water conditions – a buoy that blends into choppy grey Atlantic water is less useful than one in a genuinely high-visibility colour.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a mooring buoy and a marker buoy?

A mooring buoy supports and marks a permanent mooring line’s pickup point; a marker buoy flags a position (anchor, hazard, race mark) without supporting a mooring.

How do I size a mooring buoy?

Enough buoyancy to support the mooring line’s weight and stay clearly visible at the surface, without being so large it’s difficult to handle when picking up the mooring.

What colour buoy should I choose?

A genuinely high-visibility colour that stands out against local water conditions – a buoy that blends into choppy grey Atlantic water isn’t doing its job well.