cardinal system
cardinal system
[′kärd·nəl ‚sis·təm] (navigation)
In marine operations, a buoyage system in which the buoys are assigned distinctive shape, color, and number in accordance with location relative to the nearest obstruction and pertinent to the cardinal points.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.