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.


29: You are approaching a multiple-span bridge at night. The main navigational channel span will be indicated by __________.


89: The GHA of the first point of Aries is 315° and the GHA of a planet is 150°. What is the right ascension of the planet?


124: An electronic depth finder operates on the principle that __________.


212: Which aid is NOT marked on a chart with a magenta circle?

    N a. Radar station
    N b. Radar transponder beacon
    N c. Radio beacon
    Y d. Aero light

239: As you enter a channel from seaward in a U.S. port, the numbers on the starboard side buoys __________.

    N a. decrease and the buoys are black
    N b. increase and the buoys are green
    N c. decrease and the buoys are red
    Y d. increase and the buoys are red

253: Loran-C is which type of system?

    N a. Reflected electron
    N b. Electrical radiation
    N c. Quarterpoint electrical navigation
    Y d. Hyperbolic radio navigation

415: If the Sun's observed altitude is 54°30', what is the zenith distance?

    Y a. 35°30'
    N b. 45°30'
    N c. 12°30'
    N d. 14°30'

419: The ocean bottom that extends from the shoreline out to an area where there is a marked change in slope to a greater depth is the __________.

    N a. abyssal plain
    Y b. continental shelf
    N c. borderland
    N d. offshore terrace

425: 90° - Ho = __________.

    N a. sextant altitude
    N b. co-latitude
    N c. LHA
    Y d. zenith distance

532: In a river subject to tidal currents, the best time to dock a ship without the assistance of tugs is __________.

    N a. at high water
    Y b. at slack water
    N c. at flood tide
    N d. when there is a following current

573: What is the name of the movable, radial guide line used to measure direction on a radar?

    N a. Compass rose
    Y b. Cursor
    N c. Plan position indicator
    N d. Variable range marker

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

663: You are underway at 10 knots. At 1800 you note a radar contact dead ahead at a range of 10 miles. At 1812 the contact is dead ahead at a range of 8 miles. The estimated speed of the contact is __________.

    Y a. dead in the water
    N b. 5 knots
    N c. 10 knots
    N d. 15 knots

715: The length of the year with respect to the vernal equinox is the __________.

    Y a. tropical year
    N b. sidereal year
    N c. anomalistic year
    N d. All of the above

800: You are to sail from Elizabethport, NJ, on 17 November 1983 with a maximum draft of 27 feet. You will pass over an obstruction in the channel near Sandy Hook that has a charted depth of 26 feet. The steaming time from Elizabethport to the obstruction is 1h 50m. What is the earliest time (ZD +5) you can sail on 17 November and pass over the obstruction with 2 feet of clearance?

    Y a. 0056
    N b. 0124
    N c. 0154
    N d. 0218

846: Weather systems in the middle latitudes generally travel from __________.

    N a. east to west
    N b. north to south
    Y c. west to east
    N d. None of the above

953: The magnetic compass operates on the principle that __________.

    N a. like magnetic poles attract
    N b. unlike magnetic poles repel
    Y c. unlike poles attract
    N d. the poles of the compass line up with the geographic poles of the earth

963: To center a compass bowl in its binnacle, you should have the ship on an even keel, heading north or south, and adjust the screws until __________.

    N a. the compass heading is in line with the lubber's line
    N b. there is no lost motion in the gimbal rings
    Y c. no change of heading by compass is observed if you raise and lower the heeling magnet
    N d. the gimbal rings do not strike the compass frame when they are tilted

977: In the Sargasso Sea there are large quantities of seaweed and no well defined currents. This area is located in the __________.

    Y a. Central North Atlantic Ocean
    N b. Caribbean Sea
    N c. Western North Pacific Ocean
    N d. area off the west coast of South America

998: The navigable semicircle of a tropical storm in the South Indian Ocean is located on which side of the storm's track?

    N a. Rear
    N b. Front
    N c. Left
    Y d. Right

1003: The quadrantal spheres are used to __________.

    Y a. remove deviation on the intercardinal headings
    N b. remove deviation on the cardinal compass headings
    N c. remove heeling error
    N d. compensate for induced magnetism in vertical soft iron

1123: What are the only magnetic compass correctors that correct for both permanent and induced effects of magnetism?

    N a. Quadrantal spheres
    Y b. Heeling magnets
    N c. Athwartships magnets
    N d. Fore-and-aft magnets

1191: You plot a fix using three lines of position and find they intersect in a triangle. The actual position of the vessel __________.

    N a. is outside of the triangle
    N b. may be anywhere in the triangle
    Y c. may be inside or outside of the triangle
    N d. is the geometric center of the triangle

1254: Lighted white and orange buoys must show which color light?

    N a. Orange
    Y b. White
    N c. Red
    N d. Alternating yellow and white

1272: What are the colors of a mid-channel daymark?

    N a. Black and red
    Y b. Red and white
    N c. Green and red
    N d. Green and white

1309: When recording the wind direction in the weather log, you would report the __________.

    N a. direction the wind is blowing toward
    Y b. direction the wind is blowing from
    N c. duration of the maximum gust of wind
    N d. wind chill factor

1316: When a warm air mass overtakes a cold air mass, the contact surface is called a __________.

    N a. line squall
    N b. water spout
    N c. cold front
    Y d. warm front

1379: The lubber's line on a magnetic compass indicates __________.

    N a. compass north
    Y b. the direction of the vessel's head
    N c. magnetic north
    N d. a relative bearing taken with an azimuth circle

1402: As a vessel changes course to starboard, the compass card in a magnetic compass __________.

    N a. first turns to starboard then counterclockwise to port
    N b. also turns to starboard
    N c. turns counterclockwise to port
    Y d. remains aligned with compass north

1412: The distance between the surface of the water and the tidal datum is the __________.

    N a. actual water depth
    N b. range of tide
    N c. charted depth
    Y d. height of tide

1474: You are on course 061°T. To check the longitude of your vessel you should observe a celestial body on which bearing?

    Y a. 090°
    N b. 180°
    N c. 241°
    N d. 061°

1655: Yesterday your chronometer read 11h 59m 59s at the 1200 GMT time tick. Today the chronometer reads 11h 59m 57s at the 1200 time tick. What is the chronometer rate?

    N a. +2s
    Y b. -2s
    N c. -3s
    N d. +3s

1712: Tornados are often associated with __________.

    N a. winds in the warm sector ahead of a cold front and travel from southwest towards the east or northeast
    N b. squall lines and very heavy thunderstorm activity
    N c. winds that may be in excess of 200 knots and destructive funnel clouds
    Y d. All of the above

1776: A vessel operating on the Great Lakes, and whose position is southeast of an eastward-moving storm center, would NOT experience __________.

    N a. a falling barometer
    N b. lowering clouds and drizzle
    Y c. a northeast wind
    N d. rain or snow

1827: The position labeled "D" was plotted because __________. (D051NG )

    N a. a dead reckoning position is plotted within 30 minutes of a running fix
    Y b. a dead reckoning position is plotted for each course change
    N c. the vessel's speed changed at 1125
    N d. All of the above

1950: The error in a sextant altitude caused by refraction is greatest when the celestial body is __________.

    N a. high in the sky
    Y b. near the horizon
    N c. rising
    N d. at or near transit

1990: The navigational triangle uses parts of two systems of coordinates, one of which is the celestial equator system, the other system is the __________.

    N a. terrestrial system
    Y b. horizon system
    N c. astronomical system
    N d. ecliptic system

2086: You are downbound on the Ohio River locking through Greenup. The chamber has been emptied and the lower gates are open. You hear one short blast of the whistle from the lock. You should __________.

    Y a. leave the lock
    N b. hold up until another tow enters the adjacent lock
    N c. tie off to the guide wall until the river is clear of traffic
    N d. hold in the lock chamber due to a malfunction with the gate

2147: What lights would you see on the Illinois waterway when any wickets of the dam or bear traps are open, or partially open, which may cause a set in the current conditions in the upper lock approach?

    N a. Green over blue
    Y b. Red over amber (yellow)
    N c. Red over green
    N d. None of the above

2158: Permanent magnetism is caused by __________.

    N a. operation of electrical equipment and generators on board ship
    Y b. the earth's magnetic field affecting the ship's hard iron during construction
    N c. the horizontal component of the earth's magnetic field acting on the horizontal soft iron
    N d. the vertical component of the earth's magnetic field acting on the vertical soft iron

2246: The speed of an ocean current is dependent on __________.

    Y a. the density of the water
    N b. the air temperature
    N c. the presence of a high pressure area near it
    N d. underwater soil conditions

2351: A position obtained by applying ONLY your vessel's course and speed to a known position is a __________.

    N a. running fix
    N b. probable position
    N c. fix
    Y d. dead-reckoning position

2380: The navigation regulations applicable to a U.S. inland waterway can be found in the __________.

    N a. Notices to Mariners
    N b. Channel Reports
    N c. Sailing Directions
    Y d. Coast Pilots

2399: Which statement about the time diagram shown is TRUE? (D008NG )

    N a. The Greenwich date is one day later than your date.
    N b. The diagram is valid only if you are in the southern hemisphere.
    N c. The LHA of the Sun is approximately 40°.
    Y d. The diagram represents a morning Sun sight.

2412: The permanent magnetism of a vessel may change in polarity due to __________.

    N a. being moored for a long time on one heading
    Y b. being struck by lighting
    N c. steaming from the north magnetic hemisphere to the south magnetic hemisphere
    N d. loading a homogenous magnetic cargo such as steel plate, iron bars, etc.

2466: On the Western Rivers, a vessel crossing a river must __________.

    N a. only keep out of the way of a power-driven vessel descending the river
    N b. keep out of the way of any vessel descending the river
    Y c. keep out of the way of a power-driven vessel ascending or descending the river
    N d. keep out of the way of any vessel ascending or descending the river

2560: A plane that cuts the Earth's surface at any angle and passes through the center will always form __________.

    N a. the equator
    Y b. a great circle
    N c. a small circle
    N d. a meridian

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

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

2698: You must draw a plotting sheet covering latitudes 38°N to 41°N and longitudes 179°E to 178°W. If the distance between each degree of longitude is 4 inches, what is the distance between latitude 38°N and latitude 41°N?

    N a. 15.00 inches
    Y b. 15.49 inches
    N c. 15.75 inches
    N d. 16.25 inches

2744: The standard atmospheric pressure measured in inches of mercury is __________.

    Y a. 29.92
    N b. 500.0
    N c. 760.0
    N d. 1013.2

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

2828: The daily recurring pattern of pressure changes most noticeable in low latitudes is the __________.

    N a. daily lapse reading
    Y b. diurnal variation of pressure
    N c. pressure tendency
    N d. synoptic pressure

2870: Steam fog is most likely to occur on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in __________.

    N a. spring, around late evening
    N b. spring, around early evening
    Y c. fall, around early morning
    N d. fall, around midday

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

2986: Some places maintain a zone time of -13. What are the time and date at Greenwich if the zone time and date are 2152, 10 January?

    N a. 1052, 9 January
    Y b. 0852, 10 January
    N c. 1052, 10 January
    N d. 1052, 11 January

3032: The direction in which a vessel is steered is the course. The path actually followed is the __________.

    N a. route
    N b. track
    N c. heading
    Y d. course over the ground

3039: As you enter a U.S. channel from seaward the numbers on the buoys __________.

    N a. increase with the can buoys being even numbered
    Y b. increase with the can buoys being odd numbered
    N c. decrease with the can buoys being even numbered
    N d. increase in channels going to the north or west, and decrease in channels going to the south or east

3108: Automatic identification systems (AIS) are expected to broadcast all of the following information EXCEPT __________.

    N a. navigation status
    N b. ship's heading
    Y c. port of origin
    N d. time stamp

3116: With respect to automatic identification systems (AIS), which information is expected to be broadcast every 1 to 10 seconds?

    N a. Name of ship
    Y b. Ship's heading
    N c. IMO number
    N d. Vessel's draft