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.


5: You are standing the wheelwatch when you hear the cry, "Man overboard starboard side". You should instinctively __________.


51: You are the licensed Master of a 100 GT towing vessel sailing coastwise. What percentage of the deck crew must be able to understand any order spoken by the officers?


69: Ullages are measured from __________.


136: Under the federal regulations, what minimum level of Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) constitutes a violation of the laws prohibiting Boating Under the Influence of Alcohol (BUI) on commercial vessels?

    N a. .18% BAC
    N b. .10% BAC
    N c. .06% BAC
    Y d. .04% BAC

141: On a sea going towing vessel of 150 gross tons, there are six (6) seamen in the deck crew. How many certificated able seamen are required if the voyage is over 600 miles?

    N a. 1
    N b. 2
    N c. 3
    Y d. 4

243: A towing vessel becomes tripped while towing on a hawser astern. What factor is MOST important when assessing the risk of capsizing?

    N a. Length of the towline
    Y b. Height of the towline connection
    N c. Longitudinal position of the towline connection
    N d. Direction of opposing force

434: To "belay" a line means to __________.

    N a. coil it down
    N b. heave it taut
    N c. stow it below
    Y d. secure it to a cleat

497: Which type of fiber towing hawser is preferred for towing astern?

    N a. Manila
    N b. Polypropylene
    Y c. Nylon
    N d. Dacron

516: You are going ahead on twin engines with rudder amidships. Your starboard engine stalls. To continue on course, you should __________.

    Y a. apply left rudder
    N b. apply right rudder
    N c. increase engine speed
    N d. keep your rudder amidships

645: A vessel's Certificate of Documentation __________.

    N a. may be retained by the owner at the home port OR kept on the vessel
    N b. must be posted under transparent material in the pilothouse
    Y c. must be carried on board
    N d. must be kept on file at the corporate offices of the owner or operator

654: A rope made of a combination of wire and fiber is known as __________.

    N a. independent
    N b. lang lay
    N c. preformed
    Y d. spring lay

699: Under which condition is a tug likely to be tripped?

    N a. When the tow "jumps" on the line
    N b. While making up to tow a large oil rig
    Y c. When the towing hawser leads forward of the quarter
    N d. When the tug exerts maximum bollard pull with the tow close astern

747: When carrying a cargo of asphalt or molten sulfur, which are carried at temperatures of over 300°F, one of the biggest dangers is __________.

    N a. inadequate ullage space
    N b. having the cargo too cool
    N c. explosion of vapors after discharge
    Y d. having to breathe the fumes

783: The owner or Master of a towing vessel shall ensure that each person that directs and controls the movement of the vessel can accomplish all of the following EXCEPT ___________ .

    N a. evaluate the danger of each closing visual or radar contact
    N b. adjust speed with due regard for the weather and visibility
    Y c. reduce speed only where local speed limits are posted
    N d. enter all required test and inspection results in the vessel's log or other record carried on board

995: The maneuver which will return your vessel in the shortest time to a person who has fallen overboard is __________.

    Y a. a single turn with hard rudder
    N b. engine(s) crash astern, no turn
    N c. a Williamson Turn
    N d. two 180° turns

1115: The proper way to correct a mistake in the logbook is to __________.

    N a. draw several lines through the entry, rewrite, and initial the correction
    Y b. draw a line through the entry, rewrite, and initial the correction
    N c. completely black out the entry, rewrite, and initial the correction
    N d. erase the entry and rewrite

1148: The document which acknowledges that the cargo has been received and is in the carrier's custody is called the __________.

    Y a. Dock Receipt
    N b. Hatch Report and Recapitulation
    N c. Cargo Manifest
    N d. Stowage Plan

1149: You are on anchor watch. As an aid to preventing thievery on the vessel you should __________.

    N a. show running lights, anchor lights and deck lights
    N b. only show the required anchor lights and keep the rest of the vessel darkened
    N c. maintain water on deck with firehoses led out and all-purpose nozzles attached
    Y d. show anchor lights, deck lights and cargo lights hung over the vessel's side

1211: When clearing a vessel for a foreign voyage, the original crew list is duly certified by proper authority. In a U.S. port, this authority is the U.S. __________.

    N a. Coast Guard
    Y b. Customs
    N c. Immigration Service
    N d. Public Health Service

1357: The area indicated by the letter G is known as the __________. (D033DG )

    N a. entrance
    N b. stringer plate
    Y c. turn of the bilge
    N d. garboard

1467: The type of carrier required to file a copy of freight tariffs would be the __________.

    Y a. common carrier
    N b. tramp
    N c. public vessel
    N d. bulk carrier

1519: When snaking cargo into the wing of a hold with the cargo winch, the runner should be lead from the __________.

    N a. head block to a snatch block
    Y b. heel block to a snatch block
    N c. lizard to a snatch block
    N d. winch to a snatch block

1549: On your vessel, a wire rope for the cargo gear shows signs of excessive wear and must be replaced. In ordering a new wire for this 10-ton boom, what safety factor should you use?

    N a. Three
    Y b. Five
    N c. Six
    N d. Seven

1603: Which weakens a line the LEAST?

    N a. Clove hitch
    N b. Long splice
    Y c. Short splice
    N d. Square knot

1702: Your containership has a container displaying a hazardous cargo placard. The placard has the number 2282 on it. This indicates that it is carrying what cargo?

    N a. Isoheptene
    N b. Phosphine
    N c. Furan
    Y d. Hexanols

1752: Your containership has a container displaying a hazardous cargo placard. The placard has the number 2199 on it. This indicates that it is carrying what cargo?

    N a. Furan
    Y b. Phosphine
    N c. Adiponitrile
    N d. Xylenol

1811: You are towing a large barge on a hawser. Your main engine suddenly fails. What is the greatest danger?

    N a. The tug and the tow will go aground.
    N b. The tow will endanger other traffic.
    Y c. The tow will overrun tug.
    N d. The tow will block the channel.

1903: When securing a manila line to a bitt what is the minimum number of round turns you should take before figure-eighting the line?

    N a. None
    Y b. 1
    N c. 2
    N d. 3

1953: What is likely to occur when you are surging synthetic mooring lines on the gypsyhead during mooring operations?

    N a. The lines may jam and then jump off the gypsyhead.
    N b. If there is sudden strain on the line, the man tending the line may be pulled into the gypsyhead.
    N c. The lines' surging may cause the vessel to surge.
    Y d. The heat generated may cause the lines to temporarily fuse to the gypsyhead.

1961: A sufficient amount of chain must be veered when anchoring a vessel to ensure __________.

    N a. the vessel has enough room to swing while at anchor
    Y b. the anchor flukes bite into the ocean bottom
    N c. there is a sufficient scope of chain to keep the anchor on the bottom
    N d. there is more chain out than there is in the chain locker

2019: A man was sighted as he fell overboard. After completing a Williamson turn, the man is not sighted. What type of search should be conducted?

    N a. Expanding circle
    Y b. Sector search
    N c. Parallel track pattern
    N d. Datum-drift search

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

2089: In addition to the load lines indicated in illustration D003DG, some vessels have a Winter North Atlantic line. Which statement about this load line mark is TRUE?

    N a. It is carried on VLCC/ULCC type vessels and allows reduced freeboard considering their size.
    N b. It is marked above line B in the diagram.
    N c. It is applied to vessels on restricted trade routes between the United Kingdom, Iceland, and Northern European countries.
    Y d. It applies only to vessels not exceeding 328 ft. navigating in the Winter North Atlantic zones.

2175: Which is a negotiated charter?

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

2218: If reefer spaces are not properly cleaned prior to loading cargo, it will most likely cause __________.

    Y a. mold to develop on commodities
    N b. malfunction of the refrigeration equipment
    N c. contamination of the insulation in the space
    N d. All of the above

2267: The knot lettered K in illustration DO30DG is a __________. (DO30DG )

    Y a. sailmaker's whipping
    N b. carrick bend
    N c. barrel hitch
    N d. stopper

2281: Your vessel has run hard aground in an area subject to heavy wave action. Backing full astern failed to free her. Which action should be taken next?

    N a. Continue backing to scour out the bottom.
    N b. Wait for high tide and then try backing.
    Y c. Flood empty tanks to increase bottom pressure and prevent inshore creep.
    N d. Shift weight aft to reduce the forward draft.

2292: The biggest problem encountered when towing bridle legs are too short is __________.

    N a. retrieval
    N b. adjusting tension
    Y c. excessive strain
    N d. hookup to main towline

2375: You are on a multiple-product chemical tanker and will carry cargoes of ethanolamine, methyl acrylate, and glycerine. Which statement is true?

    N a. All of these cargoes are mutually incompatible.
    N b. Glycerine may be stowed adjacent to methyl acrylate but must be segregated from ethanolamine.
    N c. Methyl acrylate and ethanolamine are compatible but both must be segregated from glycerine.
    Y d. Glycerine is compatible with both of the other cargoes.

2618: Due to the nature of a vessel's construction for a particular trade, it does not fully comply with the provisions of SOLAS. Where will this be indicated?

    Y a. On the Exemption Certificate
    N b. On the reverse of the particular SOLAS certificate affected
    N c. On the face of the Certificate of Inspection
    N d. Nowhere; the vessel must comply to engage in international trade.

2742: The internal volume of a cargo hold measured from the inside of the side shell, the underside of the deck, and the tank top is known as the __________.

    N a. gross tonnage
    N b. deadweight space
    N c. measurement space
    Y d. grain cubic

2812: If a tug equipped with flanking rudders is to be turned in a confined circle, when going astern, the stern will move to port the quickest if __________.

    Y a. the rudder is hard to port and the flanking rudders are hard to port
    N b. the rudder is amidships and the flanking rudders are hard to port
    N c. the rudder is hard to port and the flanking rudders are hard to starboard
    N d. all rudders are hard to starboard

2889: What is the minimum size required before a vessel can be documented?

    Y a. 5 net tons
    N b. 100 gross tons
    N c. 26 feet length
    N d. 65 feet length

2897: Form 2692 (Notice of Marine Casualty), when required, must be filed to the U.S. Coast Guard within how many days?

    N a. 1 day
    N b. 3 days
    Y c. 5 days
    N d. 7 days

3004: What is NOT a basic shiphandling rule for navigating in ice concentrations on the Great Lakes?

    N a. Keep moving - even very slowly, but keep moving.
    N b. Work with the ice movement, not against.
    Y c. Transit ice along pressure ridges when possible.
    N d. Excessive speed means ice damage.

3079: What is a solid at ambient temperature?

    N a. Aniline
    N b. Formic acid
    N c. Methyl chloride
    Y d. Napthalene

3218: The term "bollard pull" refers to a towing vessel's __________.

    N a. propulsion horsepower available
    N b. pulling ability at cruise power
    N c. towing winch capability
    Y d. pulling ability under static conditions

3244: The shank is indicated by which letter? (D038DG )

    N a. K
    N b. J
    N c. H
    Y d. F

3300: You are heading into the sea during rough weather. Having too much weight forward can cause your small boat to __________.

    N a. broach
    Y b. plunge into the wave
    N c. rise rapidly over the wave
    N d. list

3347: The opening in the deck beneath the anchor windlass that leads to the chain locker is the __________.

    N a. hawsepipe
    N b. fallpipe
    N c. drop-pipe
    Y d. spill pipe

3580: You are standing the wheelwatch on entering port and the Master gives you a rudder command which conflicts with a rudder command from the Pilot. What should you do?

    Y a. Obey the Master.
    N b. Obey the Pilot.
    N c. Bring the rudder to a position midway between the two conflicting orders.
    N d. Ask the Pilot if he relinquishes control.

3614: While you are on watch, you learn that a crewman has not been seen on board for the past three hours. Which type of turn is best in this man-overboard situation?

    N a. Round
    Y b. Scharnow
    N c. Racetrack
    N d. Single turn of 180°

3616: A tug in irons is __________.

    N a. rudder bound
    N b. being tripped by the towline
    Y c. unable to maneuver
    N d. broached

3616: A tug in irons is __________.

    N a. rudder bound
    N b. being tripped by the towline
    Y c. unable to maneuver
    N d. broached

3712: When should a crane boom-up so high that the boom hits the stops?

    N a. Only if the load has not exceeded the limit at that angle
    N b. Only if the load contains non-hazardous materials
    N c. Only if necessary to perform a given lift
    Y d. Never

4018: The BEST holding ground for conventional anchors is __________.

    Y a. sand
    N b. very soft mud
    N c. shale
    N d. rock

4056: The tankship Northland is loaded as shown. Use the salmon colored pages in the Stability Data Reference Book to determine the sagging numeral. (Get Table Data)

    N a. 89.75 numeral
    N b. 40.18 numeral
    N c. 28.62 numeral
    Y d. 22.44 numeral

4153: What should you be concerned with when loading and securing vehicles on a Ro-Ro?

    Y a. Number, position and angle of lashes
    N b. Number of axles
    N c. Disconnecting the battery cables to prevent fire hazard
    N d. Minor air pressure changes in the tires

4203: Which of the following statements is/are FALSE concerning cranes being installed on the centerline of vessels?

    N a. One crane is able to work both sides of the ship.
    N b. One crane is able to work one end of two adjacent hatches.
    Y c. A centerline crane can never work more than one hatch.
    N d. All of the above

4234: What describes a tandem crane lift?

    N a. Single crane hoisting 30 tons
    N b. Two cranes on a single pedestal hoisting 60 tons
    Y c. Two sets of twin cranes hoisting 120 tons
    N d. All of the above