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: "Stand" of the tide is that time when __________.
Y a. the vertical rise or fall of the tide has stopped N b. slack water occurs N c. tidal current is at a maximum N d. the actual depth of the water equals the charted depth 22: Charts showing the coast of Mexico are produced by the United States __________.
Y a. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency N b. Coast Guard N c. Naval Observatory N d. National Ocean Service 56: A strong, often violent, northerly wind occurring on the Pacific coast of Mexico, particularly during the colder months, is called __________.
Y a. Tehuantepecer N b. Papagayo N c. Norther N d. Pampero 74: When operated over a muddy bottom, a fathometer may indicate __________.
N a. a shallow depth reading N b. a zero depth reading N c. no depth reading Y d. two depth readings 91: A preferred-channel buoy will show a __________.
N a. white light whose characteristic is Morse (A) N b. group-occulting white light N c. composite group-flashing (2 + 1) white light Y d. composite group-flashing (2 + 1) red or green light 265: It is 1200 local time for an observer at 54°E longitude. Which statement is TRUE?
N a. It is afternoon at Greenwich. N b. It is midnight at 126°E longitude. Y c. The observer is in time zone -4. N d. All of the above are true. 286: On the pole side of the trade wind belt, there is an area of high pressure with weak pressure gradients and light, variable winds. This area is called the __________.
N a. prevailing westerlies N b. geostrophic winds N c. doldrums Y d. horse latitudes 323: The position accuracy of Loran-C degrades with increasing distance from the transmitting stations as __________.
N a. gains are made over the signal path Y b. a result of variation in propagation conditions N c. the frequency of the pulses increases N d. the stations shift pulses 400: Information about the currents for the Pacific Coast of the U. S. are found in the __________.
N a. Ocean Current Tables N b. Nautical Almanac N c. Tide Tables Y d. Tidal Current Tables 401: You are steaming in a westerly direction along the Gulf Coast. You see ahead of you a lighted buoy showing a red isophase light. Which action should you take?
Y a. Alter course to port and leave the buoy to starboard. N b. Alter course to starboard and leave the buoy to port. N c. Alter course and leave the buoy near by on either side. N d. Alter course and pass the buoy well-off on either side. 457: Find the height of the tide at Port Wentworth, GA, on 5 October 1983, at 1840 DST (ZD +4).
N a. 3.0 feet N b. 3.5 feet N c. 4.0 feet Y d. 4.4 feet 465: When applying a dip correction to the sighted sextant angle (hs), you always subtract the dip because you are correcting __________.
N a. hs to the visible horizon Y b. hs to the sensible horizon N c. hs to the celestial horizon N d. Ho to the celestial horizon 510: Which aid is NOT marked on a chart with a magenta circle?
Y a. Aero light N b. Radar station N c. Radar transponder beacon N d. Radio beacon 516: A hurricane moving northeast out of the Gulf passes west of your position. You could expect all of the following EXCEPT __________.
N a. higher than normal swells N b. high winds N c. winds veering from south, through west, to northwest Y d. gradual pressure gradient 582: Distance along a track line is measured on a Mercator chart by using the __________.
Y a. latitude scale near the middle of the track line N b. longitude scale near the middle of the track line N c. latitude scale at the mid-latitude of the chart N d. latitude or longitude scale at the middle of the scale 671: You sight a buoy fitted with a double-sphere topmark. If sighted at night, this buoy would show a __________.
N a. quick-flashing red light N b. quick-flashing green light Y c. flashing white light showing a group of two flashes N d. flashing red light showing a group of three flashes 687: The drift and set of tidal, river, and ocean currents refer to the __________.
N a. position and area of the current Y b. speed and direction toward which the current flows N c. type and characteristic of the current's flow N d. None of the above 751: Under the IALA Buoyage Systems, a yellow buoy may mark __________.
N a. fish net areas N b. spoil areas N c. military exercise zones Y d. All of the above 840: Which position includes the effects of wind and current?
Y a. Estimated position N b. Set position N c. Leeway position N d. Dead reckoning position 866: Anticyclones are usually characterized by __________.
Y a. dry, fair weather N b. high winds and cloudiness N c. gustiness and continuous precipitation N d. overcast skies 950: Where is the dangerous semicircle located on a hurricane in the Southern Hemisphere?
Y a. To the left of the storm's track N b. To the right of the storm's track N c. In the high pressure area N d. On the south side 959: What is the index error of sextant B in illustration D050NG? (D050NG )
N a. 0'30" off the arc N b. 1'00" off the arc Y c. 3'30" off the arc N d. 1'30" on the arc 1032: What is the approximate geographic range of Point Judith Light, Rhode Island, if your height of eye is 62 feet (18.9 meters)? Refer to "Reprints from the LIGHT LISTS AND COAST PILOTS" .
N a. 9.6 nm N b. 16.5 nm Y c. 18.6 nm N d. 20.7 nm 1093: The Flinders bar on a magnetic compass compensates for the __________.
Y a. induced magnetism in vertical soft iron N b. induced magnetism in horizontal soft iron N c. permanent magnetism in ship's steel N d. vessel's inclination from the vertical 1113: A single vertical magnet placed underneath the compass in the binnacle is used to compensate for __________.
N a. the horizontal component of the permanent magnetism Y b. deviation caused by the vessel's inclination from the vertical N c. induced magnetism in the horizontal soft iron N d. induced magnetism in the vertical soft iron 1200: You want to transit Pollock Rip Channel, MA, on 6 April 1983. What is the period of time around the 0955 (ZD +5) slack in which the current does not exceed 0.3 knot?
N a. 0911 to 0955 N b. 0940 to 1010 N c. 0955 to 1044 Y d. 0935 to 1017 1289: A body can only be observed at lower transit when __________.
N a. the declination is the opposite name to the latitude N b. the algebraic sum of the colatitude and declination exceeds 90° N c. the observer is in high latitudes above either polar circle Y d. the body is circumpolar 1306: What type of clouds are associated with a cold front?
N a. Altostratus and fracto-cumulus N b. Altostratus and cirrus N c. Cirrus and cirrostratus Y d. Cumulus and cumulonimbus 1314: The Illustration shows the symbols used on radio facsimile weather charts. Which of these symbols indicates hail? (D042NG )
N a. N Y b. H N c. Q N d. F 1321: A lighthouse can be identified by its __________.
N a. painted color N b. light color and phase characteristic N c. type of structure Y d. All of the above 1330: You are located within a stationary high pressure area. Your aneroid barometer is falling very slowly. This indicates a(n) __________.
N a. wind shift of 180° N b. large increase in wind velocity Y c. decrease in the pressure of the system N d. increase in the intensity of the system 1350: You are running parallel to the coast and plotting running fixes using bearings of the same object. You are making more speed than assumed for the running fix. In relation to the position indicated by the fix you will be __________.
N a. closer to the coast Y b. farther from the coast N c. on the track line ahead of the fix N d. on the track line behind the fix 1367: You want to transit Hell Gate, NY on 23 July 1983. What is the period of time around the AM (ZD +4) slack before ebb when the current will be less than 0.3 knot?
N a. 0939 to 0957 Y b. 0943 to 0953 N c. 0844 to 0852 N d. 0348 to 0356 1383: The spin axis of a gyroscope tends to remain fixed in space in the direction in which it is started. How does this gyroscope become north seeking so that it can be used as a compass?
Y a. By mechanically or electrically applying forces to precess the gyroscope N b. By starting the compass with the spin axis in a north/south position N c. By taking advantage of the property of gyroscopic inertia N d. The rotation of the Earth (Earth rate) automatically aligns the gyroscope with north, except for speed errors 1414: You are planning a voyage from New York to Norway via the English Channel. Which publication contains information on the dangers to navigation in the English Channel?
N a. Channel Pilot's Guide N b. World Port Index N c. Coast Pilot Y d. Sailing Directions (Enroute) 1429: A celestial body will cross the prime vertical circle when the latitude is numerically __________.
Y a. greater than the declination and both are of the same name N b. less than the declination and both are of the same name N c. greater than the declination and both are of contrary name N d. less than the declination and both are of contrary name 1468: What is NOT an advantage of the rhumb line track over a great circle track?
N a. Easily plotted on a Mercator chart N b. Negligible increase in distance on east-west courses near the equator N c. Does not require constant course changes Y d. Plots as a straight line on Lambert conformal charts 1530: In shallow water, waves that are too steep to be stable, causing the crests to move forward faster than the rest of the wave, are called __________.
N a. rollers Y b. breakers N c. white caps N d. surfers 1588: The letter D in illustration D006NG represents the __________.
Y a. geometrical horizon N b. geoidal horizon N c. celestial horizon N d. visible horizon 1603: A position that is obtained by using two or more intersecting lines of position, taken at nearly the same time, is a(n) __________.
N a. estimated position Y b. fix N c. running fix N d. dead-reckoning position 1641: The low, dark, sheet-like cloud which is associated with continuous precipitation for many hours is a __________.
N a. cirrus cloud N b. cumulus cloud N c. cumulonimbus cloud Y d. nimbostratus cloud 1770: A Doppler speed log indicates speed over ground __________.
N a. at all times Y b. in the bottom return mode N c. in the volume reverberation mode N d. only when there is no current 1788: You can follow the approach of a dangerous cyclonic storm by inspecting __________.
N a. the Coast Pilot or Sailing Directions N b. the National Weather Service Observing Handbook No.1, Marine Surface Observations Y c. a weather forecast N d. the sky overhead 1807: Which weather system produces strong cold winds called "Northers" during the winter months in the Gulf of Mexico?
N a. A polar maritime air mass Y b. A high pressure system N c. A cyclone N d. A low pressure system 1874: Lighted white and orange buoys must show which color light?
N a. Orange N b. Red N c. Alternating yellow and white Y d. White 1946: When making landfall at night, you can determine if a light is a major light or an offshore buoy by __________.
N a. the intensity of the light Y b. checking the period and characteristics against the Light List N c. the color, because the buoy will have only a red or a green light N d. Any of the above can be used to identify the light. 2007: Information about the direction and velocity of rotary tidal currents is found in the __________.
N a. Mariner's Guide Y b. Tidal Current Tables N c. Nautical Almanac N d. Tide Tables 2060: What is the relative bearing of an object broad on the starboard quarter?
N a. 045° N b. 090° Y c. 135° N d. 225° 2113: Vessels regularly navigating rivers above Cairo, Illinois, shall at all times have on board a copy of __________.
Y a. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulations (Blue Book) N b. Nautical Almanac for the year N c. Sailing Directions N d. Light List Vol. V 2115: Vessels regularly navigating rivers above Cairo, Illinois, shall at all times have on board a copy of __________.
Y a. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulations (Blue Book) N b. Light List Vol. V N c. U.S. Coast Pilot N d. None of the above 2308: The points where the Sun is at 0° declination are known as __________.
N a. solstices Y b. equinoxes N c. perigee N d. apogee 2352: When a superior planet is at 90° elongation, it is also at __________.
N a. conjunction N b. opposition Y c. quadrature N d. transit 2424: Under the IALA-B Buoyage System, when entering from seaward a lateral system buoy to be left to starboard may display which of the topmarks shown? (D046NG )
Y a. A N b. B N c. C N d. D 2540: The distance between any two meridians measured along a parallel of latitude and expressed in miles is the __________.
N a. difference in longitude N b. mid-longitude Y c. departure N d. meridian angle 2574: What is the equivalent of 2°52' in time units?
N a. 9 min. 23 sec. Y b. 11 min. 28 sec. N c. 11 min. 56 sec. N d. 12 min. 18 sec. 2610: A line on the Earth parallel to the equator is a __________.
N a. gnomonic curve Y b. small circle N c. meridian N d. great circle 2700: In the horizon system of coordinates what is equivalent to the meridian angle of the celestial equator system?
Y a. Azimuth angle N b. Zenith distance N c. Colatitude N d. Altitude 2718: A power-driven vessel operating in a narrow channel with a following current, on the Western Rivers, is meeting an upbound vessel. Which statement is TRUE?
N a. The downbound vessel has the right-of-way. N b. The downbound vessel must initiate the required maneuvering signals. N c. The downbound vessel must propose the manner and place of passage. Y d. All of the above 2777: A sailing chart could have a scale of __________.
N a. not more than 1:25,000 N b. 1:35,000 N c. 1:100,000 Y d. 1:700,000 3029: On 13 November 1981 you observe a back sight of the upper limb of the Moon. The sextant altitude (hs) is 110°31.2'. The height of eye is 46 feet and the index error is 2.0' on the arc. The horizontal parallax is 61.3'. What is the observed altitude (Ho)?
N a. 70°11.8' Y b. 69°41.8' N c. 69°25.6' N d. 69°18.4'