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.


69: Ullages are measured from __________.


109: What is meant by "thieving" a petroleum cargo?


166: The distance gained in the direction of the original course when you are making a turn is known as __________.


201: Your vessel is in a foreign port and you find that one of the crew members has been incarcerated for drunkenness. The Official Logbook shows that the seaman doesn't have funds to cover the costs of the fine. Which action should the Master take?

    N a. Inventory his gear and send it and a pay voucher ashore with the agent.
    N b. Leave the seaman in jail and log him as a fail to join after the vessel sails.
    N c. Leave the seaman in jail and log him as a deserter after the vessel sails.
    Y d. Pay the seaman's fine.

287: On the cargo manifest, the weight of the cargo inside a box is called __________.

    N a. gross weight
    Y b. net weight
    N c. light weight
    N d. rate weight

304: To warp a vessel means to __________.

    N a. anchor the vessel
    N b. bring the head into the wind
    N c. clean the decks
    Y d. move the vessel by hauling on lines

305: What is considered a Serious Marine Incident?

    N a. an allision that results in $500 damage to a boat dock
    Y b. an injury to a crewmember, passenger, or other person which requires professional medical treatment beyond first aid
    N c. grounding of a vessel on a sandbar that does not result in injuries and/or any damage to the vessel
    N d. None of the above

376: You are aboard a right-handed single-screw vessel with headway on. The engine is put full astern and the rudder hard left. What will the bow do?

    N a. It will swing to the left, and will swing left faster as the vessel loses way.
    Y b. It will swing to the left, straighten out and then swing to the right as the vessel loses way.
    N c. It will swing to the left without increasing or decreasing its swing.
    N d. The bow will swing to the right.

444: A metal object on the pier resembling a tree stump and made to receive mooring lines is a __________.

    N a. bight
    Y b. bollard
    N c. chock
    N d. camel

537: Which type of hook can be used as a towing hook?

    N a. Standard towing hooks
    N b. Spring-loaded towing hooks
    N c. Pelican hooks
    Y d. All of the above

548: Using the graph shown, if the dry bulb temperature is 55°F (13°C) and the wet bulb is 50°F (10°C), what is the relative humidity? (D008DG )

    N a. 55%
    Y b. 70%
    N c. 75%
    N d. 82%

569: In order to reduce the accumulation of static electricity while loading petroleum products, you should __________.

    N a. start to load at maximum pressure
    Y b. start to load slowly
    N c. increase the air flow into the tank
    N d. use the overall method of loading only

579: The terminal indicates to you that they are going to use a booster pump to assist the discharging operation. You start the discharge, and in a few minutes the pressure drops sharply. This could be a result of the __________.

    Y a. booster pump coming on the line and discharging properly
    N b. booster pump failing to start
    N c. booster pump being lined up in the wrong direction
    N d. ship's pump speeding up

711: If an alien stowaway is discovered aboard your vessel, his name must be placed on the __________.

    N a. Alien Crew List
    N b. Crew List
    N c. Passenger List
    Y d. separate Passenger List marked stowaways

738: How many board feet of dunnage are there in a draft 3 feet wide, 1-1/2 feet high, and 14 feet long?

    N a. 526
    Y b. 756
    N c. 876
    N d. 906

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

770: The ratio of the height of a vessel's rudder to its width is referred to as the __________.

    Y a. aspect ratio
    N b. constriction ratio
    N c. rudder ratio
    N d. steering ratio

786: You are on a single-screw vessel with a right-handed propeller, and you are making headway. When you enter shallow water, __________.

    N a. you will have better rudder response
    N b. your speed will increase without a change in your throttle
    Y c. your rudder response will become sluggish
    N d. your vessel will tend to ride higher

789: Which statement about a centrifugal cargo pump is TRUE?

    N a. It is a positive displacement pump.
    Y b. It must have a positive suction.
    N c. Increasing rotation speed will decrease discharge pressure.
    N d. All of the above

898: You must load as much of a large shipment of case goods as possible into a hold which has 24,000 cubic feet of space. Each case measures 2 feet by 2-1/2 feet by 4 feet and weights 448 pounds. If you allow for broken stowage of 15%, how many long tons can be loaded?

    N a. 280
    N b. 233
    Y c. 204
    N d. 190

1153: What affect does shallow water have on a vessel's stopping distance?

    N a. The stopping distance is shorter.
    Y b. The stopping distance is longer.
    N c. There is no difference in the stopping distance.
    N d. The propeller is more effective when going astern in shallow water.

1252: Control of flooding should be addressed __________.

    N a. first
    Y b. following control of fire
    N c. following restoration of vital services
    N d. only if a threat exists

1389: A band or collar on the top end of a boom to which the topping lift, midships guy, and outboard guys are secured, is called the __________.

    N a. collar band
    N b. guy band
    N c. pad eye collar
    Y d. spider band

1477: Under the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act of 1936, a vessel will be liable for damage to a cargo when the damage arises out of __________.

    N a. delays due to seizure of the vessel
    N b. fire caused by fault of the carrier
    N c. strikes or lockouts
    Y d. improper stowage

1508: While towing, sudden shock-loading caused during heavy weather can be reduced by __________.

    N a. using a short tow hawser
    N b. using a nonelastic type hawser
    Y c. using a heavier hawser
    N d. decreasing the catenary in the hawser

1576: Using a scope of five, determine how many shots of chain you should put out to anchor in 5 fathoms of water?

    N a. 1
    Y b. 2
    N c. 3
    N d. 5

1605: The pivoting point of a vessel going ahead is __________.

    N a. near the stern
    N b. about two-thirds of the vessel's length from the bow
    N c. at the hawsepipe
    Y d. about one-third of the vessel's length from the bow

1615: A towing vessel should be on the crest of a wave at the same time as its tow and in the trough at the same time. The term used to describe this is __________.

    N a. tow strain
    N b. catenary length
    Y c. being in step
    N d. Williamson's Tow

1683: "Herringbone" is a term associated with __________.

    N a. anchoring
    N b. mooring
    Y c. sewing
    N d. splicing

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

1801: A vessel proceeding to London, England, from New York makes an unscheduled call at the port of Hamilton, Bermuda. What term is used to denote the voluntary departure from the usual course?

    N a. Alteration
    Y b. Deviation
    N c. Liberty
    N d. Unscheduled stop

1816: Which picture shown represents a square knot? (DO30DG )

    Y a. W
    N b. R
    N c. P
    N d. H

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

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.

1982: You are using tackle number 8 to lift a weight of 100 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. 120 lbs.
    N b. 55 lbs.
    Y c. 40 lbs.
    N d. 37 lbs.

2054: What is the name of the mark indicated by the letter B in the diagram? (D003DG )

    N a. Timber summer load line
    Y b. Tropical fresh water load line
    N c. Tropical load line
    N d. Summer load line

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°

2145: The fo'c'sle card __________.

    N a. is posted in the crews quarters and lists the emergency stations
    Y b. advises the crew of the conditions of employment
    N c. is also known as a Merchant Mariner's Document
    N d. designates the quarters a seaman will occupy during a voyage

2198: You are conducting trials to determine the maneuvering characteristics of your vessel. While making a turn, you take ranges and bearings of an isolated light with the results as shown. Based on this information, what is the transfer for a turn of 90°? (D034DG )

    N a. 355 yards
    Y b. 380 yards
    N c. 410 yards
    N d. 455 yards

2246: Cargoes that might leak from containers are known as __________.

    N a. dirty cargoes
    N b. caustic cargoes
    Y c. wet cargoes
    N d. bulk cargoes

2350: A temporary wire eye splice made with three wire rope clamps will hold approximately what percentage of the total rope strength?

    N a. 20%
    N b. 50%
    Y c. 80%
    N d. 99%

2494: The major components which determine the length of a catenary in a deployed anchor cable are water depth, cable weight, and __________.

    Y a. cable tension
    N b. water temperature
    N c. bottom conditions
    N d. water density

2601: To determine the number of inflatable liferafts required on a vessel, you should check the __________.

    N a. Load Line Certificate
    N b. SOLAS Certificate
    N c. Stability Letter
    Y d. Certificate of Inspection

2798: The primary purpose of the stud is to prevent the anchor chain from __________.

    Y a. kinking
    N b. distorting
    N c. elongating
    N d. breaking

2810: Which document lists all the lifesaving equipment required for a vessel?

    Y a. Certificate of Inspection
    N b. American Bureau of Shipping Classification Certificate
    N c. International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea Certificate
    N d. Certificate of Registry

2859: An icebreaker assisting a vessel through an ice field would display a visual signal consisting of the code letter "M" (Mike) to signify that "________________".

    N a. I am altering my course to starboard
    N b. I am altering my course to port
    N c. I am operating astern propulsion
    Y d. my vessel is stopped and making no way through the water

2926: Many sheath-screw davits have markings to indicate the maximum angle to which they should be cranked out. If the angle is exceeded, the davit __________.

    N a. may jam against the stops
    N b. will not automatically position the boat at the embarkation station
    Y c. screw may come out of the sheath
    N d. will chafe against the falls and may cause their failure

2952: Spontaneous heating of coal rapidly accelerates at the approximate minimum temperature of __________.

    N a. 88°F
    Y b. 100°F
    N c. 111°F
    N d. 119°F

3000: The pipe used to connect two separate piping systems on a tank vessel is known as a __________.

    Y a. crossover
    N b. transfer
    N c. connection
    N d. junction

3140: If the Certificate of Inspection of a damaged tank barge has expired, which certificate may be issued to allow its movement to a repair facility?

    N a. Change of employment
    Y b. Permit to proceed
    N c. Application for inspection
    N d. Temporary Certificate of Inspection

3172: The signal man assisting the crane operator has his hands clasped in front of his body. This is the signal to __________.

    Y a. dog everything
    N b. stop
    N c. stand-by
    N d. prepare for signal

3176: The part of the anchor indicated by the letter G is the __________. (D038DG )

    N a. fluke
    N b. shank
    Y c. tripping palm
    N d. crown

3204: What term indicates the immersed body of the vessel forward of the parallel mid-body?

    N a. Run
    N b. Flare
    Y c. Entrance
    N d. Sheer

3342: Which term refers to a transverse curvature of the deck?

    N a. Deadrise
    Y b. Camber
    N c. Freeboard
    N d. Flare

3372: The lead of a tow bridle is usually redirected with a __________.

    N a. bollard
    Y b. chock
    N c. pad eye
    N d. devil's claw

3392: What term indicates the midships portion of a vessel that has a constant cross section?

    N a. Half length
    N b. Amidships
    Y c. Middle body
    N d. Molded length

3662: Unless extremely flexible wire rope is used, the sheave diameter should always be as large as possible, but should never be less than __________.

    Y a. 20 times the rope diameter
    N b. 10 times the rope diameter
    N c. 2 times the rope diameter
    N d. the rope diameter

3722: The next-to-last shot of an anchor cable is usually painted __________.

    N a. white
    N b. international orange
    Y c. yellow
    N d. red

4222: What does item "C" refer to in this illustration of a 30-ton pedestal crane? (D045DG )

    N a. Equalizing beam
    N b. Hoist fall spreader
    Y c. Rider block
    N d. Block/hook assembly

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