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.


62: Charted depth is the __________.


107: The average height of the surface of the sea for all stages of the tide over a 19 year period is called __________.


113: The type of transmission used in Loran-C is a __________.


155: The velocity of the current in large coastal harbors is __________.

    Y a. predicted in Tidal Current Tables
    N b. unpredictable
    N c. generally constant
    N d. generally too weak to be of concern

176: Which wind pattern has the most influence over the movement of frontal weather systems over the North American continent?

    N a. Subpolar easterlies
    N b. Northeast trades
    Y c. Prevailing westerlies
    N d. Dominant southwesterly flow

269: The wind at Frying Pan shoals has been south-southwesterly at an average velocity of 30 knots. The predicted set and drift of the rotary current are 232° at 0.8 knot. What current should you expect?

    N a. 065° at 1.2 knots
    N b. 092° at 1.3 knots
    N c. 139° at 0.6 knot
    Y d. 224° at 0.4 knot

306: Weather conditions in the middle latitudes generally move __________.

    Y a. eastward
    N b. westward
    N c. northward
    N d. southward

346: If your weather bulletin shows the center of a low pressure area to be 100 miles due east of your position, what winds can you expect in the Northern Hemisphere?

    N a. East to northeast
    N b. East to southeast
    Y c. North to northwest
    N d. South to southeast

469: Where are the prevailing westerlies of the Southern Hemisphere located?

    N a. Between the Equator and 10° latitude
    N b. Between 10° and 20° latitude
    Y c. Between 30° and 60° latitude
    N d. Between 60° and 90° latitude

481: A special mark (yellow buoy), if lighted, may exhibit which light rhythm?

    Y a. Flashing
    N b. Morse "A"
    N c. Equal interval
    N d. Occulting

497: What will be the time after 0300 (ZD +4), on 5 March 1983, when the height of the tide at Port of Spain, Trinidad, will be 2.5 feet (.76 meters) ?

    N a. 0548
    Y b. 0602
    N c. 0618
    N d. 0634

523: A radar display in which North is always at the top of the screen is a(n) __________.

    N a. unstabilized display
    Y b. stabilized display
    N c. composition display
    N d. relative display

571: The Coast Guard Captain of the Port has excluded all traffic from a section of a port, while a regatta is taking place. The buoys marking this exclusion area will be __________.

    N a. nun- or can-shaped to conform to the overall direction of navigation
    N b. yellow
    Y c. orange and white
    N d. marked with a spherical topmark

572: You wish to measure the distance on a Mercator chart between a point in latitude 43°30'N and a point in latitude 40°30'N. To measure 30 miles at a time, you should set the points of the dividers at __________.

    N a. 41°30' and 42°00'
    Y b. 41°45' and 42°15'
    N c. 42°00' and 42°30'
    N d. 42°15' and 42°45'

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

629: The rise and fall of the ocean's surface due to a distant storm is known as __________.

    N a. sea
    N b. waves
    N c. fetch
    Y d. swell

641: Buoys which mark isolated dangers are painted with alternating _____________ .

    Y a. red and black bands
    N b. green and black bands
    N c. red and white stripes
    N d. green and white bands

669: It is desirable that a vessel encountering hurricane or typhoon conditions sends weather reports to the closest meteorological service at least every __________.

    N a. hour
    Y b. 3 hours
    N c. 6 hours
    N d. 8 hours

673: You are underway at 5 knots and see on your radar a contact 10 miles directly astern of you. 12 minutes later, the contact is 8 miles directly astern of you. What is the estimated speed of the contact?

    N a. Dead in the water
    N b. 1 knot
    N c. 10 knots
    Y d. 15 knots

673: You are underway at 5 knots and see on your radar a contact 10 miles directly astern of you. 12 minutes later, the contact is 8 miles directly astern of you. What is the estimated speed of the contact?

    N a. Dead in the water
    N b. 1 knot
    N c. 10 knots
    Y d. 15 knots

742: You are preparing to take a tow from San Diego to Portland, OR. Good seamanship would require that you have on board, available for reference and use, all of the following EXCEPT the __________.

    N a. Coast Pilot
    N b. harbor and coastal charts for ports of refuge enroute
    Y c. Sailing Directions (Enroute)
    N d. Light List

793: The permanent magnetism of a vessel may change in strength due to __________.

    N a. a collision with another vessel
    N b. being moored on a constant heading for a long period of time
    N c. being struck by lightning
    Y d. All of the above

842: Coast Pilots and navigational charts are kept corrected and up-to-date by using the __________.

    N a. pilot charts
    Y b. Notices to Mariners
    N c. Tide Tables
    N d. Current Tables

872: Which agency publishes the Light Lists?

    Y a. United States Coast Guard
    N b. National Ocean Service
    N c. Oceanographic Office
    N d. Army Corps of Engineers

961: In which country would you expect the channels to be marked with the IALA-B Buoyage System?

    Y a. Brazil
    N b. Tanzania
    N c. New Zealand
    N d. Norway

974: Which cloud commonly produces a halo about the Sun or Moon?

    Y a. Cirrostratus
    N b. Cirrocumulus
    N c. Altostratus
    N d. Altocumulus

989: The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 18 miles and a height above water of 22 feet (6.7 meters). Your height of eye is 16 feet (4.9 meters) and the visibility is 2.0 miles. At which approximate range will you first sight the light?

    N a. 2.0 miles
    N b. 2.7 miles
    N c. 4.2 miles
    Y d. 5.8 miles

1006: An air mass is termed "warm" if __________.

    N a. it is above 70°F
    Y b. the ground over which it moves is cooler than the air
    N c. it originated in a high pressure area
    N d. it originated in a low pressure area

1010: What is a characteristic of a rhumb line?

    N a. It is the shortest distance between two points on the Earth.
    N b. It plots as a straight line on a Lambert conformal chart.
    Y c. It cuts each meridian at the same angle.
    N d. The course angle constantly changes to form the loxodromic curve.

1035: The approximate positions of the stars are based on sidereal time, which is based upon rotation of the Earth relative to __________.

    N a. winter solstice
    N b. autumnal equinox
    N c. summer solstice
    Y d. vernal equinox

1256: A cold front moving in from the northwest can produce __________.

    Y a. thunderstorms, hail, and then rapid clearing
    N b. increasing cloud cover lasting for several days
    N c. lengthy wet weather
    N d. low ceilings with thick cirrus clouds

1318: You are to sail from Elizabethport, N.J., 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 25.5 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?

    N a. 0059
    Y b. 0121
    N c. 0159
    N d. 0221

1320: 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 __________.

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

1335: Plain language is usually used on marine weather __________.

    Y a. forecasts
    N b. observations
    N c. analyses
    N d. reports

1385: What is the length of the lunar day?

    Y a. 24h 50m 00s
    N b. 24h 00m 00s
    N c. 23h 56m 04s
    N d. 23h 03m 56s

1554: A slow rise in the barometric pressure forecasts __________.

    N a. rainy weather for the next 48 hours
    N b. high seas
    Y c. improving weather conditions
    N d. deteriorating weather conditions

1561: You are sailing south on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) when you sight a red nun buoy with a yellow square painted on it. Which statement is TRUE?

    N a. The buoy is off station and should be ignored as a navigational mark.
    N b. The waterway in that area has shoaled and the available depth of water is less than the project depth.
    N c. ICW traffic should not proceed beyond the buoy unless the crossing waterway is clear of all traffic.
    Y d. You should leave the buoy to port.

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

1611: What indicates a dual purpose buoy?

    N a. Red buoy with a horizontal yellow band
    N b. Red and white vertically-striped buoy with a vertical yellow stripe
    N c. Red and white vertically-striped buoy with a red spherical topmark
    Y d. Green buoy with a yellow square

1684: Which type of frontal passage is associated with a relatively narrow band of precipitation?

    Y a. A cold front
    N b. A warm front
    N c. A stationary front
    N d. None of the above

1709: The Beaufort scale is used to estimate the __________.

    N a. wind direction
    N b. percentage of cloud cover
    Y c. wind speed
    N d. barometric pressure

1735: A vessel entering the eye of a hurricane should expect __________.

    N a. moderating winds and heavy confused seas to strike his vessel from all directions
    N b. the winds to increase to hurricane force and strike from a different direction as the eye passes
    N c. the barometer to reach the lowest point
    Y d. All of the above

1735: A vessel entering the eye of a hurricane should expect __________.

    N a. moderating winds and heavy confused seas to strike his vessel from all directions
    N b. the winds to increase to hurricane force and strike from a different direction as the eye passes
    N c. the barometer to reach the lowest point
    Y d. All of the above

1762: In high latitudes, celestial observations can be made over a horizon covered with pack ice by bringing the sun tangent to the ice and __________.

    N a. adding 30° of arc to the sight
    Y b. using a dip correction based on the height of eye above the ice
    N c. doubling the semidiameter correction
    N d. using a dip correction from table 22 in Bowditch Vol. II

1794: Why are low altitude sun sights not generally used?

    Y a. Errors due to unusual refraction may exist.
    N b. Sextants may have large errors at small angles of elevation.
    N c. Modern sight reduction tables are not complete for low altitudes below 5°.
    N d. The glare on the horizon causes irradiation errors.

1800: In order to insure that a RACON signal is displayed on the radar, you should __________.

    N a. increase the brilliance of the PPI scope
    Y b. turn off the interference controls on the radar
    N c. use the maximum available range setting
    N d. increase the radar signal output

1800: In order to insure that a RACON signal is displayed on the radar, you should __________.

    N a. increase the brilliance of the PPI scope
    Y b. turn off the interference controls on the radar
    N c. use the maximum available range setting
    N d. increase the radar signal output

1972: The point on the celestial sphere that is directly over the observer is the __________.

    N a. node
    N b. pole
    Y c. zenith
    N d. nadir

2072: The Illustration represents a movable dam. If a bear trap is open what will be displayed at the lock to indicate this condition? (D037NG )

    Y a. An amber light under a red light
    N b. A white square
    N c. A green triangle
    N d. A yellow pentagon

2448: What is the equivalent of 37 min. 32 sec. in arc units?

    N a. 4°47'
    N b. 6°38'
    N c. 7°41'
    Y d. 9°23'

2498: The light characteristic of flashing is used in the Aids to Navigation System on the Western Rivers for lights on __________.

    Y a. the right descending bank
    N b. the left descending bank
    N c. preferred channel buoys
    N d. daymarks with no lateral significance

2519: The standard time meridian for zone description -12 is __________.

    N a. 165.0°E
    N b. 172.5°E
    Y c. 180.0°
    N d. 172.5°W

2542: Which magnetic compass corrector(s) CANNOT be set while the vessel is on a heading of magnetic north or magnetic south?

    N a. Athwartships magnets
    N b. Heeling magnet
    Y c. Flinders bar
    N d. All of the above can be set on magnetic north or magnetic south headings.

2618: You must draw a plotting sheet covering latitudes 38°N to 43°N and longitudes 179°E to 178°W. If the distance between each degree of longitude is 5 inches, what is the distance between latitude 38°N and latitude 43°N?

    N a. 29.0 inches
    N b. 29.6 inches
    N c. 32.1 inches
    Y d. 32.8 inches

2818: You take bearings of 313°T and 076°T on two objects. Which bearing of a third object will give the best fix?

    N a. 048°T
    N b. 101°T
    N c. 142°T
    Y d. 187°T

2846: Which type of daymark is used to mark the port side of the channel when entering from sea?

    N a. Red and white octagon
    N b. Black and white diamond
    N c. Red triangle
    Y d. Green square

2896: You are navigating in pilotage waters. The maximum time between fixes should be about __________.

    N a. 5 minutes
    Y b. 30 minutes
    N c. 1 hour
    N d. 4 hours

2988: The buoy indicated by the letter A is a __________. (D044NG )

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

3020: A mooring buoy, if lighted, shows which color light?

    N a. Yellow
    Y b. White
    N c. Blue
    N d. Any color except red or green

3042: How long would a steady wind need to blow in order to create a wind driven current?

    N a. 2 hours
    N b. 6 hours
    Y c. 12 hours
    N d. 18 hours