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.
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 98: A position that is obtained by applying estimated current and wind to your vessel's course and speed is a(n) __________.
N a. dead reckoning position Y b. estimated position N c. fix N d. None of the above 132: The value of sixty nautical miles per degree of geodetic latitude is most correct at __________.
N a. the equator Y b. latitude 45° N c. the poles N d. all latitudes 207: An important lunar cycle affecting the tidal cycle is called the nodal period. How long is this cycle?
N a. 16 days N b. 18 days N c. 6 years Y d. 19 years 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 277: Your vessel goes aground in soft mud. You would have the best chance of refloating it on the next tide if it grounded at __________.
N a. low water neap Y b. low water spring N c. high water neap N d. high water spring 302: Which symbol represents a 20-fathom curve?
Y a. -..-..-..-..- N b. - - - - - - - - N c. - - . - - . - - . - - . N d. - - - - - - - - 334: The index error is determined by adjusting the __________.
N a. sextant frame N b. horizon glass N c. index mirror Y d. micrometer drum 386: Your vessel is on course 180°T speed 22 knots. The apparent wind is from 70° off the port bow, speed 20 knots. The true direction and speed of the wind are __________.
N a. 45°T, 21.0 knots Y b. 51°T, 24.0 knots N c. 58°T, 21.2 knots N d. 64°T, 26.0 knots 448: Mean high water is the reference datum used to measure __________.
N a. soundings on the east coast of the United States N b. soundings in European waters Y c. heights of topographical features in the United States N d. both heights and soundings worldwide 479: You are enroute to assist vessel A. Vessel A is underway at 5 knots on course 063°T, and bears 136°T at 78 miles from you. What is the course to steer at 13 knots to intercept vessel A?
Y a. 114° N b. 158° N c. 295° N d. 340° 565: The letter B as shown represents the __________. (D006NG )
Y a. geoidal horizon N b. celestial horizon N c. visible horizon N d. sensible horizon 589: What is the index error of sextant D? (D050NG )
N a. 7'10" on the arc N b. 6'50" on the arc N c. 3'00" on the arc Y d. 2'10" on the arc 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. 682: Which table is NOT found in the U.S. Coast Pilots?
N a. Climatological table Y b. Luminous range table N c. Meteorological table N d. Coastwise distance table 710: What is the FIRST sign of the existence of a well developed tropical cyclone?
N a. Gale force winds from the north Y b. An unusually long ocean swell N c. Steep, short-period waves and light wind N d. Thunderstorms and higher than usual humidity 748: You are steaming west in the South 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 __________.
N a. to the north of you Y b. to the south of you N c. dead ahead of you N d. dead astern of you 781: The IALA Buoyage Systems do NOT apply to __________.
N a. the sides and centerlines of navigable channels N b. natural dangers and other obstructions, such as wrecks Y c. lighthouses and lightships N d. areas in which navigation may be subject to regulation 789: The dangerous semicircle of a hurricane in the Northern Hemisphere is that area of the storm __________.
Y a. to the right of the storm's track N b. measured from true north clockwise to 180°T N c. measured from true north counterclockwise to 180°T N d. between the ship's heading and the bearing to the eye 935: The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 5 miles and a height above water of 21 feet (6.4 meters). Your height of eye is 32 feet (9.8 meters) and the visibility is 1.0 mile. At what approximate range will you first sight the light?
N a. 1.0 mile Y b. 1.5 miles N c. 5.0 miles N d. 11.7 miles 988: You are preparing a weather report form, WS Form B-80. One-half of the sky is covered with clouds, and the anemometer indicates that the apparent wind is from 340° relative at 14 knots. You are on course 307°T at 12.6 knots. How should you encode group Nddff? (D041NG )
N a. 53414 N b. 54013 Y c. 42205 N d. 43013 998: The navigable semicircle of a tropical storm in the South Indian Ocean is located on which side of the storm's track?
N a. Rear N b. Front N c. Left Y d. Right 1096: With the passage of an occluded front the temperature __________.
N a. rises rapidly N b. remains about the same N c. drops rapidly Y d. depends on whether warm type or cold type occlusion 1162: A line connecting all possible positions of your vessel at any given time is a __________.
N a. longitude line N b. latitude line Y c. line of position N d. fix 1220: Under the U.S. Aids to Navigation System, a lighted buoy with a spherical topmark marks __________.
N a. the position of underwater cables N b. a hazard to navigation N c. the port side of the channel Y d. safe water 1239: While taking weather observations, you determine that the wind is blowing from the northeast. You would record the wind direction in the weather log as __________.
Y a. 045° N b. 090° N c. 135° N d. 225° 1324: When daylight savings time is kept, the time of tide and current calculations must be adjusted. One way of doing this is to __________.
Y a. add one hour to the times listed under the reference stations N b. subtract one hour from the time differences listed for the subordinate stations N c. apply no correction as the times in the reference stations are adjusted for daylight savings time N d. add 15° to the standard meridian when calculating the time difference 1411: The nominal range of a light may be accurately defined as the maximum distance at which a light may be seen __________.
N a. under existing visibility conditions N b. under perfect visibility Y c. with ten miles visibility N d. with fifteen miles visibility 1447: What will be the velocity of the tidal current 6 miles south of Shoal Point, NY, at 1850 DST (ZD +4) on 9 July 1983?
N a. 0.2 knot ebb Y b. 0.2 knot flood N c. 1.2 knot ebb N d. 1.4 knot flood 1464: A line of position derived from a loran reading is a section of a(n) __________.
N a. straight line N b. arc N c. parabola Y d. hyperbola 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 1519: You are preparing a weather report form, WS Form B-80. Your position is LAT 10°38'S, LONG 00°14'E. How would this be encoded? (D041NG )
N a. LAT 10.6°S, LONG 00.2°E N b. L106S, 30002 N c. 10385, 0014E Y d. 99106, 30002 1559: You are underway in the North Sea on course 216°T when you sight a buoy bearing 021° relative. Under the IALA Buoyage System, you are in the best navigable water if the buoy __________.
Y a. has a light characteristic of Q(6) + L Fl 15s N b. is horizontally banded yellow, black, yellow N c. has a double cone topmark with both points up N d. has a continuous very quick light 1563: Neap tides occur only __________.
N a. at a new or full Moon N b. when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are in line N c. at approximately 28-day intervals Y d. when the Moon is at quadrature 1594: The Illustration shows the symbols used on radio facsimile weather charts. The symbol indicated at letter "P" represents __________. (D042NG )
N a. snow N b. hail Y c. freezing rain N d. sleet 1636: A type of precipitation that occurs only in thunderstorms with strong convection currents that convey raindrops above and below the freezing level is known as __________.
N a. sleet Y b. hail N c. freezing rain N d. rime 1638: Clouds form __________.
Y a. as a mass of warm, humid air rises into the atmosphere and cools, condensing moisture into small droplets N b. as winds blow across bodies of water, the sun causes the moisture to be absorbed and move upward forming clouds N c. dry air compresses moisture from the atmosphere into clouds N d. when the relative humidity of the atmosphere is low 1714: Which statement concerning storm surges on the Great Lakes is FALSE?
Y a. They are common along the deeper areas of the lakes. N b. They cause rapid differences in levels between one end of the lake and the other. N c. The greatest water level difference occurs when the wind is blowing along the longitudinal axis of the lake. N d. If the wind subsides rapidly, a seiche effect will most likely occur. 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 1880: A vessel heading SSW is on a course of __________.
Y a. 202.5° N b. 225.0° N c. 247.5° N d. 270.0° 1890: A vessel heading SSE is on a course of __________.
N a. 112.5° N b. 135.0° Y c. 157.5° N d. 180.0° 1898: 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. 14312 N b. 25134 N c. 21105 Y d. 11032 2162: The new Moon cannot be seen because the Moon is __________.
N a. in the opposite direction of the Sun N b. below the horizon Y c. between the Earth and the Sun N d. at quadrature 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 2214: By convention, the Earth's south magnetic pole is colored __________.
N a. blue N b. black N c. white Y d. red 2246: The speed of an ocean current is dependent on __________.
Y a. the density of the water N b. the air temperature N c. the presence of a high pressure area near it N d. underwater soil conditions 2410: A facility used for the discharge of a cargo of a particular hazard, such as chlorine, butane or ethane, must have what to warn water traffic of an immediate danger during fire or cargo release?
N a. An emergency boat and crew Y b. A siren or rotating flashing light N c. Flashing red lights located one-half mile upstream and downstream of the facility N d. Buoys with flashing lights controlled from shore, located one-half mile upstream and downstream of the facility 2428: If your vessel were proceeding up river (ascending), the port side of the channel would be marked according to the U. S. Aids to Navigation System on the Western Rivers by __________.
Y a. green can buoys N b. red can buoys N c. green nun buoys N d. red nun buoys 2506: Which is TRUE on the Western Rivers when a vessel downbound with a following current is meeting an upbound vessel?
Y a. She has the right of way only if she is a power-driven vessel. N b. She has the right of way only if she has a tow. N c. She does not have the right of way, since the other vessel is not crossing the river. N d. She must wait for a whistle signal from the upbound vessel. 2572: The dividing meridian between zone descriptions -4 and -5 is __________.
N a. 60°00'E Y b. 67°30'E N c. 75°00'E N d. 60°00'W 2652: The dividing meridian between zone descriptions -10 and -11 is __________.
N a. 135°30'E N b. 145°00'E N c. 150°00'E Y d. 157°30'E 2683: A vessel's position should be plotted using bearings of __________.
N a. buoys close at hand Y b. fixed known objects on shore N c. fixed objects N d. All of the above 2700: In the horizon system of coordinates what is equivalent to the meridian angle of the celestial equator system?
Y a. Azimuth angle N b. Zenith distance N c. Colatitude N d. Altitude 2836: The correction tables in the front of the Nautical Almanac for use with sun sights do NOT include the effects of __________.
N a. mean refraction N b. parallax N c. semidiameter Y d. irradiation 2870: Steam fog is most likely to occur on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in __________.
N a. spring, around late evening N b. spring, around early evening Y c. fall, around early morning N d. fall, around midday 2913: The Daily Memorandum contains information on __________.
N a. active weather disturbances such as hurricanes or tropical storms Y b. the latest navigational warnings N c. scheduled vessel arrivals and departures for a 24-hour period N d. water levels at river ports where run-off affects tidal heights 2968: Some locations maintain a zone time of -13. What are the zone time and date if the Greenwich time and date are 0152, 10 January?
N a. 0052, 9 January N b. 0258, 9 January Y c. 1452, 10 January N d. 0052, 11 January 2979: You take a bearing of 356° of a lighthouse. What bearing of another object would give the best fix?
N a. 013° Y b. 082° N c. 176° N d. 201° 3002: The diurnal variation of pressure is most noticeable __________.
N a. above the polar circles N b. in a low pressure area N c. during periods of low temperatures Y d. in the doldrums 3106: What does an automatic identification system (AIS) transponder use to transmit and receive information broadcasts?
N a. 3000 Mhz and 9200 Mhz N b. 2182 Khz and 2187.5 Khz Y c. 156.525 Mhz, 161.975 Mhz and 162.025 Mhz N d. 1575.42 Mhz and 1227.6 Mhz