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.
87: A tide is called diurnal when __________.
Y a. only one high and one low water occur during a lunar day N b. the high tide is higher and the low tide is lower than usual N c. the high tide and low tide are exactly six hours apart N d. two high tides occur during a lunar day 144: In modern fathometers the sonic or ultrasonic sound waves are produced electrically by means of a(n) __________.
N a. transmitter Y b. transducer N c. transceiver N d. amplifier 206: The winds you would expect to encounter in the North Atlantic between latitudes 5° and 30° are known as the __________.
N a. doldrums N b. westerlies Y c. trades N d. easterlies 276: The region of high pressure extending around the Earth at about 35°N latitude is called the __________.
N a. prevailing westerlies Y b. horse latitudes N c. troposphere N d. doldrums 278: You are underway on course 050°T and your maximum speed is 11 knots. The eye of a hurricane bears 070°T, 80 miles from your position. The hurricane is moving towards 270°T at 19 knots. If you maneuver at 11 knots to avoid the hurricane, what could be the maximum CPA?
N a. 84 miles N b. 79 miles N c. 74 miles Y d. 66 miles 327: When daylight savings time is kept the times of tide and current calculations must be adjusted. One way of doing this is to __________.
N a. subtract one hour from the times listed under the reference stations Y b. add one hour to the times listed under the reference stations N c. apply no correction, as the times in the reference stations are adjusted for daylight savings time N d. add 15° to the standard meridian when calculating the time difference 341: Buoys which only mark the left or right side of the channel will never exhibit a light with which characteristic?
N a. Flashing N b. Quick flashing Y c. Composite group flashing N d. Equal interval (isophase) 416: A ship is on course 195° at a speed of 15 knots. The apparent wind is from 40° on the port bow, speed 30 knots. The direction and speed of the true wind are __________.
N a. 068°T, 30 knots Y b. 127°T, 21 knots N c. 263°T, 42 knots N d. 292°T, 42 knots 460: When using horizontal sextant angles of three objects to fix your position, an indeterminate position will result in which situation?
N a. The objects lie in a straight line. N b. The vessel is inside of a triangle formed by the objects. N c. The vessel is outside of a triangle formed by the objects. Y d. A circle will pass through your position and the three objects. 529: In some river mouths and estuaries the incoming high-tide wave crest overtakes the preceding low-tide trough. This results in a wall of water proceeding upstream, and is called a __________.
N a. seiche Y b. bore N c. boundary wave N d. surge 533: You are using a radar in which your own ship is shown at the center, and the heading flash always points to 0°. If bearings are measured in relation to the flash, what type of bearings are produced?
Y a. Relative N b. True N c. Compass N d. Magnetic 579: Low pressure disturbances, which travel along the intertropical convergence zone, are called __________.
N a. permanent waves N b. tidal waves Y c. tropical waves N d. tropical storms 591: White lights may be found on __________.
N a. special purpose buoys N b. preferred channel buoys Y c. information and regulatory buoys N d. numbered buoys 610: The apparent wind's speed can be zero, but only when two conditions are present. One condition is that the true wind __________.
N a. must be from dead ahead N b. speed must be zero Y c. must be from dead astern N d. must be on the beam 649: You are on course 226°T. In order to check the latitude of your vessel, you should observe a celestial body on which bearing?
N a. 226° N b. 270° Y c. 000° N d. 026° 683: A radar contact will remain stationary on a relative motion radar display only when it is __________.
N a. on the same course as your vessel N b. at the same speed as your vessel Y c. on the same course and speed as your vessel N d. on a reciprocal course at the same speed as your vessel 689: What is the index error of sextant C? (D050NG )
Y a. 0'20" on the arc N b. 1'00" on the arc N c. 2'00" on the arc N d. 5'10" on the arc 733: What would give the best radar echo?
N a. The beam of a three masted sailing vessel with all sails set. N b. A 110-foot fishing vessel with a radar reflector in its rigging. N c. A 300-foot tanker, bow on. Y d. A 600-foot freighter, beam on. 744: A hand held instrument used to measure distances between objects and the ship is a __________.
N a. vernier N b. psychrometer N c. hygrometer Y d. stadimeter 803: Which buoy will NOT display white retroreflective material?
N a. Safe water mark N b. Isolated danger mark Y c. Preferred channel mark N d. Daymark of no lateral significance 845: During one synodic rotation, a body makes one complete turn relative to the __________.
N a. Earth Y b. Sun N c. stars N d. vernal equinox 873: Compass error is equal to the __________.
N a. deviation minus variation N b. variation plus compass course Y c. combined variation and deviation N d. difference between true and magnetic heading 875: Sidereal hour angle is always __________.
N a. measured westward from the hour circle containing the first point of Aries N b. measured from the point on the celestial sphere occupied by the Sun at the vernal equinox N c. subtracted from the LHA of the star to obtain the LHA of Aries Y d. All of the above 1002: What publication contains information about the port facilities in Cadiz, Spain?
Y a. World Port Index N b. United States Coast Pilot N c. Nautical Index N d. Sailing Directions 1134: The Earth's irregular heating is caused by __________.
N a. the time of day N b. the seasons N c. geography Y d. All of the above 1175: Solid green arrows on the main body of a pilot chart indicate __________.
N a. prevailing wind directions Y b. prevailing ocean current directions N c. probable surface current flow N d. shortest great circle routes 1285: You are enroute to assist vessel A. Vessel A is underway at 5.5 knots on course 033°T, and bears 248°T at 64 miles from you. What is the time to intercept if you make 13 knots?
N a. 4h 55m N b. 4h 36m N c. 3h 59m Y d. 3h 44m 1364: The Sailing Directions are published in the Enroute format and the __________.
N a. Coastal editions N b. World Port Index N c. Pilot format Y d. Planning Guide 1413: The gyrocompass error resulting from your vessel's movement in OTHER than an east-west direction is called __________.
N a. damping error N b. ballistic deflection N c. quadrantal error Y d. speed error 1508: A line of position is __________.
N a. a line connecting two charted objects Y b. a line on some point of which the vessel may be presumed to be located N c. the position of your vessel N d. not used in a running fix 1521: To avoid error you should read the scale of an aneroid barometer with your eye placed __________.
N a. to the right of the pointer N b. to the left of the pointer Y c. directly in front of the pointer N d. slightly above the meniscus 1541: You are preparing a weather report form, WS Form B-80. Your position is LAT 49°35'N, LONG 162°49'E. How would this be encoded? (D041NG )
Y a. 99496, 11628 N b. 94935, 96249 N c. L4935, 16249 N d. L496N, 1628E 1547: Which light combination does NOT indicate a navigational channel passing under a fixed bridge?
Y a. Red lights on the LDB and green lights on the RDB N b. Three white lights in a vertical line N c. Two green lights in a range under the span N d. A fixed red light on each pier at the channel edge 1569: Three or four feet of the total height of a storm surge in a hurricane can be attributed to __________.
N a. an increase in temperature N b. an increase in the wave period N c. the wind velocity Y d. the decrease in atmospheric pressure 1587: In general, the most effective period for observing stars and planets occurs during the darker limit of __________.
N a. sunset Y b. civil twilight N c. nautical twilight N d. astronomical twilight 1602: Most modern Loran-C receivers automatically detect secondary station blink which __________.
N a. indicates the station is transmitting normally N b. automatically shuts down the receiver Y c. triggers alarm indicators to warn the operator N d. causes the receiver to shift automatically to another Loran chain 1642: Which type of cloud formation should be of immediate concern to small craft operators?
N a. cirrus N b. altostratus N c. nimbostratus Y d. cumulonimbus 1763: Weather patterns in the Gulf Coast area of the United States are __________.
Y a. those of a transition zone between tropical and a temperate area N b. those of a tropical region N c. extremely hot in summer N d. tropical over Florida and subtropical over the rest of the Gulf Coast area 1869: The illustration represents a fixed C of E lock and dam. What navigational light(s) is(are) exhibited at the position indicated by the letter B in the illustration? (D036NG )
N a. One red light N b. Two green lights N c. Three green lights Y d. No light 1909: In the horizon system of coordinates what is equivalent to the equator on the Earth?
N a. Prime vertical circle N b. Principal vertical circle N c. Parallels of altitude Y d. Horizon 2048: You are upbound approaching a lock and dam and see two green lights in a vertical line. This indicates __________.
Y a. the downstream end of an intermediate wall N b. that a double lockage is in progress N c. the downstream end of the land wall N d. the navigable pass of a fixed weir dam 2078: If a towboat requires a double lockage it shall give which sound signal at a distance of not more than one mile from the lock?
N a. One short blast followed by two long blasts N b. One long blast followed by one short blast N c. Two long blasts followed by one short blast Y d. One long blast followed by two short blasts 2116: Vessels regularly navigating rivers above Cairo, Illinois, shall at all times have on board a copy of the __________.
N a. Nautical Almanac for the year Y b. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulations (Blue Book) N c. Sailing Directions N d. All of the above 2189: A vessel is heading magnetic north and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 003°. What action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?
N a. If the blue ends are to port and the athwartships tray is at the bottom, you should add some more magnets. N b. If the blue ends are to port and the athwartships tray is at the top, you should add some more magnets. N c. If the red ends are to port, you should lower the athwartships tray. Y d. If the red ends are to port and the tray is at the bottom, you should raise the tray. 2190: Clouds are classified according to their __________.
N a. size N b. moisture content Y c. altitude and how they were formed N d. location in a front 2202: You have completed the magnetic compass adjustments on magnetic east and magnetic south. The vessel is now steady on magnetic west but the compass reads 276°. What action should be taken?
N a. Adjust the compass with the athwartships magnets until the compass reads 264°. Y b. Adjust the compass with the fore-and-aft magnets until the compass reads 273°. N c. Adjust the compass with the quadrantal spheres until the compass reads 270°. N d. Adjust the compass with the athwartships magnets until the compass reads 273°. 2222: By convention, the south pole of a magnet is painted __________.
N a. red Y b. blue N c. white N d. black 2306: In the North Sea area, you sight a buoy showing a quick white light with 9 flashes every 15 seconds. Which of the four topmarks shown would be fitted to the buoy? (D031NG )
Y a. A N b. B N c. C N d. D 2370: In the United States, short-range radio navigational warnings are broadcast by the __________.
Y a. Coast Guard N b. Corps of Engineers N c. NOAA N d. harbor master of the nearest port 2442: You have completed the magnetic compass adjustments on magnetic east and magnetic south. The vessel is now steady on magnetic north but the compass reads 004°. You should now adjust the compass until it reads __________.
N a. 356° N b. 358° N c. 000° Y d. 002° 2472: The Sun is closest to the Earth in what month?
N a. October N b. July N c. April Y d. January 2505: At the approaches to Savannah, GA, with the wind coming out of the west, the wind-driven current will be flowing approximately __________.
N a. 280° N b. 260° N c. 100° Y d. 080° 2509: All persons or vessels within the lock area, including the lock approach channels, come under the authority of the __________.
N a. dockmaster N b. dock captain Y c. lockmaster N d. lock foreman 2658: You must draw a plotting sheet covering latitudes 45°N to 49°N and longitudes 179°E to 178°W. If the distance between each degree of longitude is 5 3/4 inches, what is the distance between latitude 45°N and latitude 49°N?
N a. 33.1 inches N b. 33.3 inches Y c. 33.6 inches N d. 33.9 inches 2662: You must construct a Mercator plotting sheet on a piece of paper measuring 24" by 28". The area includes latitude 37°S to 42°S and longitude 175°E to 179°W. Allow a one inch neat line on all sides. What is the maximum distance between each degree of longitude that will permit the area of the plotting sheet to be drawn within the stated limitations?
N a. 3.33 inches N b. 3.41 inches Y c. 3.67 inches N d. 3.82 inches 2858: While navigating in fog off a coastline of steep cliffs, you hear the echo of the ships fog horn 2 1/2 seconds after the signal was sounded. What is the distance to the shore?
N a. 225 yards Y b. 460 yards N c. 750 yards N d. 910 yards 2923: You should plot your dead reckoning position __________.
N a. from every estimated position Y b. from every fix or running fix N c. every three minutes in pilotage waters N d. only in pilotage waters 2969: A red triangular daymark marks __________.
N a. the centerline of a navigable channel Y b. the starboard side of a channel N c. a prominent object of navigational interest that has no lateral significance N d. an area of a channel where passing another vessel is permitted 3079: With respect to failure warnings and status indications, GPS receivers should provide, at a minimum, __________.
N a. an indication within 5 seconds if the specified HDOP has been exceeded N b. a warning of loss of position N c. a differential GPS status indication of the receipt of DGPS signals Y d. All of the above 3124: Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding automatic identification systems (AIS)?
Y a. AIS is a short-range VHF-FM system that automatically broadcasts a vessel's position, course, speed and other safety related information to all those with similar equipment in the area. N b. AIS is a one-way centrally managed system that requires the local VTS to send commands to instruct each vessel to broadcast position, course, speed and other safety related information to all those with similar equipment in the area. N c. AIS is a global tracking system that relies upon INMARSAT C service to communicate vessel position, course, speed and other safety related information to all those with similar equipment in the area. N d. AIS is a short-range 3 cm X-band radar system that automatically sends a vessel's position, course, speed and other safety related information to all those with similar equipment within the area.