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.


114: You are on watch at sea on course 090°T. A man falls overboard on your starboard side. You immediately start a Williamson Turn. Which step is NOT a part of a Williamson Turn?


129: Which knot is suitable for hoisting an unconscious person?


364: A long ton is __________.


459: Petroleum cargo tanks should not be topped off at deck level when loading on a cold day because __________.

    Y a. a subsequent temperature rise will cause the cargo to overflow
    N b. air pockets may cause the cargo to bubble out of the ullage hole
    N c. the increased viscosity of the product requires higher loading pressure which increases the chances of a spill
    N d. the tank valve may be stiff and a spill will occur before the valve can be closed

534: Which is part of the ground tackle?

    N a. Charlie noble
    Y b. Devil's claw
    N c. Gooseneck
    N d. Rat's tail

611: The Certificate of Inspection for a containership __________.

    Y a. is issued by the Coast Guard and is usually valid for 2 years
    N b. must be posted under transparent material near the officers' licenses
    N c. lists all of the stability limitations and conditions imposed on the vessel
    N d. shows the due date of the quadrennial test of the cargo gear

633: A tug is best positioned for towing and maneuvering on rivers and other restricted waters where wave action is limited when __________.

    Y a. directly astern and pushing the tow
    N b. towing on a hawser
    N c. towing alongside and parallel to the vessel it is towing
    N d. towing on the hip

661: The number of certificated lifeboatmen required for a vessel is found on the __________.

    Y a. Certificate of Inspection
    N b. Muster List ("Station Bill")
    N c. lifeboats
    N d. Register or Enrollment

689: When your tug reduces speed to shorten tow, the __________.

    N a. length of the tow gets shorter as the strain is reduced
    N b. tow may continue its momentum and overtake the tug
    N c. towing hawser may drag the bottom and put the tug in irons
    Y d. All of the above

719: Most crude oils are classified as grade __________.

    N a. A or B
    N b. B
    Y c. C or D
    N d. E

752: A lot of special cargo of similar cartons as shown is to be loaded. What is the total cubic capacity the consignment will occupy if you assume 10% broken stowage? (D042DG )

    N a. 51 cubic feet (1.5 cubic meters)
    N b. 58 cubic feet (1.7 cubic meters)
    Y c. 65 cubic feet (2.0 cubic meters)
    N d. 336 cubic feet (10 cubic meters)

758: An IOPP Certificate on an inspected vessel is valid for what period of time?

    N a. 6 months
    N b. 1 year
    N c. 2 years
    Y d. 5 years

792: When the vessel is on coastwise articles, the original certificate of the seaman's certificate of discharge is __________.

    Y a. given to the seaman
    N b. retained on board
    N c. sent to Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
    N d. sent to the shipping company

798: How many cubic feet of space is required to stow 775 tons of a cargo with a stowage factor of 25? (estimated broken stowage is 15%)

    N a. 12,916
    Y b. 22,794
    N c. 25,833
    N d. 29,397

841: All entries in the Official Logbook must be signed by the Master and __________.

    N a. the Union Representative
    N b. the person about whom the entry concerns
    N c. no one else
    Y d. one other crew member

900: Camber, in a ship, is usually measured in __________.

    N a. feet per feet of breadth
    N b. feet per feet of length
    Y c. inches per feet of breadth
    N d. inches per feet of length

915: What is the period of validity of a Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate?

    N a. 6 months
    N b. 12 months
    N c. 24 months
    Y d. 60 months

1029: When cleaning a tank by the Butterworth process, you should begin to pump out the slops __________.

    N a. at the end of the drop schedule
    Y b. when the process is started
    N c. when the process is finished
    N d. when the tank is clean

1127: All entries in the Official Logbook must be signed by the Master and __________.

    N a. the Chief Engineer
    N b. the person about whom the entry concerns
    Y c. one other crew member
    N d. No other signature is required.

1143: When rigging a stage, the standing part should be fastened to the horns of a stage with which of the following hitches?

    N a. Clove hitch
    N b. Timber hitch
    Y c. Marlinespike hitch
    N d. Double blackwall hitch

1166: You are 15 feet off a pier and docking a vessel using only a bow and stern breast line. Once the slack is out of both lines you begin to haul in on the bow breast line. What is the effect on the vessel?

    N a. The bow will come in and the stern will go out.
    N b. The whole ship moves toward the pier.
    Y c. The bow will come in and the stern will remain the same distance off the pier.
    N d. The stern will come in and the bow will remain the same distance off the pier.

1167: A vessel will "squat" when it proceeds underway __________.

    N a. only in deep water
    N b. only in shallow water
    Y c. in all depths of water
    N d. only in narrow channels

1272: You are on a tankship carrying benzene in bulk. Which statement is TRUE?

    N a. No other cargoes may be carried due to the possibility of contamination by a carcinogen.
    N b. The crew quarters must have positive-pressure ventilation to prevent the fumes from entering the living spaces.
    N c. Benzene is not a cancer-causing agent.
    Y d. Personnel working in regulated areas must use respirators.

1301: If, after examination by the Quarantine Officer, your vessel is found to have a specific deficiency, you may be issued __________.

    N a. Bill of health
    N b. Free Pratique
    N c. Notice to Comply
    Y d. Controlled Free Pratique

1455: Which letter represents a bowline on a bight? (DO30DG )

    N a. H
    Y b. I
    N c. M
    N d. W

1473: The "carrick bend" is used to __________.

    N a. add strength to a weak spot in a line
    Y b. join two hawsers
    N c. be a stopper to transfer a line under strain
    N d. join lines of different sizes

1660: The strake on each side of the keel is called a __________.

    N a. sheer strake
    N b. gatewood strake
    N c. insulation strake
    Y d. garboard strake

1720: Your vessel is to dock bow first at a pier. Which line will be the most useful when maneuvering the vessel alongside the pier?

    Y a. Bow spring line
    N b. Bow breast line
    N c. Stern breast line
    N d. Inshore head line

1731: You are in charge of a 225-gross ton tug preparing to depart from Houston, Texas, with a loaded 2500-gross ton tank barge bound for New York. Prior to departure, regulations require that you __________.

    N a. record the status of all firefighting equipment
    Y b. record the barge's load line and draft readings
    N c. record the condition of the towing gear
    N d. have on board an Official Logbook in lieu of other forms of records

1737: When evacuating a seaman by helicopter lift, which course should the ship take?

    N a. Downwind so that the apparent wind is close to nil.
    Y b. A course that will keep a free flow of air, clear of smoke, over the hoist area.
    N c. A course that will have the hoist area in the lee of the superstructure.
    N d. With the wind dead ahead because the helicopter is more maneuverable when going into the wind.

1743: A mooring line leading at nearly right angles to the keel is a __________.

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

1798: You are on a single-screw vessel with a left-handed propeller making no way in the water. How will your vessel react when you apply right rudder?

    N a. Bow will kick to starboard
    N b. Bow will kick to port
    Y c. Rudder alone has no effect on the vessel
    N d. Stern will kick to port, then slowly swing to starboard

1989: If you were to pass a stopper on a wire rope, what should the stopper be made of?

    N a. Wire
    N b. Manila
    N c. Nylon
    Y d. Chain

2053: A mooring line leading 45° to the keel, used to check forward or astern movement of a vessel, is called a __________.

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

2073: You are preparing to lubricate standing rigging on your vessel. When rigging a bosun's chair on a stay with a shackle, __________.

    N a. connect the shackle to the bosun's chair with a hook
    Y b. never allow the shackle pin to ride on the stay
    N c. run the gantline through the shackle and then make fast to the bosun's chair
    N d. tie the bitter end of the gantline to the shackle before shackling it to the bosun's chair

2080: A Contract of Affreightment covering the movement of a particular cargo from one designated port to another at a specified rate for each ton of goods loaded is called a __________.

    N a. bareboat charter party
    N b. demise charter party
    N c. time charter party
    Y d. voyage charter party

2175: Which is a negotiated charter?

    Y a. Fixture
    N b. Bill of Lading
    N c. Conference agreement
    N d. All of the above

2237: Using the graph in illustration D008DG, if the dry bulb temperature is 76° and the wet bulb temperature is 59°, what is the relative humidity in a cargo hold? (D008DG )

    Y a. 34%
    N b. 47%
    N c. 76%
    N d. 79%

2289: A seaman you have just discharged has a Continuous Discharge Book. Which statement is TRUE?

    Y a. The record of entry in the continuous discharge book shall agree with the entry made in the Ship's Articles.
    N b. If the vessel was on coastwise articles, the record of discharge will be made in the Official Logbook.
    N c. An entry should be made in the book and a Certificate of Discharge issued to the seaman.
    N d. A Certificate of Discharge form should be attached to the book.

2343: When securing a hook to the end of a wire rope you should use __________.

    N a. a bowline knot
    N b. a long splice
    N c. an overhand knot with a wire rope clip
    Y d. wire rope clips with a thimble eye

2349: What is the volume of a sphere with a radius of 7 feet?

    N a. 11,491.87 cubic ft.
    Y b. 1,436.76 cubic ft.
    N c. 963.72 cubic ft.
    N d. 205.21 cubic ft.

2554: The welds used to attach stiffeners to a plate are known as __________.

    N a. butt welds
    N b. seam welds
    Y c. fillet welds
    N d. plate welds

2712: Which two Great Lakes are considered hydraulically as one?

    N a. Lakes Superior - Huron
    Y b. Lakes Michigan - Huron
    N c. Lakes Erie - St. Clair
    N d. Lakes Erie - Ontario

3030: The piping that routes an oil cargo from the manifold to underdeck pipelines is known as a __________.

    N a. cargo fill
    Y b. line drop
    N c. transfer
    N d. branch line

3132: What may prevent a tug from tripping or capsizing when towing a large vessel?

    N a. Surge lines
    Y b. Norman Pins
    N c. Under riders
    N d. Safety shackles

3192: How should you signal the crane operator to hoist?

    Y a. With forearm vertical and forefinger pointing up, move hand in small horizontal circles.
    N b. With arm extended downwards and forefinger pointing down, move hand in small horizontal circles.
    N c. Extend arm with fingers closed and thumb pointing upward.
    N d. Place both fists in front of body with the thumbs pointing upward.

3234: Rolling is angular motion of the vessel about what axis?

    Y a. Longitudinal
    N b. Transverse
    N c. Vertical
    N d. Centerline

3248: The rope which is the lightest is __________.

    N a. manila
    N b. nylon
    Y c. polypropylene
    N d. dacron

3288: The angular movement of a vessel about a horizontal line drawn from its bow to its stern is __________.

    N a. pitching
    Y b. rolling
    N c. heaving
    N d. swaying

3328: The vertical motion of a floating vessel is known as __________.

    N a. surge
    N b. sway
    Y c. heave
    N d. yaw

3486: When a two-leg sling is used to lift a load, a sling 40 feet long is better than one of 30 feet because the __________.

    Y a. tension in the sling legs is less
    N b. load can be lifted higher
    N c. sling will be easier to attach
    N d. sling will be easier to remove

3590: When steering a vessel, a good helmsman does NOT __________.

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

3690: The part of the anchor indicated by the letter I is the __________. (D038DG )

    N a. tripping palm
    Y b. fluke
    N c. bill
    N d. stock

4042: You are on a 120,000 DWT loaded bulk carrier. What is the maximum safe docking speed when coming alongside?

    N a. 0.1 foot per second (0.06 knot)
    Y b. 0.2 foot per second (0.12 knot)
    N c. 0.5 foot per second (0.30 knot)
    N d. 0.75 foot per second (0.44 knot)

4071: The head block is located___________.

    N a. at the base of the boom
    Y b. at the head of the boom
    N c. at the head of the mast
    N d. on top of the jack staff

4103: Which of the following is not a loading or transfer feature aboard a Ro-Ro vessel?

    N a. Stern ramp and/or side ramp
    N b. Cargo lift
    N c. Hatch opening designed as a lift
    Y d. Stuelcken boom

4114: When accepting vehicles for shipment, the Master should ensure that __________.

    N a. all decks intended for the stowage of vehicles are, in so far as is practicable, free from oil and grease
    N b. the ship has on board an adequate supply of cargo securing gear, which is maintained in sound working condition
    N c. vehicles are in apparent good order and condition suitable for sea transport, particularly with regards to securing
    Y d. All of the above

4115: Entries should be made in a Ro-Ro vessel’s cargo-securing device record book for __________.

    N a. procedures for accepting cargo securing devices
    N b. procedures for maintaining and repairing cargo-securing devices
    N c. record of cargo securing device inspections
    Y d. All of the above

4133: What is used when securing light vehicles aboard Ro-Ro vessels?

    N a. Chain lever or turnbuckle
    N b. Chain
    N c. Wire
    Y d. None of these

4163: According to the IMO Code, what are the minimum number of securing points that should be on each side of a "road vehicle", whose gross vehicle mass is between 20 tons and 30 tons, when carried on Ro-Ro vessels?

    N a. One
    N b. Two
    Y c. Three
    N d. None of the above