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.


2: On an isomagnetic chart, the line of zero variation is the __________.


37: What does the term "tide" refer to?


44: The speed of sound through ocean water is nearly always __________.


83: All Loran-C transmitting stations are equipped with cesium frequency standards which permit __________.

    N a. every station in one chain to transmit at the same time
    Y b. each station to transmit without reference to another station
    N c. on-line transmission of single-line transmitters at the same time
    N d. each station to only depend on the master for synchronization and signal ratio

107: The average height of the surface of the sea for all stages of the tide over a 19 year period is called __________.

    N a. mean high water
    N b. mean low water
    N c. half-tide level
    Y d. mean sea level

157: Tropic tides are caused by the __________.

    Y a. Moon being at its maximum declination
    N b. Moon crossing the equator
    N c. Sun and Moon both being near 0° declination
    N d. Moon being at perigee

179: You are proceeding up a channel at night. It is marked by a range which bears 185°T. You steady up on a compass course of 180° with the range in line dead ahead. This indicates that you(r) __________.

    N a. must come right to get on the range
    N b. course is in error
    Y c. compass has some easterly error
    N d. are being affected by a southerly current

193: In using Loran-C, skywave reception gives greater range but is __________.

    N a. only accurate during daylight hours
    Y b. much less accurate
    N c. only accurate at twilight
    N d. more accurate than using ground waves

211: The light rhythm of Morse (A) is shown on __________.

    N a. preferred-channel buoys
    N b. starboard- or port-side buoys
    N c. special marks
    Y d. safe water buoys

309: You are underway on course 050°T and your maximum speed is 12 knots. The eye of a hurricane bears 120°T, 110 miles from your position. The hurricane is moving towards 285°T at 25 knots. What course should you steer at 12 knots to have the maximum CPA?

    N a. 332°
    N b. 339°
    Y c. 346°
    N d. 357°

341: Buoys which only mark the left or right side of the channel will never exhibit a light with which characteristic?

    N a. Flashing
    N b. Quick flashing
    Y c. Composite group flashing
    N d. Equal interval (isophase)

396: Your vessel is on course 150°T, speed 17 knots. The apparent wind is from 40° off the starboard bow, speed 15 knots. What is the speed of the true wind?

    N a. 9.0 knots
    N b. 10.2 knots
    Y c. 11.0 knots
    N d. 12.0 knots

466: In the relatively calm area near the hurricane center, the seas are __________.

    N a. moderate but easily navigated
    N b. calm
    Y c. mountainous and confused
    N d. mountainous but fairly regular as far as direction is concerned

642: Which government agency publishes the U.S. Coast Pilot?

    N a. Army Corps of Engineers
    N b. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
    Y c. National Ocean Service
    N d. U.S. Coast Guard

716: Standard atmospheric pressure in inches of mercury is __________.

    N a. 30.00
    N b. 28.92
    Y c. 29.92
    N d. 29.00

751: Under the IALA Buoyage Systems, a yellow buoy may mark __________.

    N a. fish net areas
    N b. spoil areas
    N c. military exercise zones
    Y d. All of the above

759: At 0000 you fix your position and plot a new DR track line. At 0200 you again fix your position and it is 0.5 mile west of your DR. Which statement is TRUE?

    N a. The set is 090°, drift 0.5 knot.
    Y b. The set is 270°, drift 0.25 knot.
    N c. The set is 270°, drift 0.5 knot.
    N d. The set is 270°, drift 1.0 knot.

768: The wind velocity is higher in the dangerous semicircle of a tropical cyclone because of the __________.

    Y a. wind circulation and forward motion of the storm
    N b. extension of the low pressure ridge
    N c. recurvature effect
    N d. direction of circulation and pressure gradient

829: You are plotting a running fix in an area where there is a determinable current. How should this current be treated in determining the position?

    N a. The drift should be added to the ship's speed.
    N b. The set should be applied to the second bearing.
    N c. The current should be ignored.
    Y d. The course and speed made good should be determined and used to advance the LOP.

900: An orange and white buoy with a rectangle on it is a(n) __________.

    Y a. informational buoy
    N b. junction buoy
    N c. safe water buoy
    N d. All of the above

918: At 1200 ZT, on 31 August, your position is LAT 43°14'S, LONG 175°44'E. 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 )

    N a. 01003, 94314, 51757
    Y b. 31003, 99432, 31757
    N c. 31123, 99432, 31754
    N d. 31243, 94314, 31757

928: The position labeled "D" was plotted because __________. (D051NG )

    Y a. a dead reckoning position is plotted for each course change
    N b. a dead reckoning position is plotted within 30 minutes of a running fix
    N c. the vessel's speed changed at 1125
    N d. All of the above

941: While preparing to enter a Brazilian port, you see ahead a red and green horizontally-striped buoy. The upper band is red. What action should you take?

    N a. Alter course to leave the buoy to port.
    Y b. Alter course to leave the buoy to starboard.
    N c. Pass the buoy close aboard on either side.
    N d. Pass the buoy well clear on either side.

946: The wind circulation around a high pressure center in the Northern Hemisphere is __________.

    N a. counterclockwise and moving towards the high
    N b. counterclockwise and moving outward from the high
    N c. clockwise and moving towards the high
    Y d. clockwise and moving outward from the high

1051: Under the IALA Buoyage Systems, a cardinal mark may NOT be used to __________.

    N a. indicate that the deepest water in an area is on the named side of the mark
    N b. indicate the safe side on which to pass a danger
    N c. draw attention to a feature in the channel such as a bend, junction, bifurcation, or end of a shoal
    Y d. indicate the port and starboard sides of well-defined channels

1093: The Flinders bar on a magnetic compass compensates for the __________.

    Y a. induced magnetism in vertical soft iron
    N b. induced magnetism in horizontal soft iron
    N c. permanent magnetism in ship's steel
    N d. vessel's inclination from the vertical

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°

1134: The Earth's irregular heating is caused by __________.

    N a. the time of day
    N b. the seasons
    N c. geography
    Y d. All of the above

1134: The Earth's irregular heating is caused by __________.

    N a. the time of day
    N b. the seasons
    N c. geography
    Y d. All of the above

1199: The Sailing Directions (Enroute) contain information on __________.

    N a. well-charted inner dangers
    N b. port facilities
    Y c. coastal anchorages
    N d. offshore traffic separation schemes

1256: A cold front moving in from the northwest can produce __________.

    Y a. thunderstorms, hail, and then rapid clearing
    N b. increasing cloud cover lasting for several days
    N c. lengthy wet weather
    N d. low ceilings with thick cirrus clouds

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

1345: A large automated navigational buoy, such as those that have replaced some lightships, would be shown on a chart by which symbol in illustration D015NG?

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

1435: Inferior conjunction is possible for __________.

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

1499: You are scanning the radar screen for a buoy fitted with racon. How should this signal appear on the PPI display?

    Y a. Starting with a dash and extending radially outward from the target
    N b. As a broken line from center of PPI to the target
    N c. Starting with a dot and extending radially inward from the target
    N d. Starting with a dash and extending to the right of the target

1514: The compass error of a magnetic compass that has no deviation is __________.

    N a. zero
    Y b. equal to variation
    N c. eliminated by adjusting the compass
    N d. constant at any geographical location

1538: The winds of the "roaring forties" are strongest near __________.

    N a. 40°N
    N b. 50°N
    N c. 40°S
    Y d. 50°S

1631: Which picture shows an occulting light? (D034NG )

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

1874: Lighted white and orange buoys must show which color light?

    N a. Orange
    N b. Red
    N c. Alternating yellow and white
    Y d. White

1961: What kind of pressure systems travel in tropical waves?

    N a. Subsurface pressure
    N b. Terrastatic pressure
    N c. High pressure
    Y d. Low pressure

2018: Which magnetic compass corrector(s) can be set while the vessel is on a heading of magnetic east or magnetic west?

    N a. Quadrantal spheres
    N b. Heeling magnet
    Y c. Flinders bar
    N d. Athwartships magnets

2078: If a towboat requires a double lockage it shall give which sound signal at a distance of not more than one mile from the lock?

    N a. One short blast followed by two long blasts
    N b. One long blast followed by one short blast
    N c. Two long blasts followed by one short blast
    Y d. One long blast followed by two short blasts

2102: The subregions of the United States Gulf and East Coasts are numbered 11, 12 and 13 within the chart numbering system. Which chart number indicates a chart for either the Gulf or East Coast?

    N a. 21214
    Y b. 11314
    N c. 14313
    N d. 14114

2158: Permanent magnetism is caused by __________.

    N a. operation of electrical equipment and generators on board ship
    Y b. the earth's magnetic field affecting the ship's hard iron during construction
    N c. the horizontal component of the earth's magnetic field acting on the horizontal soft iron
    N d. the vertical component of the earth's magnetic field acting on the vertical soft iron

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

2211: What is the length of a nautical mile?

    N a. 1,850 meters
    Y b. 6,076 feet
    N c. 5,280 feet
    N d. 2,000 yards

2329: In low latitudes, a last quarter moon will always rise at about __________.

    N a. sunrise
    N b. 1200 LMT
    N c. sunset
    Y d. 2400 LMT

2349: The summer solstice is the point where the Sun is at __________.

    Y a. maximum declination north
    N b. maximum declination south
    N c. 0° declination going to northerly declinations
    N d. 0° declination going to southerly declinations

2522: The letter H in illustration D006NG represents the __________. (D006NG )

    N a. celestial horizon
    N b. geoidal horizon
    Y c. visible horizon
    N d. refractive horizon

2725: A position that is obtained by using two or more intersecting lines of position taken at nearly the same time, is a(n) __________.

    N a. estimated position
    N b. dead-reckoning position
    N c. running fix
    Y d. fix

2821: The height of tide is the __________.

    N a. difference between the depth of the water at high tide and the depth of the water at low tide
    N b. depth of water at a specific time due to tidal effect
    Y c. difference between the depth of the water and the area's tidal datum
    N d. difference between the depth of the water and the high water tidal level

2831: A coastal chart could have a scale of __________.

    N a. not more than 1:25,000
    N b. 1:35,000
    Y c. 1:100,000
    N d. 1:500,000

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°

2896: You are navigating in pilotage waters. The maximum time between fixes should be about __________.

    N a. 5 minutes
    Y b. 30 minutes
    N c. 1 hour
    N d. 4 hours

2932: If the main channel under a bridge is marked with lights of the lateral system the adjacent bridge piers should be marked with __________.

    N a. occulting white lights
    Y b. fixed yellow lights
    N c. fixed white lights
    N d. flashing yellow lights

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

2994: You take a bearing of 313° and 076° of two objects. Which bearing of a third object will give the best fix?

    Y a. 014°
    N b. 133°
    N c. 255°
    N d. 339°

3021: Which information is found in the chart title?

    N a. Chart number
    Y b. Chart sounding datum
    N c. Revision and edition date
    N d. Variation information

3069: The database resulting from (1) the transformation of the electronic navigational chart (ENC) by ECDIS for appropriate use, (2) the updates to the ENC by appropriate means, and (3) the additional data added by the mariner, is called the __________.

    N a. display base information
    N b. standard display information
    Y c. system electronic navigational chart
    N d. chart display information

3130: When may the automatic identification system (AIS) be switched off?

    N a. At anytime as long as it is properly logged.
    Y b. At the Master's professional judgment.
    N c. Only when the vessel is at anchor or in port.
    N d. Under no circumstance.