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.
27: Spring tides are tides that __________.
Y a. have lows lower than normal and highs higher than normal N b. have lows higher than normal and highs lower than normal N c. are unpredictable N d. occur in the spring of the year 37: What does the term "tide" refer to?
N a. Horizontal movement of the water Y b. Vertical movement of the water N c. Mixing tendency of the water N d. Salinity content of the water 43: A buoy with a composite group-flashing light indicates a(n) __________.
N a. anchorage area N b. fish net area Y c. bifurcation N d. dredging area 52: The reference datum used in determining the heights of land features on most charts is __________.
N a. mean sea level Y b. mean high water N c. mean low water N d. half-tide level 65: The LMT of LAN is 1210. Your longitude is 70°30'E. Which time would you use to enter the Nautical Almanac to determine the declination of the Sun at LAN?
N a. 1842 N b. 1652 Y c. 0728 N d. 0652 69: The parallax angle will vary the most with the time of year for __________.
Y a. Venus N b. Jupiter N c. Saturn N d. Polaris 92: When utilizing a Pacific Coast chart, the reference plane of soundings is __________.
N a. mean low water springs N b. mean low water Y c. mean lower low water N d. lowest normal low water 94: When using a recording depth finder in the open ocean, what phenomena is most likely to produce a continuous trace that may not be from the actual ocean bottom?
Y a. Echoes from a deep scattering layer N b. Echoes from schools of fish N c. Multiple returns reflected from the bottom to the surface and to the bottom again N d. Poor placement of the transducer on the hull 124: An electronic depth finder operates on the principle that __________.
N a. radio signals reflect from a solid surface Y b. sound waves travel at a constant speed through water N c. radar signals travel at a constant speed through water N d. pressure increases with depth 221: In United States waters, a buoy having red and white vertical stripes has a light characteristic of __________.
N a. group occulting Y b. Morse (A) N c. interrupted quick flashing N d. quick flashing 226: What winds blow towards the equator from the area about 30° north?
N a. Prevailing westerlies N b. Roaring thirties N c. Equatorial flow Y d. Northeast trades 318: Vessels required to have an Automatic Radar Plotting Aid must have a device to indicate the __________.
N a. distance to the next port Y b. speed of the vessel over the ground or through the water N c. time of the next navigational satellite pass N d. None of the above 350: When making landfall at night, the light from a powerful lighthouse may sometimes be seen before the lantern breaks the horizon. This light is called the __________.
N a. diffusion N b. backscatter Y c. loom N d. elevation 582: Distance along a track line is measured on a Mercator chart by using the __________.
Y a. latitude scale near the middle of the track line N b. longitude scale near the middle of the track line N c. latitude scale at the mid-latitude of the chart N d. latitude or longitude scale at the middle of the scale 649: You are on course 226°T. In order to check the latitude of your vessel, you should observe a celestial body on which bearing?
N a. 226° N b. 270° Y c. 000° N d. 026° 688: In mid-ocean, the characteristics of a wave are determined by three factors. What is NOT one of these factors?
Y a. Effect of the moon's gravity N b. Fetch N c. Wind velocity N d. Length of time a wind has been blowing 864: Uniform, grayish-white cloud sheets that cover large portions of the sky, and are responsible for a large percentage of the precipitation in the temperate latitudes, are called __________.
Y a. altostratus N b. altocumulus N c. cirrostratus N d. cirrocumulus 876: A generally circular low pressure area is called a(n) __________.
Y a. cyclone N b. anticyclone N c. cold front N d. occluded front 898: At 1200 ZT, on 31 July, your position is LAT 24°33'N, LONG 173°05'W. You are preparing a weather report form, WS Form, B-80. How should you encode the first three groups after the call sign if you estimate the wind? (D041NG )
Y a. 01003, 99245, 71731 N b. 01243, 92433, 71731 N c. 31243, 99245, 71731 N d. 31003, 92433, 71730 903: Eight points of a compass are equal to how many degrees?
N a. 45 Y b. 90 N c. 180 N d. 360 935: The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 5 miles and a height above water of 21 feet (6.4 meters). Your height of eye is 32 feet (9.8 meters) and the visibility is 1.0 mile. At what approximate range will you first sight the light?
N a. 1.0 mile Y b. 1.5 miles N c. 5.0 miles N d. 11.7 miles 936: A cyclone in its final stage of development is called a(n) __________.
N a. tornado N b. anticyclone Y c. occluded cyclone or occluded front N d. polar cyclone 952: What is TRUE concerning new editions of Light Lists?
N a. Supplements to new editions are issued monthly by the U.S. Coast Guard. N b. New editions are published by the National Ocean Service. Y c. New editions are corrected through the date shown on the title page. N d. None of the above 1020: The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 6 miles and a height above water of 18 feet (5.5 meters). Your height of eye is 40 feet (12.2 meters) and the visibility is 27.0 miles. At which approximate range will you first sight the light?
N a. 5.6 miles N b. 6.4 miles Y c. 9.8 miles N d. 12.1 miles 1120: You are on course 042°T. To check the course of your vessel you should observe a celestial body on which bearing?
N a. 090° Y b. 132° N c. 180° N d. 222° 1140: What is the light characteristic of a lighted, preferred-channel buoy?
N a. Group flashing Y b. Composite group flashing N c. Interrupted quick flashing N d. Fixed and flashing 1186: As a cold front passes an observer, pressure __________.
N a. drops and winds become variable Y b. rises and winds become gusty N c. drops and winds become gusty N d. rises and winds become variable 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 1298: The vertex of a great circle track is in LONG 109°E. An eastbound vessel would cross the equator in LONG __________.
Y a. 161°W N b. 161°E N c. 19°E N d. 19°W 1346: Cirrus clouds followed by cirrostratus then altostratus, stratus, and occasionally nimbostratus indicate the approach of a(n) __________.
N a. cold front Y b. warm front N c. tropical front N d. occluded front 1429: A celestial body will cross the prime vertical circle when the latitude is numerically __________.
Y a. greater than the declination and both are of the same name N b. less than the declination and both are of the same name N c. greater than the declination and both are of contrary name N d. less than the declination and both are of contrary name 1475: Which type of cloud is the classic "thunderhead"?
Y a. Cumulonimbus N b. Stratus N c. Cirrus N d. Altostratus 1577: Yesterday your chronometer read 11h 59m 59s at 1200 GMT time tick. Today the chronometer reads 12h 00m 01s at the 1200 GMT tick. What is the chronometer rate?
N a. -1s N b. +1s N c. -2s Y d. +2s 1606: Aids to navigation marking the intracoastal waterway can be identified by __________.
N a. the letters ICW after the aid's number or letter Y b. yellow stripes, squares, or triangles marked on them N c. white retroreflective material N d. the light characteristic and color for lighted aids 1738: In the Northern Hemisphere, the right half of the storm is known as the dangerous semicircle because __________.
N a. The wind speed is greater here since the wind is traveling in the same general direction as the storm's track N b. the direction of the wind and seas might carry a vessel into the path of the storm N c. the seas are higher because of greater wind speed Y d. All of the above 1756: Where would you expect to find climatological and meteorological tables for the Gulf Coast area?
N a. In the publication entitled Radio Aids to Navigation Y b. In the back of Coast Pilot #5 N c. In any Coast Pilot volume N d. Only at the National Weather Service office 1781: While in port, you can follow the approach of a dangerous cyclonic storm by inspecting __________.
N a. the sky overhead N b. the National Weather Service Observing Handbook No.1, Marine Surface Observations N c. the Coast Pilot or Sailing Directions Y d. a weather map 1838: The Light List shows a lighted aid to navigation on the left bank. This means that the light can be seen on the starboard side of a vessel __________.
Y a. ascending the river N b. descending the river N c. crossing the river N d. proceeding towards sea 1916: The prime vertical is the reference point from which the angle of which type of observation is measured?
N a. Sextant angle N b. Azimuth Y c. Amplitude N d. Local apparent noon 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 1976: The Moon is nearest to the Earth at __________.
Y a. perigee N b. the vernal equinox N c. the new Moon N d. the full Moon 1978: A celestial body's complete orbit around another body is __________.
N a. a rotation Y b. a revolution N c. space motion N d. nutation 2010: A vessel heading ESE is on a course of __________.
Y a. 112.5° N b. 135.0° N c. 157.5° N d. 180.0° 2052: Under the chart numbering system used by NGA (NIMA), the first digit of a multi-digit number indicates __________.
Y a. the general geographic area N b. the general scale of the chart N c. whether it is a major or minor chart N d. the projection used to construct the chart 2230: A nautical mile is a distance of approximately how much greater than or less than a statute mile?
N a. 1/4 less N b. 1/7 less N c. 1/4 greater Y d. 1/7 greater 2346: The first point of Aries is the point where the Sun is at __________.
N a. maximum declination north N b. maximum declination south Y c. 0° declination going to northerly declinations N d. 0° declination going to southerly declinations 2348: Under the IALA cardinal system, a mark with a quick light showing 9 flashes every 15 seconds indicates that the safest water is on the __________.
N a. north side of the mark Y b. west side of the mark N c. east side of the mark N d. south side of the mark 2362: You have completed the magnetic compass adjustments on magnetic east and magnetic south. The vessel is now steady on magnetic north but the compass reads 004°. Which action should be taken?
N a. Use the Flinders bar and adjust the compass until it reads 002°. N b. Use the fore-and-aft magnets and adjust the compass until it reads 000°. Y c. Use the athwartships magnets and adjust the compass until it reads 002°. N d. Use the athwartships magnets and adjust the compass until it reads 000°. 2612: The dividing meridian between zone descriptions -7 and -8 is __________.
Y a. 112°30'E N b. 118°30'E N c. 120°00'E N d. 116°30'W 2670: The angle that is measured westward from the first point of Aries to the hour circle of the body along the celestial equator is the __________.
N a. Greenwich sidereal angle N b. local sidereal time Y c. sidereal hour angle N d. azimuth angle 2703: Which publication indicates the HYDROLANTS or HYDROPACS issued since the previous working day?
N a. Broadcast Notice to Mariners N b. Local Notice to Mariners Y c. Daily Memorandum N d. Summary of Corrections 2708: You are approaching a drawbridge and have sounded the proper whistle signal requesting it to open. You hear a signal of one prolonged and one short blast from the bridge. Which action should you take?
N a. Anchor or use an alternate route because the bridge is out of service for an extended period of time. N b. Approach to a point not closer than 400 yards (360 meters) from the bridge and await further signals. N c. Hold in the channel as the bridge will open within 15 minutes. Y d. Approach under full control to pass through the bridge. 2720: When pushing barges ahead close to a steep revetment where there is no current, what is MOST likely to occur?
N a. The stern of the towboat will tend to sheer away from the revetment. N b. Your speed over the ground will increase. Y c. The head of the tow will tend to sheer away from the revetment. N d. All of the above 2777: A sailing chart could have a scale of __________.
N a. not more than 1:25,000 N b. 1:35,000 N c. 1:100,000 Y d. 1:700,000 2802: The pictures shown represent the geographic location of a vessel and the radar presentation at the same time. Which statement is TRUE? (D011NG )
N a. Ship No. 1 does not paint as an individual target due to the effect of pulse length. Y b. The small island is not detected due to shadow effect of the mountain. N c. A target bearing of the headland to the south-southeast is corrected by adding one-half of the beam width. N d. Ship No. 2 is not detected due to the reflective mass of the mountain overpowering the ship's reflective signals. 2838: You take a bearing of 191° and 313° to two objects. Which bearing of a third object will give the best fix?
N a. 001° Y b. 069° N c. 209° N d. 356° 2866: Some locations maintain a zone time of -13. What are the zone time and date if the Greenwich time and date are 2152, 10 January?
N a. 1052, 9 January N b. 0852, 10 January N c. 1052, 10 January Y d. 1052, 11 January 2892: The Light List indicates that a dayboard is a type NB. You should __________.
N a. see a black triangle N b. look for another daymark forming a range Y c. expect a daymark of no lateral significance N d. check to enter the correct channel at the junction daymark 2924: You take a bearing of 264° of a lighthouse. What bearing of another object would give the best fix?
N a. 289° Y b. 350v N c. 081° N d. 120° 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