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.
6: Wind velocity varies __________.
N a. directly with the temperature of the air mass Y b. directly with the pressure gradient N c. inversely with the barometric pressure N d. inversely with the absolute humidity 169: You want to transit Hell Gate on 23 July 1983. What is the period of time around the AM (ZD +4) slack before ebb when the current will be less than 0.5 knot?
Y a. 0939 to 0957 N b. 0943 to 0953 N c. 0844 to 0852 N d. 0348 to 0356 188: Off Barnegat, NJ, with the wind coming out of the east, the wind-driven current will be flowing approximately __________.
N a. 286° Y b. 254° N c. 106° N d. 016° 223: In the Loran-C configuration shown, the stations located at X, Y, and Z are called __________. (D003NG )
N a. repeater stations Y b. secondary stations N c. composite stations N d. alternate stations 248: What is the index error of sextant A in illustration D050NG? (D050NG )
N a. 0° 10' off the arc N b. 0° 10' on the arc N c. 3° 00' off the arc Y d. 4° 20' off the arc 292: The symbol which appears beside a light on a chart reads "Gp Fl R (2) 10 sec 160 ft 19M". Which characteristic does the light possess?
N a. It is visible two nautical miles. N b. Its distinguishing number is "19M". Y c. It has a red light. N d. It flashes once every ten seconds. 321: Which buoy may be even numbered?
N a. Mid-channel buoy Y b. Unlighted nun buoy N c. Lighted green buoy N d. All of the above 330: You are taking bearings on two known objects ashore. The BEST fix is obtained when the angle between the lines of position is __________.
Y a. 90° N b. 30° N c. 45° N d. 60° 372: You would find the variation on a polyconic projection chart __________.
Y a. on the compass rose N b. on the mileage scale N c. written on the chart title N d. at each line of longitude 374: There are seven sources of error in the marine sextant. Of the four errors listed, which one is adjustable?
Y a. Error of collimation N b. Prismatic error N c. Graduation error N d. Centering error 376: According to Buys Ballot's law, when an observer in the Northern Hemisphere experiences a northeast wind the center of low pressure is located to the __________.
N a. northeast N b. west-southwest N c. northwest Y d. south-southeast 410: The height of the tide at low water is 0.0 feet. The range is 9.0 feet. The duration is 06h 00m. The height of the tide 02h 12m before high water will be __________.
N a. 8.3 feet Y b. 6.3 feet N c. 4.7 feet N d. 2.7 feet 440: You are inbound in a channel marked by a range. The range line is 309°T. You are steering 306°T. The range appears as shown and is closing. Which action should you take? (D047NG )
N a. Continue on the present heading until the range is in line, then alter course to the left. N b. Immediately alter course to the right to bring the range in line. N c. Immediately alter course to 309°T. Y d. Continue on course until the range is closed, then alter course to the right. 442: In very high latitudes, the most practical chart projection is the __________.
N a. Mercator N b. gnomonic N c. azimuthal Y d. Lambert conformal 518: With regard to GPS, a civilian receiver may be capable of achieving the same accuracy as a military receiver if __________.
Y a. selective availability is set to zero N b. the satellites are all below 15° in elevation N c. your vessel is equipped with a Doppler receiver N d. the horizontal dilution of precision is high 530: Under the U.S. Aids to Navigation System, a lighted buoy with a spherical topmark marks __________.
N a. the port side of the channel N b. the position of underwater cables Y c. safe water N d. a hazard to navigation 536: You are enroute from Puerto Rico to New York. A hurricane makes up and is approaching. If the wind veers steadily, this indicates that your vessel is __________.
Y a. in the dangerous semicircle N b. in the navigable semicircle N c. directly in the path of the storm N d. in the storm center 561: Buoys which mark dredging areas are painted __________.
N a. black Y b. yellow N c. green N d. red 591: White lights may be found on __________.
N a. special purpose buoys N b. preferred channel buoys Y c. information and regulatory buoys N d. numbered buoys 599: Magnetic compass deviation __________.
N a. varies depending upon the bearing used Y b. is the angular difference between magnetic north and compass north N c. is published on the compass rose on most nautical charts N d. is the angular difference between geographic and magnetic meridians 619: According to Buys Ballot's Law, when an observer in the Southern Hemisphere experiences a northwest wind, the center of the low pressure is located to the __________.
N a. east-northeast Y b. south-southwest N c. east-southeast N d. west-southwest 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 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° 671: You sight a buoy fitted with a double-sphere topmark. If sighted at night, this buoy would show a __________.
N a. quick-flashing red light N b. quick-flashing green light Y c. flashing white light showing a group of two flashes N d. flashing red light showing a group of three flashes 673: You are underway at 5 knots and see on your radar a contact 10 miles directly astern of you. 12 minutes later, the contact is 8 miles directly astern of you. What is the estimated speed of the contact?
N a. Dead in the water N b. 1 knot N c. 10 knots Y d. 15 knots 776: You are navigating in pilotage waters using running fixes. The maximum time between fixes should be about __________.
N a. 4 hours N b. 1 hour Y c. 30 minutes N d. 5 minutes 791: Under the IALA Buoyage Systems, the topmark of a red and white vertically-striped buoy shall be __________.
N a. X-shaped N b. two black spheres Y c. a single red sphere N d. a single red cone 802: Which is a weekly publication advising mariners of important matters affecting navigational safety?
N a. Light List Y b. Notice to Mariners N c. Coast Pilot N d. Sailing Directions 803: Which buoy will NOT display white retroreflective material?
N a. Safe water mark N b. Isolated danger mark Y c. Preferred channel mark N d. Daymark of no lateral significance 813: At the magnetic equator there is no induced magnetism in the vertical soft iron because __________.
N a. the lines of force cross the equator on a 0°-180° alignment N b. the quadrantal error is 0° Y c. there is no vertical component of the Earth's magnetic field N d. the intercardinal headings have less than 1° error 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 843: The line which connects the points of zero magnetic dip is __________.
N a. an agonic line Y b. the magnetic equator N c. a magnetic meridian N d. All of the above 870: Vessels should maintain a sharp lookout, especially during December through March, when navigating the right whale's only known calving grounds which lie off the coasts of __________.
N a. Nova Scotia N b. Maine and Massachusetts Y c. Georgia and NE Florida N d. California and Mexico 937: The north equatorial current flows to the __________.
N a. east N b. northeast N c. southwest Y d. west 1072: What is the approximate geographic range of Assateague Light, VA, if your height of eye is 52 feet (15.8 meters)? Refer to "Reprints from the LIGHT LISTS AND COAST PILOTS" .
N a. 14.1 nm N b. 21.8 nm Y c. 23.0 nm N d. 50.2 nm 1144: Freezing salt water spray should be anticipated when the air temperature drops below what temperature?
N a. 32°F (0.0°C) Y b. 28°F (-2.2°C) N c. 0°F (-17.8°C) N d. -40°F (-28.9°C) 1227: What will be the direction and velocity of the tidal current at Provincetown Harbor, MA, at 1405 DST (ZD +4) on 5 May 1983?
N a. 0.0 knot at 135°T N b. 0.2 knot at 135°T Y c. 0.4 knot at 315°T N d. 0.6 knot at 315°T 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 1318: You are to sail from Elizabethport, N.J., on 17 November 1983 with a maximum draft of 27 feet. You will pass over an obstruction in the channel near Sandy Hook that has a charted depth of 25.5 feet. The steaming time from Elizabethport to the obstruction is 1h 50m. What is the earliest time (ZD +5) you can sail on 17 November and pass over the obstruction with 2 feet of clearance?
N a. 0059 Y b. 0121 N c. 0159 N d. 0221 1697: In the Northern Hemisphere, if the center of a high pressure area is due west of you, what wind direction would you expect?
N a. South to west N b. South to east Y c. North to west N d. North to east 1742: In the Northern hemisphere which semicircle of a hurricane is the navigable semicircle?
Y a. Left N b. Right N c. Front N d. Back 1790: A Doppler speed log indicates speed through the water __________.
N a. at all times N b. in the bottom return mode Y c. in the volume reverberation mode N d. only when there is no current 2006: What is the relative bearing of an object broad on the port beam?
N a. 315° N b. 300° Y c. 270° N d. 235° 2043: Stormy weather is usually associated with regions of __________.
N a. changing barometric pressure N b. high barometric pressure N c. steady barometric pressure Y d. low barometric pressure 2070: What is the relative bearing of an object on the port beam?
N a. 045° N b. 090° N c. 180° Y d. 270° 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 2103: The description "Racon" beside an illustration on a chart would mean a __________.
N a. radar calibration beacon N b. circular radio beacon N c. radar conspicuous beacon Y d. radar transponder beacon 2144: Yesterday your chronometer read 02h 59m 58s at the 1500 GMT time tick. Today the chronometer reads 03h 00m 02s at the 1500 GMT time tick. What is the chronometer error?
Y a. 02s fast N b. 03h 00m 02s fast N c. +3s N d. -3s 2170: The temperature at which the air is saturated with water vapor and below which condensation of water vapor will occur is referred to as the __________.
N a. precipitation point N b. vapor point Y c. dew point N d. absolute humidity 2270: The lubber's line of a magnetic compass __________.
N a. always shows true north direction Y b. indicates the vessel's heading N c. is always parallel to the vessel's transom N d. is located on the compass card 2361: The range of tide is the __________.
N a. maximum depth of the water at high tide N b. duration of time between high and low tide N c. distance the tide moves out from the shore Y d. difference between the heights of high and low tide 2361: The range of tide is the __________.
N a. maximum depth of the water at high tide N b. duration of time between high and low tide N c. distance the tide moves out from the shore Y d. difference between the heights of high and low tide 2375: The shortest distance between any two points on earth defines a __________.
N a. small circle Y b. great circle N c. rhumb line N d. hyperbola 2435: What is a lighted safe water mark fitted with to aid in its identification?
N a. A red and white octagon N b. Red and white retroreflective material N c. A sequential number Y d. A spherical topmark 2610: A line on the Earth parallel to the equator is a __________.
N a. gnomonic curve Y b. small circle N c. meridian N d. great circle 2904: Your radar displays your ship off center. As you proceed on your course, your ship's marker moves on the PPI scope while echoes from land masses remain stationary. What is this display called?
N a. Off center Y b. True motion N c. Stabilized N d. Head up 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' 2945: A position that is obtained by applying estimated current and wind to your vessel's course and speed is a(n) __________.
Y a. estimated position N b. dead reckoning position N c. fix N d. None of the above 3122: The short text messaging feature of the automatic identification system (AIS) allows for messages of up to ___.
N a. 96 characters Y b. 158 characters N c. 256 characters N d. 384 characters 3127: Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding automatic identification systems (AIS) ?
N a. AIS cannot be used to make passing arrangements because the system is not capable of this type of ship-to-ship communications. N b. AIS cannot be used to make passing arrangements because the ship-to-ship text messaging feature is for emergency use only. Y c. AIS can be used to make passing arrangements via ship-to-ship text messaging but a vessel operator is not relieved from the requirement to sound whistle signals or make arrangements via bridge-to-bridge radiotelephone. N d. AIS can be used to make passing arrangements via ship-to-ship text massaging thus relieving a vessel operator from making such arrangements via bridge-to-bridge radiotelephone or signaling intent to pass via whistle signals.