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.


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


139: What is the geographic longitude of a body whose GHA is 215°15'?


171: Under the U.S. Aids to Navigation System, a lighted buoy with a spherical topmark marks __________.


201: What is a lighted safe water mark fitted with to aid in its identification?

    N a. Red and white retroreflective material
    Y b. A spherical topmark
    N c. A sequential number
    N d. A red and white octagon

203: In any Loran-C chain, there are three or more stations transmitting pulses which radiate in all directions. One of the stations is the master station, and the others in the chain are the __________.

    N a. radio stations
    Y b. secondary stations
    N c. monitor stations
    N d. pulse stations

212: Which aid is NOT marked on a chart with a magenta circle?

    N a. Radar station
    N b. Radar transponder beacon
    N c. Radio beacon
    Y d. Aero light

217: In some parts of the world there is often a slight fall in tide during the middle of the high water period. The effect is to create a longer period of stand at higher water. This special feature is called a(n) __________.

    N a. apogean tide
    Y b. double high water
    N c. perigean tide
    N d. bore

230: If the LORAN-C ground wave does NOT extend out as far as the skywave skip distance, there will be a skip zone in which __________.

    Y a. no LORAN-C signal is received
    N b. only ground waves are received
    N c. only skywaves are received
    N d. both ground waves and skywaves are received

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

    N a. hail
    N b. freezing rain
    Y c. rain
    N d. snow

500: The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (formerly the National Imagery and Mapping Agency) would produce a chart of the coast of __________.

    N a. Alaska
    Y b. Canada
    N c. Puerto Rico
    N d. Hawaii

511: A survey (special purpose mark) buoy __________.

    N a. must be lighted
    N b. may have a flashing red light
    N c. may have a fixed white light
    Y d. None of the above

611: Information markers, when lighted, will display __________.

    N a. yellow lights
    N b. green lights
    Y c. white lights
    N d. red lights

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

637: Your draft is 24 feet. You wish to pass over an obstruction near Lovell Island, MA, on 6 May 1983. The charted depth is 22 feet. Allowing a safety margin of 3.0 feet, what is the earliest time after 0200 DST (ZD +4) that this passage can be made?

    N a. 0215
    N b. 0245
    N c. 0310
    Y d. 0347

638: Swell is the rise and fall of the ocean's surface due to __________.

    N a. fetch
    Y b. distant winds
    N c. local storms
    N d. the pull of the moon

706: A steep barometric gradient indicates __________.

    N a. calms
    N b. light winds
    Y c. strong winds
    N d. precipitation

728: In the Bay of Fundy, during twilight, you a take sight of Mars. The sextant altitude (hs) is 03°35.5'. Your height of eye is 32 feet and there is no index error. The air temperature is -10°C and the barometer reads 1010 millibars. What is the observed altitude (Ho)?

    N a. 03°14.5'
    Y b. 03°15.8'
    N c. 03°16.2'
    N d. 03°28.8'

734: You are approaching Chatham Strait from the south in foggy weather. You have Coronation Island and Hazy Islands on the radar. Suddenly the radar malfunctions. You then resort to using whistle echoes to determine your distance off Coronation Island. Your stopwatch reads 16.3 seconds for the echo to be heard. How far are you off Coronation Island?

    N a. 1.0 mile
    Y b. 1.5 miles
    N c. 2.0 miles
    N d. 2.5 miles

740: A very light breeze that causes ripples on a small area of still water is a __________.

    Y a. cat's paw
    N b. hog's breath
    N c. williwaw
    N d. chinook

773: What is the basic principle of the magnetic compass?

    Y a. Magnetic materials of the same polarity repel each other and those of opposite polarity attract.
    N b. The Earth's magnetic lines of force are parallel to the surface of the Earth.
    N c. Magnetic meridians connect points of equal magnetic variation.
    N d. The compass needle(s) will, when properly compensated, lie parallel to the isogonic lines of the Earth.

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

845: During one synodic rotation, a body makes one complete turn relative to the __________.

    N a. Earth
    Y b. Sun
    N c. stars
    N d. vernal equinox

860: The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 10 miles and a height above water of 38 feet (11.6 meters). Your height of eye is 52 feet (15.8 ,meters) and the visibility is 11.0 miles. At which approximate range will you first sight the light?

    Y a. 10.5 miles
    N b. 13.9 miles
    N c. 15.6 miles
    N d. 18.0 miles

866: Anticyclones are usually characterized by __________.

    Y a. dry, fair weather
    N b. high winds and cloudiness
    N c. gustiness and continuous precipitation
    N d. overcast skies

937: The north equatorial current flows to the __________.

    N a. east
    N b. northeast
    N c. southwest
    Y d. west

994: Which list of clouds is in sequence, from highest to lowest in the sky?

    N a. Altostratus, cirrostratus, stratus
    Y b. Cirrostratus, altostratus, stratus
    N c. Stratus, cirrostratus, altostratus
    N d. Altostratus, stratus, cirrostratus

1009: You are preparing a weather report form, WS Form B-80. The dry bulb thermometer reads 34°F, and the wet bulb thermometer reads 31°F. Using the ships code card, how would you encode the air temperature groups in the report? (D041NG )

    N a. 10340, 2127/
    N b. 10111, 2104/
    Y c. 10011, 2104/
    N d. 10340, 2031/

1049: At 0000 you fix your position and change course to 270°T. At 0030 you again fix your position, and it is 0.5 mile east of your DR. Which statement is TRUE?

    N a. The set is 090°, drift 0.5 knot.
    Y b. The set is 090°, drift 1.0 knot.
    N c. The set is 270°, drift 0.5 knot.
    N d. The set is 270°, drift 1.0 knot.

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

1081: On a voyage along the coast of France, you sight a buoy with the top marks as shown. You are required to steer __________. (D026NG )

    N a. west of the buoy
    N b. east of the buoy
    Y c. south of the buoy
    N d. north of the buoy

1131: On navigational aids, what does the light characteristic "Fl(2+1)" mean?

    N a. A flashing light combined with a fixed light of greater brightness
    Y b. Light flashes combined in groups, with a different number of flashes in each group
    N c. A light showing groups of two or more flashes at regular intervals
    N d. A fixed light varied at regular intervals by groups of two or more flashes of greater brightness

1154: The speed at which an ocean wave system advances is called __________.

    N a. wave length
    N b. ripple length
    Y c. group velocity
    N d. wave velocity

1238: What will be the height of tide at Three Mile Harbor Entrance, Gardiners Bay, NY, at 0700 (ZD +5) on 14 Nov 1983?

    N a. 1.1 feet (0.3 meters)
    Y b. 1.7 feet (0.5 meters)
    N c. 1.9 feet (0.6 meters)
    N d. 2.2 feet (0.7 meters)

1348: Vessel required to have an Automatic Radar Plotting Aid must have a device to indicate the __________.

    Y a. speed of the vessel over the ground or through the water
    N b. distance to the next port
    N c. time of the next navigational satellite pass
    N d. None of the above

1357: You will transit the Cape Cod Canal on 7 November 1983. If you arrive at the R R Bridge at 1655 EST (ZD +5), for what period of time during your transit will you have currents of not more than 0.5 knot?

    N a. 1631 to 1719
    N b. 1638 to 1655
    Y c. 1648 to 1702
    N d. 1655 to 1709

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

1592: A white buoy marked with an orange rectangle indicates __________.

    N a. an anchorage
    N b. a fish net area
    N c. mid-channel
    Y d. general information

1602: Most modern Loran-C receivers automatically detect secondary station blink which __________.

    N a. indicates the station is transmitting normally
    N b. automatically shuts down the receiver
    Y c. triggers alarm indicators to warn the operator
    N d. causes the receiver to shift automatically to another Loran chain

1689: The "horse latitudes" are regions of __________.

    N a. brisk prevailing winds
    Y b. light airs and calms
    N c. abundant blue sea grass vegetation
    N d. None of the above

1720: In the Southern Hemisphere winds in a low pressure system rotate in a __________.

    Y a. clockwise direction
    N b. northeasterly direction
    N c. northerly direction
    N d. counterclockwise direction

1743: In the Northern Hemisphere, if your vessel is in a hurricane's navigable semicircle it should be positioned with the wind on the __________.

    Y a. starboard quarter, hold course and make as much speed as possible
    N b. port bow, hold course and make as much speed as possible until the hurricane has passed
    N c. port quarter, maintain course and make as much speed as possible
    N d. starboard bow and heave to until the hurricane has passed

1777: If the current and wind are in the same direction, the sea surface represents a wind speed __________.

    Y a. lower than actually exists
    N b. higher than actually exists
    N c. that actually exists
    N d. that has no proportional relationship

1795: Which weather element cannot be measured accurately while on board a moving vessel?

    N a. Relative humidity
    Y b. Cloud base height
    N c. Temperature
    N d. Atmospheric pressure

1805: A phenomenon where the atmospheric pressure is higher than that of other surrounding regions is called __________.

    N a. the "trade winds"
    N b. a low front or an occluded front
    N c. the doldrums
    Y d. a "high"

1836: At evening stars, the first stars that should be observed are those with an azimuth in what quadrant?

    N a. Southern
    N b. Western
    N c. Northern
    Y d. Eastern

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

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

1908: What is the brightest navigational planet?

    N a. Saturn
    N b. Jupiter
    N c. Mars
    Y d. Venus

2030: A vessel heading NE is on a course of __________.

    N a. 022.5°
    Y b. 045.0°
    N c. 067.5°
    N d. 090.0°

2111: Vessels regularly navigating Ohio and Mississippi rivers above Cairo, Illinois, and their tributaries, shall at all times have on board a copy of __________.

    N a. Tide Tables
    N b. U.S. Coast Pilot
    Y c. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Navigation Regulations (Blue Book)
    N d. Sailing Directions

2192: Off Fire Island, NY, with winds from the southwest, the average wind-driven current flows in a direction of __________.

    N a. 256°
    N b. 170°
    Y c. 076°
    N d. 014°

2272: Mars will not be visible __________.

    N a. at elongation angles near 180°
    N b. from quadrature to opposition
    Y c. at conjunction
    N d. at opposition

2350: The principal advantage of NAVTEX radio warnings is that __________.

    Y a. they can be used by mariners who do not know Morse code
    N b. only an ordinary FM radio is necessary to receive these warnings
    N c. information on a given topic is only broadcast at specified times
    N d. they cover a broad spectrum of the radio band allowing reception on almost any type of receiver

2648: The 3-cm radar as compared to a 10-cm radar with similar specifications will __________.

    N a. give better range performance in rain, hail, etc.
    N b. display small targets in a mass of dense sea clutter at a greater range
    N c. have less sea return in choppy rough seas
    Y d. display a more maplike presentation for inshore navigation

2690: Right ascension is primarily used by the navigator for __________.

    N a. calculating amplitudes
    N b. calculating great circle sailings by the Ageton method
    N c. entering the Air Navigation Tables (Selected Stars) Pub 249
    Y d. plotting on star finders

2928: You are in a buoyed channel at night and pass a lighted buoy with an irregular characteristic. You should report this to the __________.

    Y a. Coast Guard
    N b. harbor master
    N c. Corps of Engineers
    N d. National Ocean Service

2929: On 29 June 1981 you observe a back sight of the lower limb of the Moon. The sextant altitude (hs) is 114°16.9'. The height of eye is 36 feet and the index error is 2.0' on the arc. The horizontal parallax is 60.5'. What is the observed altitude (Ho)?

    Y a. 66°31.6'
    N b. 66°31.0'
    N c. 66°28.8'
    N d. 66°26.0'

2984: What two shapes shown are used to indicate a preferred channel? (D045NG )

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

2986: Some places maintain a zone time of -13. What are the time and date at Greenwich if the zone time and date are 2152, 10 January?

    N a. 1052, 9 January
    Y b. 0852, 10 January
    N c. 1052, 10 January
    N d. 1052, 11 January

3014: Given are the courses and speeds of 4 vessels. The navigator of which vessel would be required to know the actual time of meridian transit in order to take an accurate observation at LAN?

    N a. C 356°T, Sp 5.5 knots
    Y b. C 162°T, Sp 27 knots
    N c. C 095°T, Sp 30 knots
    N d. C 268°T, Sp 22 knots

3120: The short text messaging feature of the automatic identification system (AIS) allows for messages of up to___.

    N a. 56 characters
    N b. 64 characters
    N c. 128 characters
    Y d. 158 characters