[jrc]

I know this one is on the test. On the lake I just know which side to pass because I've been by them so many times before. On tests or strange places I remember that it's hot (red) in the south-west.

So pass red top spars on the south when traveling east or west, and on the west when travel north or south. Black tops are of course the opposite.

On Winnipesukee at least, one color of these spars has a stripe. This can make it easier to tell them apart in low-light conditions. Which one is it? My memory aid on this one is related to a beverage.

BTW Finding the safe side of a spar bouy using only a compass is not always as unambiguous as it sounds, I still use a chart in strange areas.