Cardinal marks say where the safe, navigable water lies: north, east, south or west of the mark. They are always black and yellow, carry a topmark of two black cones, and show a white light. They are identical in Region A and B.
The cones point to the black: North cones up, black on top; South cones down, black below; East bases together (an egg shape) with black top and bottom; West points together (a wineglass, W for wineglass). Lights: E = 3, S = 6, W = 9 flashes (a clock face), N = continuous.
Facts per the IALA Maritime Buoyage System (MBS ed. 2.0). The drawings are our own vectors. The light rhythm and colour in the drawing are illustrative: check the real characteristics of a specific buoy on the chart and in the list of lights.