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.
61: Red lights may appear on __________.
Y a. horizontally banded buoys N b. vertically striped buoys N c. yellow buoys N d. spherical buoys 163: How many fixed objects are needed to plot a running fix?
N a. None Y b. One N c. Two N d. Three 171: Under the U.S. Aids to Navigation System, a lighted buoy with a spherical topmark marks __________.
Y a. safe water N b. a fish trap area N c. a hazard to navigation N d. a bifurcation in the channel 250: Weather systems in the middle latitudes generally travel from __________.
Y a. west to east N b. east to west N c. north to south N d. None of the above 293: The use of pulse groups and extremely precise timing at each Loran-C station makes possible the use of __________.
N a. high frequency pulses N b. combinations of high and low frequency pulses Y c. the same frequency for all stations in a chain N d. varied long and short pulses 394: An instrument designed to maintain a continuous record of atmospheric pressure is a(n) __________.
N a. mercurial barometer N b. aneroid barometer Y c. barograph N d. thermograph 399: Where will you find information about the duration of slack water?
N a. American Practical Navigator N b. Sailing Directions N c. Tide Tables Y d. Tidal Current Tables 440: You are inbound in a channel marked by a range. The range line is 309°T. You are steering 306°T. The range appears as shown and is closing. Which action should you take? (D047NG )
N a. Continue on the present heading until the range is in line, then alter course to the left. N b. Immediately alter course to the right to bring the range in line. N c. Immediately alter course to 309°T. Y d. Continue on course until the range is closed, then alter course to the right. 563: Your radar has a beam width of 2°. The radar gyro bearing of the right tangent of an island is 316°. The gyro error is 1°E. Which true bearing should be plotted on the chart?
N a. 313° N b. 314° Y c. 316° N d. 317° 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' 619: According to Buys Ballot's Law, when an observer in the Southern Hemisphere experiences a northwest wind, the center of the low pressure is located to the __________.
N a. east-northeast Y b. south-southwest N c. east-southeast N d. west-southwest 646: You have determined that you are in the right semicircle of a tropical cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere. What action should you take to avoid the storm?
N a. Place the wind on the starboard quarter and hold that course. N b. Place the wind on the port quarter and hold that course. N c. Place the wind on the port bow and hold that course. Y d. Place the wind on the starboard bow and hold that course. 754: Deviation in a compass is caused by the __________.
N a. vessel's geographic position N b. vessel's heading N c. earth's magnetic field Y d. influence of the magnetic materials of the vessel 838: A navigator fixing a vessel's position by radar __________.
N a. must use information from targets forward of the beam N b. should never use radar bearings N c. should only use radar bearings when the range exceeds the distance to the horizon Y d. can use radar information from one object to fix the position 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 888: Recurvature of a hurricane's track usually results in the forward speed __________.
Y a. increasing N b. decreasing N c. remaining the same N d. varying during the day 910: The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 12 miles and a height above water of 25 feet (7.6 meters). Your height of eye is 38 feet (11.6 meters) and the visibility is 5.5 miles. At what approximate range will you FIRST sight the light?
N a. 5.5 miles N b. 6.3 miles Y c. 8.0 miles N d. 12.0 miles 1033: Deviation which is maximum on intercardinal compass headings may be removed by the __________.
N a. Flinders bar N b. transverse magnets N c. fore-and-aft magnets Y d. soft iron spheres on the sides of the compass 1162: A line connecting all possible positions of your vessel at any given time is a __________.
N a. longitude line N b. latitude line Y c. line of position N d. fix 1194: In the Northern Hemisphere, an observer at point II in the weather system should experience a wind shift from the __________. (D014NG )
Y a. southwest, clockwise to northwest N b. northeast, clockwise to west-southwest N c. northeast, counterclockwise to northwest N d. east, counterclockwise to south-southwest 1206: Brief, violent showers frequently accompanied by thunder and lightning are usually associated with __________.
N a. passage of a warm front Y b. passage of a cold front N c. winds shifting counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere N d. stationary high pressure systems 1206: Brief, violent showers frequently accompanied by thunder and lightning are usually associated with __________.
N a. passage of a warm front Y b. passage of a cold front N c. winds shifting counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere N d. stationary high pressure systems 1249: What is the light characteristic of a lighted, preferred-channel buoy?
N a. Fixed and flashing N b. Continuous quick N c. Isophase Y d. Composite group-flashing 1271: Which word indicates color variation in the characteristics of a light?
N a. Opposing N b. Changing N c. Reversing Y d. Alternating 1302: What feature(s) of a daymark is (are) used to identify the beacon upon which it is mounted?
Y a. Color and shape N b. Size N c. Method of construction N d. Signal characteristics 1329: Yesterday your chronometer read 03h 01m 56s at the 1500 GMT time tick. Today your chronometer read 03h 01m 54s at the 1500 GMT time tick. What is the chronometer rate?
N a. 1m 54s fast N b. 2s fast Y c. -2s N d. +2s 1366: Clouds appearing in the following order: cirrus, cirrostratus, altostratus, stratus, and nimbostratus usually indicate the approach of a(n) __________.
Y a. warm front N b. occluded front N c. medium front N d. cold front 1372: You are enroute to Jacksonville, FL, from San Juan, P.R. There is a fresh N'ly wind blowing. As you cross the axis of the Gulf Stream you would expect to encounter __________.
N a. cirrus clouds N b. long swells N c. smoother seas and warmer water Y d. steeper waves, closer together 1433: A system of reservoirs and connecting tubes in a gyro compass is called a __________.
N a. spider element Y b. mercury ballistic N c. gyrotron N d. rotor 1458: When navigating coastwise and hurricane warnings are received, you should __________.
N a. call the Coast Guard to request further information N b. call the NWS for further information N c. just begin to react and make plans Y d. have battened down and be heading for the nearest port of refuge 1485: The safest and most prudent procedure to follow while navigating in the vicinity of a tropical cyclone is to __________.
Y a. take positive steps to avoid it if possible N b. batten down and prepare to ride out the storm N c. continue to navigate farther from the coast N d. always navigate towards the coast by the most direct route 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 1564: What is a characteristic of cardinal marks?
Y a. Light rhythms indicating directional orientation N b. Vertical stripes N c. Square or triangular topmarks N d. Number-letter combinations for identification 1576: You are entering an east coast port and see a buoy with a yellow triangle painted on it. This indicates __________.
Y a. you are in the vicinity of the ICW N b. the buoy is a special mark N c. the buoy is off station N d. the buoy designates a sharp turn in the channel 1651: From which type of cloud can a tornado or waterspout develop?
N a. Nimbostratus N b. Altostratus Y c. Cumulonimbus N d. Cirrus 1671: Cirrus clouds are composed primarily of __________.
Y a. ice crystals N b. water droplets N c. snow crystals N d. nitrogen 1718: A hurricane is characterized by winds of __________.
N a. up to 33 knots N b. 34 to 47 knots N c. 48 to 63 knots Y d. 64 knots or greater 1725: Your present weather is sunny with a steady barometer. A low swell approaches your vessel from the south with crests passing at relatively long periods of about four per minute. This usually indicates __________.
N a. a warm front from the south Y b. a tropical cyclone south of your vessel N c. a hurricane about 100 miles south of your vessel and heading in your direction N d. an extra-tropical cyclone 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 1734: The eye of the hurricane has __________.
N a. very high barometric pressure N b. average barometric pressure Y c. the lowest barometric pressure N d. no change in barometric pressure 1852: When plotting a circle of equal altitude for a high altitude sight, the radius of the circle is determined by the formula __________.
Y a. 90° - Ho N b. 180° - GHA N c. GHA - LHA N d. z - d 1919: The nadir is the point on the celestial sphere that is __________.
N a. 90° away from the zenith N b. over Greenwich N c. on the western horizon Y d. directly below the observer 1919: The nadir is the point on the celestial sphere that is __________.
N a. 90° away from the zenith N b. over Greenwich N c. on the western horizon Y d. directly below the observer 1954: In the horizon system of coordinates what is equivalent to the poles on the Earth?
N a. Celestial poles Y b. Zenith, nadir N c. Ecliptic poles N d. Nodes 1955: The letter A in illustration D006NG represents the __________.
N a. geoidal horizon Y b. sensible horizon N c. celestial horizon N d. visible horizon 2042: At morning stars, the last stars that should be observed are those with an azimuth in which quadrant?
N a. Eastern N b. Southern Y c. Western N d. Northern 2170: The temperature at which the air is saturated with water vapor and below which condensation of water vapor will occur is referred to as the __________.
N a. precipitation point N b. vapor point Y c. dew point N d. absolute humidity 2184: By convention, the south seeking ends of a compass' magnets are colored __________.
Y a. blue N b. red N c. white N d. black 2299: What condition exists at apogee?
N a. The Earth is closest to the Sun. N b. The Moon is farthest from the Sun. Y c. The Earth is farthest from the Moon. N d. The Moon is between the Earth and the Sun. 2335: The Light List indicates that a light has a nominal range of 13 miles and is 36 feet high. If the visibility is 17 miles and your height of eye is 25 feet, at what approximate distance will you sight the light?
N a. 10.0 miles Y b. 12.9 miles N c. 14.2 miles N d. 17.0 miles 2381: The difference between the heights of low and high tide is the __________.
N a. period N b. distance N c. depth Y d. range 2400: You are in a channel in U.S. waters near an industrial plant with a load/discharge facility for barges. You see an emergency rotating flashing light on the facility light up. What does this indicate?
N a. A barge at the facility has commenced transferring a hazardous cargo. N b. A barge carrying a hazardous cargo is mooring or unmooring at the facility. N c. The facility is warning a barge to shut down transfer operations due to weather conditions (electrical storm, tornado, hurricane, etc.). Y d. There is danger at the facility due to a fire or cargo release. 2642: Local sidereal time is equal to the __________.
N a. GHA of Aries minus 180° N b. SHA of Aries Y c. LHA of Aries N d. right ascension of Aries plus 180° 2654: What is the equivalent of 5°54' in time units?
N a. 20 min. 16 sec. Y b. 23 min. 36 sec. N c. 25 min. 54 sec. N d. 30 min. 27 sec. 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 2796: The correction tables in the Nautical Almanac for use with Moon sights do NOT include the effects of __________.
Y a. instrument error N b. augmentation N c. semidiameter N d. parallax 2936: Information on search and rescue procedures and special, local communications used in Mexican waters will be found in the __________.
N a. World Port Index N b. International Code of Signals (Pub 102) Y c. Sailing Directions (Planning Guides) N d. International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual 2944: The height of a wave is the vertical distance __________.
N a. from the still water plane to the crest N b. from the still water plane to the trough Y c. from crest to trough N d. between water levels at one-quarter of the wave's length 3007: A rotary current sets through all directions of the compass. The time it takes to complete one of these cycles, in a locale off the East coast of the US, is approximately __________.
N a. 2 1/2 hours N b. 3 1/2 hours N c. 6 1/4 hours Y d. 12 1/2 hours 3037: The letter H in illustration D006NG represents the __________.
Y a. visible horizon N b. celestial horizon N c. geoidal horizon N d. refractive horizon