68D-23.108. Specifications for Markers

(1) A marker placed in, on or over the waters of the state or shores thereof may be displayed as a buoy bearing letters, numbers or a symbol on its surface, or as a sign mounted on a buoy, piling or other structure, or as a sign on the shore.

(2) Buoyed signs and markers must extend not less than 36 inches above the surface of the water. A sign suspended above the water must have a minimum of 25 feet clearance from the mean high water mark to the bottom of the sign.

(3) A buoy whose sole purpose is to carry a sign above it shall be marked with three horizontal bands of international orange alternating with two horizontal bands of white, each band placed completely around the circumference of the buoy and occupying approximately one-fifth of the total area of the buoy’s surface above the waterline. All markers shall be made of materials which will retain, despite exposure to weather and other elements, their color, shape, legibility and position.

(4) All letters on green or black backgrounds shall be white. All letters and numerals on red or white backgrounds shall be black, except that white retroreflective letters and numerals may be used on a red background. All letters and numerals shall be of block characters of good proportion, spaced in a manner which will provide maximum legibility and of a size proportionate to the size of the marker.

(5) Retroreflective materials must be used for all displays on markers that are required to be international orange and as otherwise required in the United States Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Manual – Technical (COMDTINST M16500.3A). The white background dayboard film material for all information, danger, exclusion, and regulatory signs installed or replaced after July 1, 2006, shall be retroreflective. Retroreflective materials may be used for any other portion of a marker.

(6) Every pile used in waters of this state to support signs for waterway marking purposes must have two bands of white tape placed around it. The bands of tape must be placed separately around each pile for dolphins, clusters, and other structures using multiple piles for support. The tape must be six inches wide and made of self-adhesive (pressure sensitive), diamond-grade, white, retroreflective material. The top of the first band must be placed six inches from the bottom of the sign; the top of the second band must be placed eight inches from the bottom of the first band. The tape must be installed with a minimum overlap of one inch over the entire six-inch width of the band. On wooden piles, the tape must be additionally secured using not less than four stainless steel, one inch staples driven through the area of the overlap. If the tape becomes delaminated, cracked, checked, weathered, or abraded so as to have a dull or roughened surface, it must be replaced. Any existing tape must be removed before applying the replacement tape.

(7) All buoys other than mooring buoys must be attached to the water body bottom using anchors, sinkers, chains, shackles, swivels, and bridles that meet or exceed the specifications in the United States Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Manual – Technical (COMDTINST M16500.3A).

(8) Mooring buoys are white cylindrical or spherical with a blue band located near the top of the buoy. All mooring buoys must be attached to the water body bottom using anchors, chains, shackles, and swivels, and must be equipped with pennants that are of sufficient size, strength, and holding power for their intended purpose. Anchors or anchoring systems for mooring buoys must be embed in the water body bottom. The use of a sinker (a weight, usually metal or concrete, that rests on the bottom without embedding) to anchor a mooring buoy is prohibited.

Rulemaking Authority 327.40, 327.41 FS. Law Implemented 327.40, 327.41 FS. History–New 12-23-01, Amended 10-5-06, 10-6-10.