A buoy designed to mark the boundaries of a safe anchorage area is typically marked how?

A buoy designed to mark the boundaries of a safe anchorage area is typically marked solid yellow. The use of a solid yellow color is standardized for this purpose within the U.S. Aids to Navigation System. This color designation indicates to mariners that the buoy is indicating an area suitable for anchoring and helps to clearly delineate the anchorage zone.

The clarity of color helps mariners quickly recognize and respond to navigational aids, ensuring safe maneuvering in and out of anchorage areas. Using a uniform color like solid yellow reduces confusion, especially in busy maritime environments where various types of buoys might be present.

While other markings, such as red and white stripes, green with horizontal stripes, or white with orange geometric shapes, serve different navigational purposes—indicating channel limits, safe water areas, or hazard areas—they do not convey the specific information related to anchorage safety that solid yellow buoys do.