The father of the cardinal buoyage system has died at the age oif 91. Captain John Bury, Elder Brother of Trinity House, became chairman of the IALA buoyage committee in 1971.

This followed a series of disastrous collisions in the English Channel in which ships foundered and lives were lost when foreign ships became confused with the lateral buoyage system.

The first buoy of the new system was laid in 1977 and the system was ratified in 1980 by 50 nations.