Question 285Navigation General

The correct answer is B) lettered. Preferred-channel buoys are used to mark the preferred or recommended channel, and they are identified by having a letter on them. The letter indicates which side of the buoy the preferred channel is on. This is in accordance with the United States Aids to Navigation System, which is the standard system used for buoys and other navigational markers in US waters. The other answer choices are incorrect because: A) white lights are not a defining characteristic of preferred-channel buoys, C) preferred-channel buoys can be of various shapes, not necessarily spherical, and D) not all of the listed characteristics apply to preferred-channel buoys.