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.


6: Which statement about a tunnel bow thruster is TRUE?


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


178: Which can be prevented only by segregating two lots of cargo into separate holds?


205: A vessel is to make a voyage between New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and return. The crew should be signed on_____________.

    Y a. Coastwise Articles
    N b. Foreign Articles
    N c. Intercoastal Articles
    N d. no articles

248: Dunnage may be used to protect a cargo from loss or damage by _______________________ .

    Y a. ship's sweat
    N b. inherent vice
    N c. tainting
    N d. hygroscopic absorption

370: Cottonseed oil is classed as a __________.

    Y a. combustible liquid
    N b. flammable liquid
    N c. flammable solid
    N d. poison B

794: "White Line" is made from __________.

    Y a. cotton
    N b. hemp
    N c. manila
    N d. sisal

821: The Master must maintain the Oil Record Book on board for at least __________.

    N a. 1 month
    N b. 12 months
    N c. 24 months
    Y d. 36 months

829: In terms of vessel manning, a watch is the ____________ .

    Y a. direct performance of deck or engine operations in a scheduled and fixed rotation
    N b. performance of maintenance work necessary for the vessel's safe operation, on a daily basis
    N c. performance of lookout duties
    N d. direct performance of cargo loading and discharge operations only

1009: You are loading 475,000 barrels of cargo oil. At 0800 on 8 July, you find that you have loaded 174,000 barrels. At 1000, you find that you have loaded 192,000 barrels. If you continue loading at the same rate, you will finish at approximately __________.

    N a. 1752, 8 July
    N b. 1940, 8 July
    N c. 0143, 9 July
    Y d. 1727, 9 July

1066: If your propeller is racing in rough weather, you should __________.

    Y a. decrease your engine speed
    N b. ignore it
    N c. increase your engine speed
    N d. stop your engine until the rough weather passes

1074: A new coil of nylon line should be opened by __________.

    N a. pulling the end up through the eye of the coil
    N b. taking a strain on both ends
    N c. uncoiling from the outside with the coil standing on end
    Y d. unreeling from a spool

1116: On a single-screw vessel, when coming port side to a pier and being set off the pier, you should __________.

    N a. swing wide and approach the pier so as to land starboard side to
    N b. approach the pier on a parallel course at reduced speed
    Y c. make your approach at a greater angle than in calm weather
    N d. point the vessel's head well up into the slip and decrease your speed

1169: Static electricity may be built up by the __________.

    N a. spraying or splashing of petroleum
    N b. settling of solids or water in petroleum
    N c. flow of petroleum through pipes
    Y d. All of the above

1172: You are making a sharp turn in a channel and using a buoy four points on the bow to gauge your rate of turn. If you observe the buoy moving aft relative to you, what should you do?

    Y a. Increase the rate of turn
    N b. Decrease the rate of turn
    N c. Maintain a constant rate of turn
    N d. Decrease speed

1243: You are on watch at sea and find it prudent to call the Master to the bridge due to traffic congestion. The moment that the Master officially relieves you of the conn is whenever __________.

    N a. a watchstander announces "Captain's on the bridge"
    N b. you call the Captain to the bridge in a traffic situation
    Y c. the Master specifically informs you that he has the conn
    N d. the Captain states the course being steered

1310: Which statement is TRUE concerning protection of double bottom tanks against excessive pressure?

    N a. Each vent for the tank must be equal to the area of the tank filling line.
    N b. The tanks must be protected by overflows.
    Y c. The total area of the vents or the overflow shall be at least 125% of the area of the fill line.
    N d. There must be twice as much vent area as the area of the fill line.

1354: A 6x19 wire rope would be __________.

    N a. 6 inches in diameter and 19 fathoms long
    N b. 6 inches in circumference with 19 strands
    Y c. 6 strands with 19 wires in each strand
    N d. 19 strands with 6 wires in each strand

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

1470: Signs of racking stresses generally appear at the __________.

    N a. bow and stern shell frames and plating
    Y b. junction of the frames with the beams and floors
    N c. garboard strake, at each side of the keel
    N d. thrust bearing of the main shaft

1470: Signs of racking stresses generally appear at the __________.

    N a. bow and stern shell frames and plating
    Y b. junction of the frames with the beams and floors
    N c. garboard strake, at each side of the keel
    N d. thrust bearing of the main shaft

1488: What does the term "end-for-end" refer to in regard to a wire towing hawser?

    N a. Cutting off the bitter and towing ends of the wire rope
    N b. Splicing two wire ropes together
    Y c. Removing the wire rope from the drum and reversing it so that the towing end becomes the bitter end
    N d. Removing the wire rope from the drum and turning it over so that the wire bends in the opposite direction when rolled on a drum

1495: A common class of wire rope is the 6X37 class. What does the 37 represent?

    N a. Number of wires in the inner core
    N b. Number of strands per wire rope
    N c. Tensile strength of the wire
    Y d. Number of wires per strand

1515: In a national emergency, when communicating via the Navy, messages are sent by precedence. A message designated ROUTINE will be delivered within __________.

    N a. 30 minutes to 1 hour
    N b. 1 to 6 hours
    Y c. 3 hours to start of business the following day
    N d. 10 minutes if possible

1515: In a national emergency, when communicating via the Navy, messages are sent by precedence. A message designated ROUTINE will be delivered within __________.

    N a. 30 minutes to 1 hour
    N b. 1 to 6 hours
    Y c. 3 hours to start of business the following day
    N d. 10 minutes if possible

1619: A periodic thorough examination of the cargo gear proves satisfactory. What percentage of the total gear must be dismantled to determine actual internal condition?

    Y a. None
    N b. 10%
    N c. 25%
    N d. 100%

1649: What is required to be stenciled at the heel of a cargo boom?

    N a. Maximum angle of elevation permitted
    N b. Date of the last quadrennial test
    Y c. Safe working load
    N d. Maximum load when doubled up

1692: Your containership has a container displaying a hazardous cargo placard. The placard has the number 2206 on it. This indicates that it is carrying what cargo?

    Y a. Isocyanates, n.o.s.
    N b. Propadiene, inhibited
    N c. Xylenol
    N d. Hexanols

1703: What is the stress on the hauling part when lifting a 4,200 lbs. weight using a threefold purchase rove to advantage? (Allow 10 percent of the weight per sheave for friction.)

    N a. 571.4
    N b. 715.2
    Y c. 960
    N d. 1066.7

1755: Which knot shown is a French bowline? (DO30DG )

    N a. L
    Y b. T
    N c. Q
    N d. W

1761: Load lines for U.S. vessels are assigned by __________.

    N a. the U.S. Coast Guard
    Y b. the American Bureau of Shipping
    N c. Lloyd's Register of Shipping
    N d. the National Cargo Bureau

1941: The helm command "Left twenty" means __________.

    N a. change course twenty degrees to the left
    Y b. put the rudder left twenty degrees
    N c. put the rudder hard left for the first twenty degrees of swing
    N d. put the rudder left twenty degrees and then ease back as the vessel starts swinging

1963: What should you do to a line to prevent fraying where it passes over the side of the vessel?

    N a. Worm that part of the line.
    N b. Splice that part of the line.
    Y c. Cover it with chafing gear.
    N d. Install a cleat.

2031: Multi-year ice is the hardest sea ice and should be avoided if possible. It is recognizable because of what tone to its surface color?

    N a. Greenish
    Y b. Bluish
    N c. Grey
    N d. Grey-white

2063: A "spring line" is __________.

    N a. any wire rope used for mooring
    N b. a fire-warp
    Y c. a mooring line running diagonally to the keel
    N d. a mooring line perpendicular to the keel

2111: You are anchoring in 16 fathoms of water. On a small to medium size vessel, the __________.

    N a. anchor may be dropped from the hawsepipe
    Y b. anchor should be lowered to within 2 fathoms of the bottom before being dropped
    N c. scope should always be at least ten times the depth of the water
    N d. scope should always be less than 5 times the depth of the water

2282: Using the graph in illustration D008DG, if the dry bulb temperature is 77° and the wet bulb temperature is 69°, what is the relative humidity in a cargo hold? (D008DG )

    Y a. 67%
    N b. 70%
    N c. 77%
    N d. 81%

2354: What is the area of a circle with a diameter of 21 feet after a sector of 72° has been removed?

    Y a. 277.09 square ft.
    N b. 149.43 square ft.
    N c. 69.27 square ft.
    N d. 52.78 square ft.

2461: In writing up the logbook at the end of your watch, you make an error in writing an entry. What is the proper way of correcting this error?

    N a. Carefully and neatly erase the entry and rewrite it correctly.
    Y b. Cross out the error with a single line, write the correct entry, and initial it.
    N c. Blot out the error completely and rewrite the entry correctly.
    N d. Remove this page of the log book and rewrite all entries on a clean page.

2626: The "grip" of a joint represents the __________.

    Y a. thickness of the connected members
    N b. diameter of the head
    N c. entire length of the rivet
    N d. diameter of the shank

2774: There are basically three categories of water level fluctuations on the Great Lakes. What is NOT included as one of these?

    N a. Long range fluctuations
    Y b. Controlled outflow fluctuations
    N c. Seasonal fluctuations
    N d. Short period fluctuations

2928: How should you signal the crane operator to raise the boom and lower the load?

    N a. Extend arm with the palm down and hold this position rigidly.
    N b. Place both fists in front of your body with thumbs pointing toward each other.
    N c. Clasp hands in front of your body.
    Y d. Extend arm with the thumb pointing up, and flex the fingers in and out for as long as the load movement is desired.

2990: When cutting regular-lay wire rope, what is the minimum number of seizings to be placed on each side of the cut?

    N a. One
    N b. Two, and three on rope diameters over 1 inch
    Y c. Three, and more on larger diameter wire ropes
    N d. Four

3074: In securing a towing cable, consideration must be given to letting go in an emergency. The possible whip of towlines when released can be overcome by __________.

    N a. increasing the shaft RPM prior to release
    N b. using a pelican hook for quick release
    Y c. using preventers
    N d. using a short chain for the lead through the stern chock

3143: You are the person in charge of a 199 GRT uninspected towing vessel engaged in coastwise towing from the Gulf of Mexico to the New York area, a distance in excess of 600 miles. Which statement is FALSE?

    N a. The deckhands shall be divided into 3 watches.
    Y b. Certificates of Discharge are not required to be issued.
    N c. Able seamen are required in the deck crew.
    N d. All crew members shall have Merchant Mariner's Documents.

3210: A licensed Master of Towing Vessels may NOT serve as the person in charge of which towing vessel?

    N a. 99 GRT towing vessel operating on Chesapeake Bay
    N b. 199 GRT towing vessel operating in the Gulf of Alaska
    N c. 500 GRT towboat operating on the Western Rivers
    Y d. 349 GRT towing vessel operating between Florida and Puerto Rico

3232: The signal man assisting the crane operator has his arm extended with the palm down and holds this position rigidly. This is the signal to __________.

    N a. hoist
    N b. swing
    Y c. stop
    N d. lower

3309: Catenary as applied to tow lines denotes the __________.

    Y a. dip of the line
    N b. stretch of the line
    N c. strain on the line
    N d. length of the line

3394: The crown of the anchor shown is indicated by which letter? (D038DG )

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

3491: You are the licensed Master of a towing vessel operating between New York and Tampa, Florida. If you carry four (4) deckhands onboard, how many must be able seamen?

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

3652: You are lifting a one-ton weight with a swinging boom. When comparing the stresses in the rig with the boom at 20° to the horizontal to the stresses when the boom is at 60° to the horizontal, which statement is TRUE?

    N a. The stress on the topping lift is greater at 60°.
    N b. The thrust on the boom is greater at 20°.
    N c. The stress on the heel block is less at 20°.
    Y d. The stress on the masthead fairlead for the topping lift is greater at 20°.

3691: On the cargo manifest, the gross weight of a box containing cargo is the weight of the __________.

    N a. cargo
    N b. box
    Y c. cargo and box
    N d. rate weight

3692: What provides little or no indication that a vessel is dragging anchor?

    N a. Increasing radar range to a fixed object ahead
    Y b. Drift lead with the line leading perpendicular to the centerline
    N c. Vibrations felt by placing a hand on the anchor cable
    N d. Changing bearings to distant fixed objects abeam

3719: Besides saving distance along the track line, another advantage of the Scharnow Turn over the Williamson Turn in a man overboard situation is because __________.

    Y a. it is faster
    N b. it can be used in both the immediate action and the delayed action situations
    N c. in fog, if the turn is started as soon as the man goes over, the vessel will be at the point where he went over when the turn is completed
    N d. it returns the vessel to the original track line on a reciprocal course

4024: An icebreaker displaying a flag hoist which consists of the code letters "WO" (Whiskey Oscar) is indicating that __________.

    Y a. icebreaker support is finished
    N b. icebreaker support is commencing
    N c. the icebreaker is icebound
    N d. the icebreaker is beset

4049: Tugs sometimes shackle a length of chain in the towline in order to __________.

    N a. take the wear should the towline drag bottom
    N b. assure that if the towline is overstressed it will part close to the bridle
    N c. prevent the towline from whipping should it part
    Y d. put spring in the towline

4171: While loading or discharging vehicles, which is the most important safety consideration aboard a Ro-Ro vessel?

    Y a. Preventing the asphyxiation of personnel below decks
    N b. Notifying the engine room prior to completing operations
    N c. Calling out the deck department for all hands periodically
    N d. Ensuring that a fuel barge cannot come alongside

4231: The 30 ton capacity pedestal cranes shown in the illustration can lift a maximum weight of how many tons in the single mode? (D047DG )

    N a. 15 tons
    Y b. 30 tons
    N c. 60 tons
    N d. 120 tons

4259: Which statement is FALSE regarding the operation of a crane?

    N a. The crane jib is raised and lowered by the luffing winch.
    N b. The cargo block is raised and lowered by the hoisting winch.
    Y c. The cargo block is raised and lowered by the luffing winch.
    N d. None of the above

4272: Which action should be taken immediately by the operator of a pedestal crane, if crane control is lost?

    N a. Increase power to the crane to regain control.
    N b. Place control levers in opposite positions.
    Y c. Let go of both control levers and return to the neutral positions.
    N d. Check the circuit breakers.