USCG General Navigation: 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.


52: The reference datum used in determining the heights of land features on most charts is __________.


131: A vertically-striped buoy may be __________.


136: Which Beaufort force indicates a wind speed of 65 knots?


180: What is a lighted safe water mark fitted with to aid in its identification?

    Y a. A spherical topmark
    N b. Red and white retroreflective material
    N c. A sequential number
    N d. A red and white octagon

232: Which statement concerning the chartlet is TRUE? (Soundings and heights are in meters) (D010NG )

    N a. Maury lightship is visible for 17 miles.
    N b. The bottom to the south-southeast of the lightship is soft coral.
    N c. There is a 12-meter deep west of Beito Island and inside the 5-meter line.
    Y d. There is a dangerous eddy southeast of Beito Island.

261: You are heading out to sea in a buoyed channel and see a quick-flashing green light on a buoy ahead of you. In U.S. waters, you should leave the buoy __________.

    N a. well clear on either side
    N b. about 50 yards off on either side
    N c. to port
    Y d. to starboard

360: The Illustration shows the symbols used on radio facsimile weather charts. The symbol indicated at letter "M" represents __________. (D042NG )

    N a. rain
    Y b. snow
    N c. hail
    N d. ice

426: The wind speed and direction observed from a moving vessel is known as __________.

    N a. coordinate wind
    N b. true wind
    Y c. apparent wind
    N d. anemometer wind

462: For what purpose would using a Lambert conformal chart be more convenient than using a Mercator?

    Y a. Plotting radio bearings over a long distance
    N b. Determining latitude and longitude of a fix
    N c. Measuring rhumb line distances
    N d. Measuring rhumb line directions

470: You are underway on course 120°T and can make 12 knots. The eye of a hurricane bears 150°T at 120 miles. The hurricane is on course 295° at 20 knots. What course should you steer at 12 knots to have the maximum CPA?

    N a. 312°
    N b. 330°
    Y c. 348°
    N d. 001°

580: On 21 January 1981, you observe a back sight of the Sun's lower limb. The sextant altitude (hs) is 121°31.5'. The index error is 2.5' on the arc. The height of eye is 31 feet (9.3 meters). What is the observed altitude (Ho)?

    N a. 31°06.2'
    Y b. 58°53.1'
    N c. 58°12.2'
    N d. 58°03.2'

685: Thirty-two meters equals __________.

    N a. 17.50 feet
    N b. 58.52 feet
    N c. 96.00 feet
    Y d. 104.99 feet

766: Which position includes the effects of wind and current?

    N a. Dead reckoning position
    N b. Leeway position
    N c. Set position
    Y d. Estimated position

801: You are entering an African port and see ahead of you a red can-shaped buoy. What action should you take?

    Y a. Alter course to leave the buoy to port
    N b. Alter course to leave the buoy to starboard
    N c. Pass the buoy close aboard on either side
    N d. Pass the buoy well clear on either side

822: Charts should be corrected by using information published in the __________.

    N a. Light List
    N b. American Practical Navigator
    Y c. Notice to Mariners
    N d. Coast Pilot

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

852: What is published by the U.S. Coast Guard?

    Y a. Light List
    N b. Nautical Charts
    N c. Tide Tables
    N d. U.S. Coast Pilot

869: Tropical storms and hurricanes are most likely to form in the Southern hemisphere during __________.

    Y a. January through March
    N b. April through May
    N c. June through August
    N d. September through November

938: If within 500 yards (460m) of a Northern Right Whale you are lawfully obligated to __________.

    N a. turn away from the whale and leave at full speed
    Y b. turn away from the whale and leave at slow speed
    N c. slow to bare steerageway until the whale swims away
    N d. stop the vessel and sound repeated blasts on the ship's whistle to scare the whale away

960: The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 15 miles and a height above water of 29 feet (8.8 meters). Your height of eye is 52 feet (15.8 meters) and visibility is 6.0 miles. At which approximate range will you first sight the light?

    N a. 8.0 miles
    Y b. 11.0 miles
    N c. 14.5 miles
    N d. 16.0 miles

996: Warm air masses will generally have __________.

    N a. turbulence within the mass
    Y b. stratiform clouds
    N c. heavy precipitation
    N d. good visibility

1053: Before a magnetic compass is adjusted certain correctors must be checked to ensure that they are free of permanent magnetism. These correctors are the __________.

    N a. fore-and-aft and athwartships magnets
    N b. dip needle and heeling magnet
    N c. heeling magnet and Flinders bar
    Y d. Flinders bar and quadrantal spheres

1073: Chart legends printed in capital letters show that the associated landmark is __________.

    N a. inconspicuous
    N b. a radio transmitter
    Y c. conspicuous
    N d. a government facility or station

1150: You are on course 312°T. To check the speed of your vessel you should observe a celestial body on which bearing?

    Y a. 312°
    N b. 000°
    N c. 090°
    N d. 222°

1266: A line of clouds, sharp changes in wind direction, and squalls are most frequently associated with a(n) __________.

    N a. occluded front
    N b. warm front
    Y c. cold front
    N d. warm sector

1343: Variation is a compass error that you __________.

    N a. can correct by adjusting the compass card
    N b. can correct by adjusting the compensating magnets
    N c. can correct by changing the vessel's heading
    Y d. cannot correct

1352: Weather observations provided by each weather station include all of the following except __________.

    N a. temperature
    N b. visibility
    Y c. predicted weather for the next twelve hours
    N d. barometric pressure and change in the last three hours

1395: The lunar day is __________.

    Y a. longer than a solar day
    N b. shorter than a solar day
    N c. the same length as the solar day
    N d. longer than a solar day during the summer months and shorter in winter months

1589: You are enroute to Savannah, GA, from Recife, Brazil. There is a strong N'ly wind blowing. As you cross the axis of the Gulf Stream you would expect to encounter __________.

    N a. smoother seas and warmer water
    Y b. steeper waves, closer together
    N c. long swells
    N d. cirrus clouds

1660: Which of the following is TRUE of advection fog?

    N a. It commonly occurs on coastal waters during cold seasons.
    N b. It moves in a bank or dense cloud.
    N c. It is caused by warmer air moving to a cooler location.
    Y d. All of the above

1728: If a hurricane several hundred miles away is moving in your general direction your barometer would __________.

    N a. start to rise rapidly
    Y b. start to fall gradually
    N c. rise slowly, begin "pumping" and then start a slow, steady fall
    N d. remain steady

1732: The eye of a hurricane is surrounded by dense black cumulonimbus clouds which are called the __________.

    Y a. wall cloud
    N b. nimbostratus cloud
    N c. bar
    N d. funnel

1745: When your vessel is on the storm track but behind the storm's center the __________.

    N a. wind direction remains steady
    N b. wind speed decreases
    N c. barometer rises
    Y d. All of the above

1787: What indicates that a tropical cyclone may be within 500 to 1,000 miles of your position?

    Y a. A pumping of the barometer up and down a few millibars
    N b. A sudden wind shift from southwest to northwest followed by steadily increasing winds
    N c. The normal swell pattern becoming confused, with the length of the swell increasing
    N d. An overcast sky with steadily increasing rain from nimbostratus clouds

1904: In the horizon system of coordinates what is equivalent to the parallels of declination of the celestial equator system?

    N a. Vertical circles
    Y b. Parallels of altitude
    N c. Zenith distance
    N d. Azimuth angle

1906: In the horizon system of coordinates what is equivalent to latitude on the Earth?

    Y a. Altitude
    N b. Zenith
    N c. Declination
    N d. Zenith distance

2002: What term is used to describe a river barge designed to carry coal or any similar cargo not requiring weather protection?

    N a. Single skin
    N b. Double skin
    Y c. Open hopper
    N d. Deck barge

2270: The lubber's line of a magnetic compass __________.

    N a. always shows true north direction
    Y b. indicates the vessel's heading
    N c. is always parallel to the vessel's transom
    N d. is located on the compass card

2384: On U.S. charts, you can tell if a named feature such as a rock (i.e. Great Eastern Rock in Block Island Sound) is submerged by the __________.

    N a. color of ink used to print the name
    Y b. style of type used to print the name
    N c. dashed circle around the feature
    N d. magenta circle around the feature

2482: When a vessel changes course from one cardinal heading to another cardinal heading while adjusting the compass, which action should be taken?

    N a. The course change should be made rapidly to prevent transient induced magnetism while passing the intercardinal headings.
    Y b. After the new heading is reached, the vessel should steam on that course for at least two minutes before the adjustment.
    N c. During the course change, you should gently tap the compass to remove any error caused by friction on the pivot bearing.
    N d. After steadying on the new heading, the compass card should be slewed by a magnet and allowed to oscillate freely to remove any gaussin error.

2508: Normal pool elevation is the height in feet of the section of river above a dam. This height is measured from __________.

    N a. low steel on the Huey P. Long Bridge
    Y b. mean sea level
    N c. the local water table
    N d. the minimum dam control level

2510: When correcting apparent altitude to observed altitude, you do NOT apply a correction for __________.

    N a. the equivalent reading to the center of the body
    N b. the equivalent reading from the center of the Earth
    N c. the bending of the rays of light from the body
    Y d. inaccuracies in the reference level

2640: In the celestial equator system of coordinates what is the equivalent to the meridians of the Earth system of coordinates?

    N a. Horizon
    Y b. Hour circles
    N c. Vertical circles
    N d. Parallel of declination

2650: In the celestial equator system of coordinates what is equivalent to the colatitude of the Earth system of coordinates?

    N a. Coaltitude
    N b. Zenith distance
    Y c. Polar distance
    N d. Declination

2674: In the U.S. Aids to Navigation System on the Western Rivers, a preferred channel buoy to be left to port while proceeding downstream will __________.

    N a. have the upper band red
    N b. show a red light if lighted
    N c. have a characteristic of composite group flashing if lighted
    Y d. All of the above

2689: The letter D in illustration D006NG represents __________. (D006NG )

    Y a. geometrical horizon
    N b. visible horizon
    N c. celestial horizon
    N d. sensible horizon

2707: You will find information about the duration of slack water in the __________.

    Y a. Tidal Current Tables
    N b. Tide Tables
    N c. American Practical Navigator
    N d. Sailing Directions

2779: The buoy indicated by the letter B in illustration D044NG is a __________.

    N a. nun
    N b. can
    Y c. spar
    N d. pillar

2791: The letter B in illustration D006NG represents the __________.

    N a. sensible horizon
    Y b. geoidal horizon
    N c. celestial horizon
    N d. visible horizon

2849: You take a bearing of 086° of a lighthouse. What bearing of another object would give the best fix?

    Y a. 000°
    N b. 066°
    N c. 112°
    N d. 271°

2889: On 29 June 1981 you observe a back sight of the upper limb of the Moon. The sextant altitude (hs) is 114°16.9'. The height of eye is 36 feet, and the index error is 2.0' off the arc. The horizontal parallax is 60.5'. What is the observed altitude (Ho)?

    N a. 66°23.8'
    N b. 66°04.4'
    N c. 66°00.4'
    Y d. 65°53.8'

2890: While passing through Memphis, the weather report on the TV news indicates that a cold front is crossing western Kentucky and Tennessee. Tomorrow's weather will be dominated by a high pressure area. What weather should you expect tomorrow?

    N a. Light, southerly winds; high humidity and possibly fog
    Y b. Moderate winds from the northwest, clear visibility and cooler temperatures
    N c. Low overcast; mild temperatures with light, steady rain or drizzle
    N d. Scattered clouds with light, southeasterly winds; high humidity and possibly fog

2891: Twenty-three meters equals __________.

    N a. 17.50 feet
    Y b. 75.46 feet
    N c. 96.00 feet
    N d. 104.99 feet

2916: You take a bearing of 191° and 313° to two objects. Which bearing of a third object will give the best fix?

    N a. 022°
    N b. 131°
    N c. 211°
    Y d. 249°

2952: The channel under a bridge is marked with lights of the lateral system. The centerline of the channel shall be marked on the bridge by __________.

    Y a. an occulting white light
    N b. a yellow light
    N c. three fixed white lights
    N d. a flashing blue light

3006: You are outbound in a channel marked by a range astern. The range line is 309°T. You are steering 127°T and have the range in sight as shown. What action should you take? (D047NG )

    N a. Come right to 129°T.
    N b. Come left until the range comes in line then alter course to 129°T.
    N c. Come left until the range comes in line then alter course to 125°T.
    Y d. Come right to close the range then when on the range steer 129°T.

3011: The survey information upon which a chart is based is found __________.

    N a. at the top center of the next line
    Y b. near the chart title
    N c. at the lower left corner
    N d. at any convenient location

3018: You take a bearing of 356° of a lighthouse. Which bearing of another object would give the best fix?

    N a. 013°
    N b. 178°
    Y c. 256°
    N d. 342°

3035: A major advantage of the NAVTEX system when compared to other systems is that __________.

    N a. the information can be received on an ordinary FM radio
    Y b. warnings are printed out for reading when convenient
    N c. broadcasts are at scheduled times
    N d. a low frequency band is used for long distance transmission

3038: In low latitudes, the low(s) of the diurnal variation of pressure occur(s) at __________.

    N a. noon
    N b. noon and midnight
    N c. 1000 and 2200
    Y d. 0400 and 1600