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.
8: When you are steering on a pair of range lights and find the upper light is above the lower light you should __________.
N a. come left N b. come right Y c. continue on the present course N d. wait until the lights are no longer in a vertical line 19: You are approaching a swing bridge at night. You will know that the bridge is open for river traffic when __________.
N a. the fixed, green light starts to flash N b. the amber light changes to green N c. the red light is extinguished Y d. the red light changes to green 38: When navigating a vessel, you __________.
N a. can always rely on a buoy to be on station N b. can always rely on a buoy to show proper light characteristics N c. should assume a wreck buoy is directly over the wreck Y d. should never rely on a floating aid to maintain its exact position 62: Charted depth is the __________.
N a. vertical distance from the chart sounding datum to the ocean bottom, plus the height of tide Y b. vertical distance from the chart sounding datum to the ocean bottom N c. average height of water over a specified period of time N d. average height of all low waters at a place 71: A preferred-channel buoy may be __________.
Y a. lettered N b. spherical N c. showing a white light N d. All of the above 75: The zone time of LAN is 1152. Your longitude is 73°15'E. What time would you use to enter the Nautical Almanac to determine the declination of the Sun at LAN?
Y a. 0659 N b. 0652 N c. 1859 N d. 1852 116: Which wind results from a land mass cooling more quickly at night than an adjacent water area?
N a. Coastal breeze N b. Sea breeze Y c. Land breeze N d. Mistral 273: Loran-C is which type of navigation system?
Y a. Hyperbolic, long-range navigation system N b. Short-range electronic N c. Long-range, high frequency navigation system N d. Long-range, with a frequency of 1950 kHz 290: The true wind is from 330°T, speed 6 knots. You want the apparent wind to be 30 knots from 10° on your port bow. To what course and speed must you change?
N a. Cn 240°, 28.0 knots N b. Cn 270°, 28.0 knots N c. Cn 180°, 30.0 knots Y d. Cn 090°, 32.5 knots 294: What is a nonadjustable error of the sextant?
Y a. Prismatic error N b. Index error N c. Side error N d. Error of collimation 326: You are steaming west in the North Atlantic in an extratropical cyclonic storm, and the wind is dead ahead. According to the law of Buys Ballot, the center of low pressure lies to the __________.
Y a. north N b. south N c. east N d. west 345: A navigator fixing a vessel's position by radar __________.
N a. should never use radar bearings N b. should only use radar bearings when the range exceeds the distance to the horizon Y c. can use radar information from one object to fix the position N d. must use information from targets forward of the beam 390: During the winter months, the southeast trade winds are __________.
Y a. stronger than during the summer months N b. weaker than during the summer months N c. drier than during the summer months N d. wetter than during the summer months 471: Yellow lights may appear on __________.
Y a. special purpose buoys N b. vertically-striped buoys N c. horizontally-banded buoys N d. spherical buoys 552: A Mercator chart is a __________.
Y a. cylindrical projection N b. simple conic projection N c. polyconic projection N d. rectangular projection 560: On 14 April 1981, a back sight is observed of the lower limb of the Sun. The height of eye is 45 feet. The index error is 2.5' on the arc. The sextant altitude (hs) is 117°14.6'. What is the observed altitude (Ho)?
N a. 63°01.9' N b. 63°03.4' N c. 63°07.4' Y d. 63°09.9' 634: What will cause the ARPA to emit a visual alarm, audible alarm, or both?
N a. An acquired target entering into a guard zone N b. A tracked target lost for one radar scan Y c. A tracked target entering your preset CPA-TCPA limits N d. A target being initially detected within a guard zone 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 653: You have been observing your radar screen and notice that a contact on the screen has remained in the same position, relative to you, for several minutes. Your vessel is making 10 knots through the water. Which statement is TRUE?
N a. The contact is dead in the water. Y b. The contact is on the same course and speed as your vessel. N c. The contact is on a reciprocal course at the same speed as your vessel. N d. The radar is showing false echoes and is probably defective. 686: The pressure gradient between the horse latitudes and doldrums runs __________.
N a. east to west Y b. north to south N c. northeast to southwest N d. northwest to southeast 720: Which change in the condition of the seas could indicate the formation of a tropical storm or hurricane several hundred miles from your location?
Y a. A long swell from an unusual direction N b. A lengthy lull in the wind and seas N c. Large seas coming from different directions N d. A brisk chop from the southeast 729: The doldrums are characterized by __________.
N a. steady, light to moderate winds Y b. frequent calms N c. clear skies N d. low humidity 784: Variation is the angular measurement between __________.
N a. compass north and magnetic north N b. compass north and true north Y c. magnetic meridian and the geographic meridian N d. your vessel's heading and the magnetic meridian 795: The path of a celestial body during its daily apparent revolution around the Earth is called its __________.
N a. ecliptic Y b. diurnal circle N c. altitude circle N d. circle of position 840: Which position includes the effects of wind and current?
Y a. Estimated position N b. Set position N c. Leeway position N d. Dead reckoning position 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 924: The form of cloud often known as "mackerel sky" which is generally associated with fair weather is __________.
N a. nimbostratus N b. stratus Y c. cirrocumulus N d. cumulonimbus 947: The cold ocean current which meets the warm Gulf Stream between latitudes 40° and 43°N to form the "cold wall" is called the __________.
N a. North Cape Current Y b. Labrador Current N c. Greenland Current N d. North Atlantic Current 949: In Region A of the IALA Buoyage System, when entering from seaward, the port side of a channel would be marked by a __________.
N a. black can buoy Y b. red can buoy N c. black conical buoy N d. red conical buoy 981: The characteristic of a lighted cardinal mark may be __________.
Y a. very quick flashing N b. flashing N c. fixed N d. occulting 1002: What publication contains information about the port facilities in Cadiz, Spain?
Y a. World Port Index N b. United States Coast Pilot N c. Nautical Index N d. Sailing Directions 1019: You are preparing a weather report form, WS Form B-80. The dry bulb thermometer reads 30°F (-1°), and the wet bulb thermometer reads 28°F (-2°C). Using the Ships Code Card, how would you encode the air temperature groups in the report? (D041NG )
N a. 10011, 2003/ N b. 11300, 2124/ N c. 11011, 2124/ Y d. 11011, 2104/ 1046: The probability of a sudden wind may be foretold by __________.
N a. a partly cloudy sky N b. an overcast sky Y c. a fast approaching line of dark clouds N d. the formation of cumulus clouds in the sky 1071: A cardinal mark showing an uninterrupted quick-flashing white light indicates the deepest water in the area is on the __________.
Y a. north side of the mark N b. west side of the mark N c. east side of the mark N d. south side of the mark 1073: Chart legends printed in capital letters show that the associated landmark is __________.
N a. inconspicuous N b. a radio transmitter Y c. conspicuous N d. a government facility or station 1217: What will be the velocity and direction of the tidal current at Old Ferry Point, NY, at 1340 EST (ZD +5) on 5 February 1983?
N a. 0.8 knot at 060°T N b. 0.8 knot at 240°T N c. 1.0 knot at 076°T Y d. 1.4 knots at 076°T 1236: After the passage of a cold front the visibility_______. _
N a. does not change Y b. improves rapidly N c. improves only slightly N d. becomes poor 1317: What will be the velocity and direction of the tidal current at Mobile River Entrance, AL, at 0915 CDT (ZD +5) on 13 May 1983?
N a. 0.1 knot at 333°T Y b. 0.3 knot at 333°T N c. 0.7 knot at 151°T N d. 1.8 knots at 025°T 1339: You are on course 303°T. To check the speed of your vessel you should observe a celestial body on which bearing?
N a. 000° N b. 090° Y c. 123° N d. 213° 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 1404: A great circle will intersect the equator at how many degrees of longitude apart?
N a. 0° N b. 45° N c. 90° Y d. 180° 1496: In a microbarograph, the pen should be checked and the inkwell filled __________.
Y a. each time the chart is changed N b. once per month N c. once per week N d. daily 1648: A sign of thunderstorm development is a cumulus cloud __________.
N a. darkening, growing in size and forming an anvil top N b. that shows extensive vertical development N c. creating cold downdrafts that are felt on the ground Y d. All of the above 1699: In the Northern Hemisphere, when the center of a high pressure system is due east of your position, you can expect winds from the __________.
N a. south to west Y b. south to east N c. north to west N d. north to east 1811: To find a magnetic compass course from a true course you must apply __________.
N a. deviation Y b. deviation and variation N c. variation N d. magnetic anomalies (local disturbances) 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 1996: When approaching a lock entrance, the visual signal displayed when a single lock is ready for entrance is a flashing __________.
N a. red light Y b. green light N c. amber light N d. white light 2128: 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 B if the lock walls and piers are not awash?
Y a. Three red lights N b. Two red lights N c. One red lights N d. No lights 2207: Yesterday your chronometer read 11h 59m 58s at the 1200 GMT time tick. Today your chronometer reads 12h 00m 00s at the 1200 time tick. What is the chronometer rate?
N a. Nil N b. 12h Y c. +2s N d. -2s 2219: A vessel is heading magnetic northwest and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 317°. What action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?
Y a. If the quadrantal spheres are in as far as possible replace them with larger spheres. N b. If the quadrantal spheres are in as far as possible replace them with smaller spheres. N c. If the quadrantal spheres are in as far as possible move the quadrantal spheres out. N d. If the spheres are in as far as possible remove one of the spheres. 2222: By convention, the south pole of a magnet is painted __________.
N a. red Y b. blue N c. white N d. black 2229: A vessel is heading magnetic north and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 003°. What action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?
Y a. If the red ends are to port the athwartships magnets should be raised. N b. If the blue ends are to port the athwartships magnets should be raised. N c. If the red ends are forward the fore-and-aft magnets should be lowered. N d. If the blue ends are forward the fore-and-aft magnets should be raised. 2608: You should plot your dead reckoning position __________.
N a. from every estimated position N b. every three minutes in pilotage waters Y c. from every fix or running fix N d. only in pilotage waters 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 2812: A line of position from a celestial observation is a segment of a __________.
Y a. circle of equal altitude N b. parallel of declination N c. parallel of altitude N d. vertical circle 2875: A harbor chart could have a scale of __________.
N a. not more than 1:25,000 Y b. 1:35,000 N c. 1:150,000 N d. not less than 1:500,000 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 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 3054: In illustration D051NG, the position labeled C was plotted because __________.
Y a. running fixes are better estimates of true position than dead-reckoning positions are N b. the vessel's course changed from due North to due East N c. the vessel's speed changed N d. All of the above are correct