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.
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 48: When should a navigator rely on the position of floating aids to navigation?
N a. During calm weather only N b. During daylight only N c. Only when inside a harbor Y d. Only when fixed aids are not available 140: You are underway on course 050°T and your maximum speed is 12 knots. The eye of a hurricane bears 080°T, 100 miles from your position. The hurricane is moving towards 265°T at 22 knots. If you maneuver at 12 knots to avoid the hurricane, what could be the maximum CPA?
N a. 76 miles N b. 69 miles Y c. 63 miles N d. 56 miles 143: Under the IALA - A Buoyage System, a buoy used as a port hand mark would not show which light characteristic?
N a. Isophase N b. Quick flashing N c. Long flashing Y d. Group Flashing (2 + 1) 151: Under the U.S. Aids to Navigation System, spherical buoys may be __________.
N a. numbered Y b. lettered N c. lighted N d. All of the above 153: The line extending beyond the stations at A and B is referred to as the __________. (D004NG )
N a. slave line N b. zero line Y c. baseline extension N d. centerline 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 222: Which statement concerning the illustration is correct? (Soundings and heights are in meters) (D010NG )
N a. Maury Lightship swings about her anchor on a circle with a 21-meter diameter. N b. The position of the lightship is indicated by the center of the star on the symbol's mast. N c. There is a 12 meter deep hole inside the 5-meter curve just west of Beito Island. Y d. The sunken wreck southwest of Beito Island shows the hull or superstructure above the sounding datum. 276: The region of high pressure extending around the Earth at about 35°N latitude is called the __________.
N a. prevailing westerlies Y b. horse latitudes N c. troposphere N d. doldrums 324: Index error of a sextant is primarily caused by __________.
N a. improperly correcting the other errors in a sextant N b. the horizon glass not being parallel to the horizon mirror Y c. the horizon glass not being parallel to the index mirror N d. human error in taking a celestial observation 379: The steady current circling the globe at about 60°S is the __________.
N a. Prevailing Westerly N b. Sub-Polar Flow Y c. West Wind Drift N d. Humboldt Current 401: You are steaming in a westerly direction along the Gulf Coast. You see ahead of you a lighted buoy showing a red isophase light. Which action should you take?
Y a. Alter course to port and leave the buoy to starboard. N b. Alter course to starboard and leave the buoy to port. N c. Alter course and leave the buoy near by on either side. N d. Alter course and pass the buoy well-off on either side. 476: Tropical cyclones normally form within which of the following belts of latitude?
Y a. 5° to 15° N b. 15° to 30° N c. 30° to 45° N d. 45° to 60° 521: Which sextant has an index error of 2'10" on the arc? (D050NG )
N a. A N b. B N c. C Y d. D 551: Spoil grounds, anchorage areas, cable areas, and military exercise areas are all marked by yellow buoys. Which special mark on the buoy will indicate the specific area you are in?
N a. A topmark triangular in shape N b. A topmark spherical in shape Y c. Lettering on the buoy N d. A topmark consisting of two cones with the points up 572: You wish to measure the distance on a Mercator chart between a point in latitude 43°30'N and a point in latitude 40°30'N. To measure 30 miles at a time, you should set the points of the dividers at __________.
N a. 41°30' and 42°00' Y b. 41°45' and 42°15' N c. 42°00' and 42°30' N d. 42°15' and 42°45' 609: A tropical wave is located 200 miles due west of your position, which is north of the equator. Where will the wave be in 24 hours?
Y a. Farther away to the west N b. Farther away to the east N c. In the same place N d. Closer and to the west 611: Information markers, when lighted, will display __________.
N a. yellow lights N b. green lights Y c. white lights N d. red lights 629: The rise and fall of the ocean's surface due to a distant storm is known as __________.
N a. sea N b. waves N c. fetch Y d. swell 666: In the Northern Hemisphere, your vessel is believed to be in the direct path of a hurricane, and plenty of sea room is available. The best course of action is to bring the wind on the __________.
N a. starboard bow, note the course, and head in that direction Y b. starboard quarter, note the course, and head in that direction N c. port quarter, note the course, and head in that direction N d. port bow, note the course, and head in that direction 714: When using the ARPA in heavy rain, which action should you take?
N a. Increase the radar gain to pick up weak echoes through the rain. N b. Increase the STC setting to reduce close-in spurious signals. Y c. Navigate as though the effective range of the radar has been reduced. N d. Increase the range of the inner and outer guard rings. 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 782: Mariners are FIRST warned of serious defects or important changes to aids to navigation by means of __________.
Y a. marine broadcast Notice to Mariners N b. Weekly Notices to Mariners N c. corrected editions of charts N d. Light Lists 834: In many areas "atoll" clouds (clouds of vertical development) are produced over small islands. These are the result of __________.
Y a. rising air currents produced by the warm islands N b. warm air from the sea rising over higher land areas N c. cool land air mixing with warm sea air N d. descending air over the islands 999: You are preparing a weather report form, WS Form B-80. Three-quarters of the sky is covered with clouds, and the anemometer indicates that the apparent wind is from 226° relative at 17.7 knots. You are on course 020°T at 8 knots. How should you encode group Nddff? (D041NG )
N a. 80208 N b. 72218 N c. 72318 Y d. 62324 1069: What do the numbers on isobars indicate?
Y a. barometric pressure N b. temperature N c. rain in inches N d. wind speed 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 1099: You are enroute to assist vessel A. Vessel A is underway at 6 knots on course 133°T, and bears 343°T at 92 miles from you. What is the course to steer at 9 knots to intercept vessel A?
N a. 356° Y b. 003° N c. 022° N d. 038° 1211: Red sectors of navigation lights warn mariners of __________.
N a. floating debris N b. heavily trafficked areas N c. recently sunken vessels Y d. shoals or nearby land 1310: An urgent marine storm warning message would be broadcast on __________.
N a. 2670 KHz N b. 156.80 MHz (VHF-FM Ch. 16) Y c. 157.10 MHz (VHF-FM Ch. 22A) N d. None of the above 1452: When is the rhumb line distance the same as the great circle distance?
N a. Course 090°T in high latitudes Y b. Course 180°T when you cross the equator N c. Course 045°T in low latitudes N d. The rhumb line distance is always longer than the great circle distance. 1476: When warm moist air blows over a colder surface and is cooled below its dew point, the result is __________.
N a. radiation fog N b. ice fog Y c. advection fog N d. frost smoke 1517: When determining compass error by an azimuth of Polaris, you enter the Nautical Almanac with the __________.
N a. GHA Aries Y b. LHA Aries N c. LHA Polaris N d. GHA Polaris 1539: You are steaming in the open ocean of the North Pacific between the Aleutian Chain and Hawaii. A warning broadcast indicates that an earthquake has occurred in the Aleutians and has generated a tsunami that is predicted to hit Hawaii. What action is necessary for the ship's safety?
N a. Calculate the tsunami's ETA at your position and turn to a course that will head into the Tsunami. N b. Securely stow all loose gear, check deck lashings, and prepare for extreme rolls. Y c. No special action as tsunamis are inconspicuous in the open ocean N d. Prepare for sudden, high-velocity wind gusts from rapidly changing directions. 1673: Information about currents on the Pacific Coast of the U. S. is found in the __________.
N a. Nautical Almanac Y b. Tidal Current Tables N c. Ocean Current Tables N d. Tide Tables 1674: The letter D in illustration D006NG represents the __________.
N a. visible horizon Y b. geometrical horizon N c. celestial horizon N d. geoidal horizon 1676: Lighted information markers show __________.
N a. green lights Y b. white lights N c. yellow lights N d. red lights 1757: Where would you obtain data on currents for areas of the world not covered by the U.S. National Ocean Service?
N a. In the Coast Pilot N b. In the Nautical Almanac N c. In the List of Lights Y d. In the Sailing Directions 1785: Which factor(s) is/are used to develop the charted information of a lighthouse?
N a. Height of the light and the observer Y b. Height and brightness of the light N c. Brightness of the light and height of the observer N d. Height of the light only 1788: You can follow the approach of a dangerous cyclonic storm by inspecting __________.
N a. the Coast Pilot or Sailing Directions N b. the National Weather Service Observing Handbook No.1, Marine Surface Observations Y c. a weather forecast N d. the sky overhead 1887: The Light List indicates that a light has a nominal range of 10 miles and is 11 feet high. If the visibility is 15 miles and your height of eye is 20 feet, at what approximate distance will you sight the light?
N a. 12.0 miles N b. 11.0 miles N c. 10.0 miles Y d. 9.0 miles 1902: Under the numbering system used by NGA (NIMA), a four digit number is used for __________.
N a. large scale charts of infrequently navigated areas such as the polar regions N b. charts of rivers or canal systems such as the Ohio River or Erie Canal Y c. non-navigational materials, such as a chart correction template or maneuvering board N d. foreign charts reproduced by NGA (NIMA) 1908: What is the brightest navigational planet?
N a. Saturn N b. Jupiter N c. Mars Y d. Venus 2008: What term is used to describe a tank barge constructed with the structural framing outside the cargo tank and the cargo tank plating separated from the shell plating?
N a. Shell plated Y b. Double hull N c. Hopper type N d. Independent tank 2119: Which stock number indicates an NGA (NIMA) chart designed for fixing positions at sea and DR plotting while on a long voyage?
Y a. WOAGN520 N b. PILOT16 N c. 16BCO16212 N d. WOPZC5245 2179: A vessel is heading magnetic northwest and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 312°. The quadrantal spheres are arranged athwartships. What action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?
N a. If the quadrantal spheres are all of the way in, replace them with larger ones. N b. If the quadrantal spheres are all of the way out, remove one of the spheres. N c. If the quadrantal spheres are all of the way out, move the spheres in. Y d. If the quadrantal spheres are all of the way out, replace them with smaller spheres. 2210: A dead reckoning (DR) plot __________.
Y a. ignores the effect of surface currents N b. is most useful when in sight of land N c. must be plotted using magnetic courses N d. may be started at an assumed position 2234: 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?
N a. Move the quadrantal spheres closer to the compass N b. Raise the heeling magnet if the red end is up N c. Remove some of the Flinders bar Y d. Raise or lower the athwartship magnets 2259: 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?
N a. If the quadrantal spheres are out as far as possible replace them with smaller spheres. N b. If the quadrantal spheres are in as far as possible remove one of the spheres. N c. If the quadrantal spheres are in as far as possible replace them with smaller spheres. Y d. If the quadrantal spheres are out as far as possible, move the quadrantal spheres in. 2330: You are heading in a northerly direction when you come across an easterly current. Your vessel will __________.
Y a. be pushed to starboard N b. be pushed to port N c. decrease in engine speed N d. remain on course 2352: When a superior planet is at 90° elongation, it is also at __________.
N a. conjunction N b. opposition Y c. quadrature N d. transit 2562: In the time diagram shown __________. (D005NG )
N a. the GHA of the Sun is approximately 330° Y b. your date is one day later than the date at Greenwich N c. the LHA of the Sun is approximately 120° N d. you are in west longitude 2583: You are in the Northern Hemisphere and a tropical wave is located 200 miles due west of your position. Where will the wave be located 24 hours later?
N a. In the same place N b. Closer and to the west N c. Closer and to the east Y d. Farther away to the west 2651: Low pressure disturbances which travel along the intertropical convergence zone are called __________.
Y a. tropical waves N b. tropical disturbances N c. permanent waves N d. tidal waves 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 2805: You are entering port and have been instructed to anchor, as your berth is not yet available. You are on a SW'ly heading, preparing to drop anchor, when you observe the range as shown on your starboard beam. You should __________. (D047NG )
N a. drop the anchor immediately as the range lights mark an area free of obstructions N b. drop the anchor immediately as a change in the position of the range lights will be an indication of dragging anchor N c. NOT drop the anchor until the lights are in line Y d. ensure your ship will NOT block the channel or obstruct the range while at anchor 2973: You should plot a dead reckoning position after every __________.
N a. course change N b. speed change N c. fix or running fix Y d. All of the above 2990: In which source could you find the vertical clearance of a bridge on the Ohio River?
N a. Notice to Mariners Y b. Light List of the Mississippi River System N c. Great Lakes Pilot N d. Coast Pilot of the Gulf of Mexico 2998: While navigating in fog off a coastline of steep cliffs, you hear the echo of the ships fog horn 3 1/2 seconds after the signal was sounded. What is the distance to the shore?
Y a. 640 yards N b. 480 yards N c. 315 yards N d. 143 yards 3103: In general, on how many radio channels will an automatic identification system (AIS) operate?
N a. 1 Y b. 3 N c. 4 N d. 12