USCG General Deck: Master's License

This is an interactive test. Read each question and select the proper answer by clicking on the appropriate answer. If a "Y" appears, your choice is correct. If a "N" appears, more study may be in order.


17: The mooring line labeled "E" is called a(n) __________. (DO44DG )


106: In relation to the turning circle of a ship, the term "kick" means the distance __________.


113: During the course of a voyage, a seaman falls on the main deck and injures his ankle. The Master should submit a Report of Marine Accident, Injury or Death if the __________.


118: Damage to cargo caused by fumes or vapors from liquids, gases, or solids is known as __________.

    N a. contamination
    N b. oxidation
    Y c. tainting
    N d. vaporization

241: If there are any changes in the crew in a foreign port, the changes will be made by __________.

    N a. the Master on the Certified Crew List
    Y b. the Master on the Shipping Articles
    N c. U.S. Consul on the Certified Crew List
    N d. U.S. Consul on the Shipping Articles

315: A vessel must have one approved ring life buoy on board if its length is over how many feet?

    N a. 6 feet
    N b. 16 feet
    Y c. 26 feet
    N d. 36 feet

568: Which statement concerning the carriage of containers is TRUE?

    N a. The Chief Mate and Master of a container ship should have the proposed stowage plan ready for the stevedore upon arrival in port.
    N b. When stowed on deck of a break bulk ship, the bottom of the container must be evenly supported throughout.
    Y c. With tiered containers, a 40-foot container may be stowed on top of two 20-foot containers.
    N d. Deck load calculations must take into account the square footage of the entire container bottom.

577: You are signing on a crew. A man presents a Merchant Mariner's Document that you suspect has been tampered with. Which action should you take?

    N a. Confiscate the document and deliver it to the Coast Guard.
    N b. Sign the man on and notify the Coast Guard at the first U.S. port of call.
    Y c. Refuse to sign the man on articles until authorized by the Coast Guard.
    N d. Refuse to sign the man on and notify the FBI of unauthorized use of a federal document.

603: To reduce the amount of catenary you may __________.

    Y a. shorten the hawser or increase the tug's speed
    N b. lengthen the hawser or reduce the tug's speed
    N c. place your tug in irons
    N d. make a sharp turn

641: Which document shows the minimum required crew a vessel must have to navigate from one port in the United States to another?

    N a. Articles
    Y b. Certificate of Inspection
    N c. Crew List
    N d. Register

666: You are proceeding at a slow speed with your starboard side near the right bank of a channel. If your vessel suddenly sheers toward the opposite bank, the best maneuver would be __________.

    N a. full ahead, hard left rudder
    Y b. full ahead, hard right rudder
    N c. full astern, hard left rudder
    N d. full astern, hard right rudder

675: An advantage of the modified Christmas Tree towing method is to __________.

    N a. increase the towing hawser's catenary and provide more spring
    Y b. reduce catenary, allow operation in shallower water, and to release one barge without breaking up the entire tow
    N c. enable one tug and its crew without any outside assistance to make up or break down the tow
    N d. provide rapid delivery of logs from the northwestern United States to Hawaiian sawmills

701: The Safety Equipment Certificate shows that the vessel conforms to the standards of the __________.

    N a. U.S. Coast Guard
    N b. American Bureau of Shipping
    N c. American Salvage Association
    Y d. S.O.L.A.S. Convention

716: Your vessel is proceeding along a narrow channel. The effect called bank cushion has which effect on the vessel?

    Y a. Forces the bow away from the bank
    N b. Forces the stern away from the bank
    N c. Forces the entire vessel bodily away from the bank
    N d. Decreases the draft at the bow

811: When oily ballast has been pumped overboard, an entry must be made in the __________.

    Y a. Oil Record Book
    N b. Official Logbook
    N c. deck rough log
    N d. engine rough log

907: While assigned to a 90 GRT vessel, you are required to sign "foreign" articles on a voyage from Philadelphia to which port?

    Y a. San Francisco, CA
    N b. Baltimore, MD
    N c. Tampico, Mexico
    N d. Montreal, Canada

954: In order to correctly open a new coil of manila line, you should __________.

    N a. pull the tagged end from the top of the coil
    Y b. pull the tagged end through the eye of the coil
    N c. secure the outside end and unroll the coil
    N d. unreel the coil from a spool

1061: A vessel arrives at the port of San Francisco from Yokohama, Japan. The passengers fill out the Baggage Declaration and Entry form. A passenger has baggage arriving on another vessel. How must this baggage be handled for U.S. Customs purposes?

    N a. It need not be declared at this time.
    Y b. It must be declared on the same form and marked "Unaccompanied Baggage".
    N c. It must be declared on another form entitled "Continuation Sheet".
    N d. It must be declared only if the other vessel's name is known.

1068: You shall notify the nearest Coast Guard Marine Inspection Office as soon as possible when your vessel has been damaged in excess of __________.

    N a. $1,000
    N b. $1,500
    N c. $10,000
    Y d. $25,000

1160: In a longitudinally-framed ship, the longitudinal frames are held in place and supported by athwartship members called __________.

    N a. floors
    N b. margin plates
    N c. stringers
    Y d. web frames

1200: Your vessel's operators send a message that your vessel has been consigned to Voluntary Naval Control of Shipping. The message will refer you to __________.

    N a. the Light List
    N b. the International Code of Signals (PUB 102)
    Y c. Radio Aids to Navigation (PUB 117)
    N d. the Coast Pilot

1227: You have the "conn" at the time the helmsman who is steering by hand reports that the rudder is not responding to the wheel. Your FIRST action should be to __________.

    Y a. shift the selector switch to the other steering pump
    N b. signal the engineroom to stop the engines
    N c. call the engineroom
    N d. call the Master

1230: Which statement concerning solid floors is TRUE?

    N a. They must be watertight.
    Y b. They may have lightening, limber, or air holes cut into them.
    N c. They are built of structural frames connected by angle struts and stiffeners, with flanged plate brackets at each end.
    N d. They are lighter than open floors.

1293: What is required to be posted in the pilothouse of a vessel?

    N a. Certificate of Inspection
    N b. Officer's licenses
    N c. Company Mission Statement
    Y d. Muster List ("Station Bill")

1296: To ensure the best results during the Mediterranean moor, the chains should __________.

    N a. be crossed around the bow
    N b. tend out at right angles to the bow
    N c. tend aft 60°From each bow
    Y d. tend forward 30° on either bow

1459: When handling cargo, the majority of cargo gear breakdowns is due to __________.

    N a. compression bending of the boom
    N b. extension failure of the boom
    Y c. guy failures
    N d. topping lift failures

1609: For vessels fitted with cargo gear, an initial test of the units under a proof load shall be conducted. Subsequent tests and exams of the same nature shall be carried out at what time interval?

    N a. 1 year
    N b. 3 years
    N c. 4 years
    Y d. 5 years

1610: The joint formed when two steel shell plates are placed longitudinally side to side is called a __________.

    N a. bevel
    N b. bond
    N c. strake
    Y d. seam

1713: The cheek length of a block in inches should be about __________.

    Y a. three times the circumference of a manila line
    N b. five times the diameter of a manila line
    N c. twice the diameter of its sheaves for manila line
    N d. twenty times the diameter of a manila line

1779: Using the graph shown, if the dry bulb temperature is 58°, and the wet bulb temperature is 53°, what is the relative humidity in a cargo hold? (D008DG )

    N a. 56%
    N b. 61%
    N c. 66%
    Y d. 75%

1782: When evacuating a seaman by helicopter lift, which statement is TRUE?

    N a. The vessel should be stopped with the wind dead ahead during the hoisting operation.
    Y b. Flags should be flown to provide a visual reference as to the direction of the apparent wind.
    N c. The drop line should be grounded first then secured as close to the hoist point as possible.
    N d. The hoist area should be located as far aft as possible so the pilot will have a visual reference while approaching.

2043: A mooring line that prevents a vessel from moving sideways away from the dock is a __________.

    N a. bow line
    Y b. breast line
    N c. stern line
    N d. spring line

2045: When relieving the helm, the new helmsman will find it helpful to know the __________.

    N a. deviation on that heading
    N b. variation in the area
    N c. leeway
    Y d. amount of helm carried for a steady course

2068: You intend to tow a barge with one tug and expect continuous high winds from the north. To reduce the yaw of your tow, you should __________.

    N a. reduce the draft of the barge
    Y b. shorten one leg of the bridle
    N c. place bulky deck loads as far aft as possible
    N d. trim the barge down by the bow

2130: In a racetrack turn, to recover a man overboard, the vessel is steadied for the SECOND time after a turn of how many degrees from the original heading?

    N a. 60°
    N b. 135°
    N c. 180°
    Y d. 360°

2158: You are proceeding under NCS (Naval Control of Shipping) when you wish to send a message concerning your ships diversion. Which precedence would you assign this message?

    N a. O (IMMEDIATE)
    N b. R (ROUTINE)
    Y c. P (PRIORITY)
    N d. Z (FLASH)

2174: A vessel puts into the port of Kobe, Japan to discharge cargo. While awaiting completion of the cargo operation, the vessel contracts with a local shipyard to have the hull chipped, scaled, and painted. How is the cost of this maintenance handled with the Collector of Customs?

    Y a. A declaration is required and duty is involved on the total cost.
    N b. No declaration is required since this is considered routine maintenance.
    N c. A declaration is made and duty is charged on the materials only.
    N d. A declaration is made, but duty is charged on the labor only.

2226: The knot lettered O is a __________. (DO30DG )

    N a. timber hitch
    Y b. barrel hitch
    N c. carrick bend
    N d. blackwall hitch

2227: You are using tackle number 4 in illustration DO29DG to lift a weight of 120 lbs. If you include 10 percent of the weight for each sheave for friction, what is the pull on the hauling part required to lift the weight? (DO29DG )

    N a. 20 lbs.
    N b. 30 lbs.
    Y c. 42 lbs.
    N d. 57 lbs.

2266: Your vessel has been damaged and is partially flooded. The first step to be taken in attempting to save the vessel is to __________.

    Y a. establish flooding boundaries and prevent further spread of flood water
    N b. plug the hole(s) in the outer shell
    N c. pump out the water inside the vessel
    N d. calculate the free surface effect and lost buoyancy to determine the vessel's stability

2301: In towing, chocks are used to __________.

    Y a. protect the towline from chafing
    N b. secure the end of the towline on the tug
    N c. stop off the towline while retrieving it
    N d. absorb shock loading on the towline

2486: Which weld fault can only be detected by a method that examines the internal structure of a weld?

    N a. Undercut
    N b. Lack of reinforcement
    N c. Overlap
    Y d. Lack of penetration

2521: The period of roll is the time difference between __________.

    N a. zero inclination to full inclination on one side
    N b. full inclination on one side to full inclination on the other side
    Y c. full inclination on one side to the next full inclination on the same side
    N d. zero inclination to the next zero inclination

2569: When discharging an oil cargo, the first consideration is to __________.

    Y a. get the bow up
    N b. discharge from the wings first
    N c. discharge from the centerline tanks first
    N d. discharge from amidships first

2580: You want to double the strength of a mooring line by using two lines. To accomplish this, the second line must __________.

    N a. be 1 1/2 times the diameter of the first
    N b. be married to the first
    N c. not cross the first
    Y d. be of the same length

2606: You are approaching the pilot station with the wind fine on the starboard bow and making about 3 knots. You can help to calm the seas by taking what action just before the pilot boat comes along on the port side?

    N a. Backing full
    N b. Stopping the engines
    N c. Giving right full rudder
    Y d. A short burst of ahead full with left full rudder

2639: A wooden plug fitted tightly in the vent of a damaged tank may prevent the tank from __________.

    Y a. filling completely
    N b. developing free surface
    N c. developing free surface moment
    N d. collapsing

2876: A U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker may use all of the following distinctive lights when escorting ships in ice EXCEPT __________.

    N a. a single amber rotating light
    N b. a single red rotating light
    N c. red aircraft warning lights
    Y d. a single blue rotating light

3103: A case received for shipment has the markings shown. Each carton measures 13" X 15" X 23". What is the total cubic capacity the entire consignment will occupy? (Ignore broken stowage.) (D043DG )

    Y a. 779 cubic feet (22 cubic meters)
    N b. 992 cubic feet (28 cubic meters)
    N c. 1,047 cubic feet (30 cubic meters)
    N d. 112,125 cubic feet (3173 cubic meters)

3112: A tug is to assist in docking an oceangoing vessel on a hawser. The greatest danger to the tug is __________.

    N a. from the ship's propeller when making up aft
    N b. from being overrun if making up forward
    N c. hull damage while alongside passing a hawser
    Y d. getting in a tripping position

3166: The American Consul has asked the Master of a vessel bound for a port in the U.S. to transport a destitute seaman back to the U.S. Which action may the Master take?

    N a. He must always take the seaman.
    N b. He is required to accept the seaman only if the seaman is medically unfit.
    Y c. He may refuse the seaman if the seaman has a contagious disease.
    N d. He may refuse to take the seaman if he is being held by shore authorities.

3390: When towing, a tow hook is used to __________.

    Y a. provide quick release of the hawser
    N b. pull a tow alongside
    N c. attach a hawser to a tow which has no bitts or pad eyes
    N d. join two hawsers for lengthening a tow

3411: When steering a vessel, a good helmsman does NOT __________.

    N a. consider steering a vessel a highly responsible job
    N b. use as little rudder as possible to maintain course
    Y c. use as much rudder as possible to keep the vessel on course
    N d. advise his relief of the course being steered

3431: A high cube container is designed specifically to __________.

    Y a. carry low density cargoes
    N b. protect fragile cargoes
    N c. stow cargoes with concentrated weights such as machinery
    N d. carry cargoes of very low stowage factors

3470: The section of each end of a barge which is heavily reinforced to take the pressure of pushing is called the __________.

    Y a. headlog
    N b. towhead
    N c. collision bulkhead
    N d. bullnose

4092: To reconnect a broken tow line, it is better to use a polypropylene messenger line because it __________.

    N a. has great strength
    N b. is very supple
    Y c. floats
    N d. absorbs shock by stretching

4146: Which of the following tensioning devices is used with webbing to secure light vehicles aboard Ro-Ro vessels?

    N a. Chain lever
    Y b. Buckle tensioner
    N c. Adjust-a-matic tensioner
    N d. Turnbuckle

4181: Which lashing gear used aboard Ro-Ro vessels should be painted or soaked in oil when not in use?

    N a. Wire rope.
    Y b. Chain
    N c. Webbing
    N d. All of the above

4229: Which of the following is/are the optional component(s) of a twin crane set as shown? (D047DG )

    N a. Boom assembly
    N b. Hook block assembly
    Y c. Rider block tagline system
    N d. All of the above

4236: What is another description for a tandem crane lift?

    N a. Single crane hoisting 30 tons
    N b. Twin cranes hoisting 60 tons
    Y c. Quad lift hoisting 120 tons
    N d. All of the above