Dan Buoy

A slender, upright floating marker used to make a position conspicuous on the water.

A dan buoy typically has a weighted or ballasted lower section and a pole carrying a flag, light or reflective material. Fishing versions mark gear; emergency versions can be deployed near a person-overboard position and may incorporate flotation or other recovery equipment.

It marks the position at which it is deployed, not the person’s guaranteed current position, because the casualty and buoy may drift differently. It should be released promptly without becoming attached to the vessel, and its visibility, light, ballast and deployment mechanism require routine checks.