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.


49: While steering a course of 150°T, you wish to observe a body for a latitude check. What would the azimuth have to be?


64: Mean lower low water is the reference plane used for __________.


71: A preferred-channel buoy may be __________.


96: A weather forecast states that the wind will commence veering. In the Northern Hemisphere this indicates that the wind will __________.

    Y a. shift in a clockwise manner
    N b. shift in a counterclockwise manner
    N c. continue blowing from the same direction
    N d. increase in velocity

181: Which navigational mark may only be lettered?

    N a. An unlighted, green, can buoy
    Y b. A spherical buoy
    N c. A red buoy
    N d. A port side day-shape

194: The horizon glass of a sextant is __________.

    Y a. silvered on its half nearer the frame
    N b. mounted on the index arm
    N c. between the horizon and the shade glasses
    N d. All of the above

219: The predicted time that the flood begins at the entrance to Delaware Bay is 1526. You are anchored off Chestnut St. in Philadelphia. If you get underway bound for sea at 1300 and turn for 13 knots, at what point will you lose the flood current?

    N a. Mile 52
    N b. New Castle
    N c. Marcus Hook
    Y d. Billingsport

268: The illustration shows the symbols used on radio facsimile weather charts. The symbol indicated at letter "L" represents a __________. (D042NG )

    N a. convergence line
    N b. maritime air mass
    N c. warm front
    Y d. convergence zone

411: When entering from seaward, a buoy displaying a single-flashing red light would indicate __________.

    N a. a junction with the preferred channel to the left
    N b. a sharp turn in the channel to the right
    Y c. the starboard side of the channel
    N d. a wreck to be left on the vessel's port side

514: What instrument measures wind velocity?

    N a. Hydrometer
    N b. Barometer
    N c. Psychrometer
    Y d. Anemometer

566: You are attempting to locate your position relative to a hurricane in the Northern Hemisphere. If the wind direction remains steady, but with diminishing velocity, you are most likely __________.

    N a. in the right semicircle
    N b. in the left semicircle
    N c. on the storm track ahead of the center
    Y d. on the storm track behind the center

658: Monsoons are characterized by __________.

    N a. light, variable winds with little or no humidity
    N b. strong, gusty winds that blow from the same general direction all year
    Y c. steady winds that reverse direction semiannually
    N d. strong, cyclonic winds that change direction to conform to the passage of an extreme low pressure system

690: What level of development of a tropical cyclone has a hundred mile radius of circulation, gale force winds, less than 990 millibars of pressure and vertically formed cumulonimbus clouds?

    N a. A tropical disturbance
    N b. A tropical depression
    Y c. A tropical storm
    N d. A typhoon

779: Which sextant shown has an index error of 0'20" on the arc? (D050NG )

    N a. A
    N b. B
    Y c. C
    N d. D

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

916: Stormy weather is usually associated with regions of __________.

    Y a. low barometric pressure
    N b. high barometric pressure
    N c. steady barometric pressure
    N d. changing barometric pressure

957: The Humboldt Current flows in which direction?

    Y a. North
    N b. South
    N c. East
    N d. West

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

1062: What is the approximate geographic range of Horton Point Light, NY, if your height of eye is 40 feet (12.2 meters)? Refer to "Reprints from the LIGHT LISTS AND COAST PILOTS" .

    N a. 18.8 nm
    Y b. 19.3 nm
    N c. 20.3 nm
    N d. 24.8 nm

1108: Preferred channel buoys indicate the preferred channel to transit by __________.

    N a. odd or even numbers
    Y b. the color of their top band
    N c. the location of the buoy in the channel junction
    N d. the buoy's light rhythms

1109: You are on course 146°T. To check the speed of your vessel you should observe a celestial body on which bearing?

    N a. 000°
    N b. 056°
    N c. 090°
    Y d. 146°

1192: You are enroute to assist vessel A. Vessel A is underway at 5.5 knots on course 033°T, and bears 284°T at 43 miles from you. What is the course to steer at 16 knots to intercept vessel A?

    N a. 284°
    Y b. 303°
    N c. 329°
    N d. 342°

1239: While taking weather observations, you determine that the wind is blowing from the northeast. You would record the wind direction in the weather log as __________.

    Y a. 045°
    N b. 090°
    N c. 135°
    N d. 225°

1248: On 6 July 1983, at 1520 DST (ZD +4) what will be the predicted height of tide at Newburgh, NY?

    N a. 2.1 feet
    N b. 1.7 feet
    N c. 1.2 feet
    Y d. 0.6 foot

1326: A cloud sequence of cirrus, cirrostratus, and altostratus clouds followed by rain usually signifies the approach of a(n) __________.

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

1340: The annual change in variation for an area can be found in __________.

    N a. the handbook for Magnetic Compass Adjustment, Pub 226
    Y b. the center of the compass rose on a chart of the area
    N c. the compass deviation table
    N d. Variation does not change.

1356: The first indications a mariner will have of the approach of a warm front will be __________.

    N a. large cumulonimbus (thunderclouds) building up
    Y b. high cirrus clouds gradually changing to cirrostratus and then to altostratus
    N c. fog caused by the warm air passing over the cooler water
    N d. low dark clouds accompanied by intermittent rain

1369: Which of the following is the most useful factor for predicting weather?

    N a. The present reading of the barometer
    N b. The previous reading of the barometer
    N c. The difference in the barometric readings within the past 24 hours
    Y d. The rate and direction of change of barometric readings

1387: You will be entering the Mystic River in Connecticut. What is the current at the Highway Bridge at 1900 EST (ZD +5) on 24 January 1983?

    N a. 2.2 knots flooding
    N b. Slack water
    Y c. Slight ebb
    N d. 2.5 knots ebbing

1421: What is the approximate geographic visibility of an object with a height above the water of 70 feet, for an observer with a height of eye of 65 feet?

    N a. 16.8 nm
    Y b. 19.0 nm
    N c. 20.6 nm
    N d. 22.4 nm

1431: A lighthouse is 120 feet (36.6 meters) high and the light has a nominal range of 18 miles. Your height of eye is 42 feet (12.8). If the visibility is 11 miles, approximately how far off the light will you be when the light becomes visible?

    N a. 12.5 miles
    N b. 16.0 miles
    Y c. 19.0 miles
    N d. 23.5 miles

1445: The planet Mars will have its greatest magnitude when at __________.

    N a. conjunction
    Y b. opposition
    N c. east quadrature
    N d. west quadrature

1488: What defines a great circle?

    N a. A curved line drawn on a Mercator Chart
    N b. A course line that inscribes a loxodromic curve
    Y c. The shortest distance between any two points on the earth
    N d. The smallest circle that can be drawn on the face of a sphere

1501: What is the distance from the bottom of a wave trough to the top of a wave crest?

    N a. Wave length
    Y b. Wave height
    N c. Wave breadth
    N d. Wave depth

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

1519: You are preparing a weather report form, WS Form B-80. Your position is LAT 10°38'S, LONG 00°14'E. How would this be encoded? (D041NG )

    N a. LAT 10.6°S, LONG 00.2°E
    N b. L106S, 30002
    N c. 10385, 0014E
    Y d. 99106, 30002

1572: Generally speaking, in the Northern Hemisphere, when winds are blowing from between SE and SW the barometric reading __________.

    N a. makes no change at all
    Y b. is somewhat lower than it would be for winds from a northern quadrant
    N c. is uncertain and may fluctuate by increasing and decreasing
    N d. is somewhat higher than it would be for winds from the northern quadrant

1578: The LMT of sunrise on the standard meridian is 0552. Your longitude is 99°15'E. What is your ZT of sunrise?

    N a. 0512
    N b. 0529
    N c. 0552
    Y d. 0615

1579: You get underway from the oil terminal at Marcus Hook, PA, at 0815 ZT (ZD +5) on 20 February 1983, enroute to sea. You will be turning for 11 knots. What is the approximate current when you are abreast Reedy Island?

    N a. Slack
    Y b. 2.0 knots ebbing
    N c. 1.5 knots flooding
    N d. 0.5 knot flooding

1661: Advection fog may be formed by warm moist air passing over a __________.

    N a. warmer sea surface
    Y b. cooler sea surface
    N c. dry coastal plain
    N d. polar land mass

1789: 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 F in the illustration? (D036NG )

    Y a. One red light
    N b. Two green lights
    N c. Three green lights
    N d. No light(s)

1886: What is the relative bearing of an object dead astern?

    N a. 000°
    N b. 090°
    Y c. 180°
    N d. 270°

1942: In the horizon system of coordinates what is equivalent to the declination of the equator system?

    N a. Nadir
    N b. Azimuth angle
    Y c. Altitude
    N d. Zenith distance

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

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

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

2181: Diagram Number D037NG represents a movable dam. If there is high water and the wickets are down so that there is an unobstructed navigable pass through the dam, what light(s) will be shown at D if the lock walls and piers are not awash?

    Y a. One red light
    N b. Two red lights
    N c. Three red lights
    N d. No lights

2199: Denebola is found in what constellation?

    N a. Hydrus
    Y b. Leo
    N c. Centaurus
    N d. Aquila

2251: Which statement concerning the chartlet shown 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.
    Y c. There is a dangerous eddy southeast of Beito Island.
    N d. There is a 12-meter deep west of Beito Island and inside the 5-meter line.

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

2502: The major factor that causes the color difference between a red star (Betelgeuse) and a blue star (Rigel) is __________.

    Y a. its surface temperature
    N b. the elevation above the horizon
    N c. the mass of the star
    N d. the contrast to nearby stars

2567: When outbound from a U.S. port, a buoy displaying a flashing red light indicates __________.

    N a. a sharp turn in the channel to the right
    N b. a wreck to be left on the vessel's starboard side
    N c. a junction with the preferred channel to the left
    Y d. the port side of the channel

2649: The letter C in illustration D006NG represents the __________. (D006NG )

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

2724: Which condition indicates that your radar needs maintenance?

    Y a. Serrated range rings
    N b. Indirect echoes
    N c. Multiple echoes
    N d. Blind sector

2972: You are in a channel inbound from sea. A daymark used to mark a channel junction when the preferred channel is to starboard will have the shape indicated by what letter in illustration D045NG?

    Y a. A
    N b. B
    N c. C
    N d. D

2989: On 13 November 1981 you observe a back sight of the lower 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' off the arc. The horizontal parallax is 61.3'. What is the observed altitude (Ho)?

    N a. 70°41.4
    N b. 70°15.4'
    Y c. 70°11.4'
    N d. 70°02.2

3064: ECDIS units incorporate Digital Chart Data Formats, which include __________.

    N a. vector only
    N b. raster only
    Y c. vector and raster
    N d. imposed viewing

3094: ECDIS must have the capability to preserve the record of the track for the previous __________.

    Y a. 12 hours
    N b. 24 hours
    N c. 48 hours
    N d. 72 hours

3094: ECDIS must have the capability to preserve the record of the track for the previous __________.

    Y a. 12 hours
    N b. 24 hours
    N c. 48 hours
    N d. 72 hours

3128: Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding automatic identification systems (AIS)?

    N a. AIS may be used to make passing arrangements via ship-to-ship text messaging thus relieving a vessel operator from sounding whistle signals or making contact via radiotelephone.
    Y b. AIS may be used to make passing arrangements via ship-to-ship text messaging but a vessel operator is still required to sound whistle signals unless the arrangement is made via radiotelephone.
    N c. AIS cannot be used to make passing arrangements because the system does not have the ability to communicate from ship-to-ship in this manner.
    N d. AIS cannot be used to make passing arrangements because the use of the ship-to-ship text messaging feature in this way is prohibited.