At the start of the twentieth century the Submarine Signal Company of Boston developed a system of electric bells that could be installed below water in lightships or, potentially, buoys. These could transmit underwater signals. Using a receiver an operator could determine the range and direction of the signal.
Once we’ve realised that Port is on the left only when facing the pointy end (not Italians – see later) we take these terms for granted. However, those of a curious bent might wonder how they came about . About ninety percent of us are right handed. Since roman times , at least, we have …
Navigation buoys have existed for centuries but, by the nineteenth century, differing systems caused confusion and prompted attempts to develop a common scheme. Growing trade, steamships, ship and buoy lighting technology increased the complexity of the problem which was not resolved, due to politics and war, until the late twentieth century.