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.


5: A vessel is steaming in east longitude on January 25 and crosses the International Date Line on an eastbound course at 0900 zone time. What is the date and time at Greenwich when the vessel crosses the line?


228: The Illustration shows the symbols used on radio facsimile weather charts. Which of these symbols indicates a convergence line? (D042NG )


237: Neap tides occur when the __________.


244: To make sure of getting the full advantage of a favorable current, you should reach an entrance or strait at what time in relation to the predicted time of the favorable current?

    N a. One hour after the predicted time
    N b. At the predicted time
    N c. 30 minutes before flood, one hour after an ebb
    Y d. 30 minutes before the predicted time

307: The time meridian that is used when computing the currents for Pensacola Bay, Florida, is __________.

    N a. 60°W
    N b. 75°W
    Y c. 90°W
    N d. 105°W

375: If the Sun's observed altitude is 47°50', the zenith distance is __________.

    Y a. 42°10'
    N b. 42°50'
    N c. 47°50'
    N d. 132°10'

382: Which would you consult for information about the general current circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean?

    Y a. Pilot chart
    N b. Coast Pilot
    N c. Current Table
    N d. Climatological Atlas

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.

482: Which statement about a gnomonic chart is correct?

    N a. A rhumb line appears as a straight line.
    N b. Distance is measured at the mid-latitude of the track line.
    N c. Meridians appear as curved lines converging toward the nearer pole.
    Y d. Parallels, except the equator, appear as curved lines.

512: On a gnomonic chart, a great circle track between Los Angeles and Brisbane will appear as a __________.

    N a. loxodromic curve
    N b. curved line concave to the equator
    Y c. straight line
    N d. spiral approaching the poles as a limit

633: You have another ship overtaking you close aboard to starboard. You have 3 radar targets bearing 090° relative at ranges of .5 mile, 1 mile, and 1.5 miles. In this case, the unwanted echoes are called __________.

    Y a. multiple echoes
    N b. spoking
    N c. indirect echoes
    N d. side-lobe echoes

636: Tropical cyclones are classified by form and intensity. Which system does not have closed isobars?

    N a. Hurricane
    Y b. Tropical disturbance
    N c. Tropical depression
    N d. Cyclone

647: You will enter Argentia, Newfoundland, at 1200 on 5 October 1983, while keeping zone description +3 on the ship's clocks. What will be the height of tide at this time (based on the Canadian chart datum)?

    N a. 0.5 feet
    N b. 1.2 feet
    Y c. 2.1 feet
    N d. 3.4 feet

692: Which publication should you check for complete information on Puget Sound weather conditions?

    N a. Sailing Directions
    N b. Light List
    Y c. Coast Pilot
    N d. Chart of the area

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

712: Information about the pilotage available at Miami harbor may best be obtained from which publication?

    N a. World Port Index
    N b. Sailing Directions
    N c. Pilot Chart
    Y d. United States Coast Pilot

772: You are hove to in a hurricane on a heading of 328°T. The wind is from 030° true at 119 knots. How should this be encoded on the weather report form under Nddff. (D041NG )

    N a. 80312
    N b. 83011
    N c. 83099
    Y d. 80399

827: The Benguela Current flows in a __________.

    N a. SW'ly direction along the NW coast of Africa
    N b. S'ly direction off the East Coast of Australia
    Y c. NW'ly direction along the SW coast of Africa
    N d. SW'ly direction along the SE coast of Greenland

828: The true wind has been determined to be from 210°T, speed 12 knots. You desire the apparent wind to be 30 knots from 10° on the port bow. What course must you steer, and what speed must you make for this to occur?

    Y a. 235°T, 18.6 knots
    N b. 245°T, 20.0 knots
    N c. 325°T, 22.4 knots
    N d. 335°T, 23.6 knots

837: The Brazil Current flows in which general direction?

    N a. Northwesterly
    Y b. Southwesterly
    N c. Southeasterly
    N d. Northerly

864: Uniform, grayish-white cloud sheets that cover large portions of the sky, and are responsible for a large percentage of the precipitation in the temperate latitudes, are called __________.

    Y a. altostratus
    N b. altocumulus
    N c. cirrostratus
    N d. cirrocumulus

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

938: If within 500 yards (460m) of a Northern Right Whale you are lawfully obligated to __________.

    N a. turn away from the whale and leave at full speed
    Y b. turn away from the whale and leave at slow speed
    N c. slow to bare steerageway until the whale swims away
    N d. stop the vessel and sound repeated blasts on the ship's whistle to scare the whale away

960: The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 15 miles and a height above water of 29 feet (8.8 meters). Your height of eye is 52 feet (15.8 meters) and visibility is 6.0 miles. At which approximate range will you first sight the light?

    N a. 8.0 miles
    Y b. 11.0 miles
    N c. 14.5 miles
    N d. 16.0 miles

965: In order for a star to be used for a sight at lower transit, the star must __________.

    Y a. be circumpolar
    N b. have a declination equal to or greater than your latitude
    N c. have a GHA of 180°
    N d. have the SHA equal to or less than the LHA

1025: A first magnitude star is __________.

    Y a. 2.5 times as bright as a second magnitude star
    N b. 3 times as bright as a second magnitude star
    N c. 5 times as bright as a second magnitude star
    N d. 10 times as bright as a second magnitude star

1091: The cardinal mark topmark shown in illustration D024NG represents which quadrant? (D024NG )

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

1092: The wind velocity is higher in the dangerous semicircle of a tropical cyclone because of the __________.

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

1098: A chart position enclosed by a square is a(n) __________.

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

1109: You are on course 146°T. To check the speed of your vessel you should observe a celestial body on which bearing?

    N a. 000°
    N b. 056°
    N c. 090°
    Y d. 146°

1203: If the compass heading and the magnetic heading are the same then __________.

    N a. the deviation has been offset by the variation
    N b. there is something wrong with the compass
    N c. the compass is being influenced by nearby metals
    Y d. there is no deviation on that heading

1215: Daylight savings time is a form of zone time that adopts the time __________.

    N a. two zones to the east
    N b. two zones to the west
    Y c. one zone to the east
    N d. one zone to the west

1268: On a nautical chart, the inner ring of a compass rose indicates __________.

    N a. true directions
    N b. compass error
    N c. deviation
    Y d. magnetic directions

1350: You are running parallel to the coast and plotting running fixes using bearings of the same object. You are making more speed than assumed for the running fix. In relation to the position indicated by the fix you will be __________.

    N a. closer to the coast
    Y b. farther from the coast
    N c. on the track line ahead of the fix
    N d. on the track line behind the fix

1351: Luminous range is the __________.

    N a. maximum distance at which a light may be seen in clear weather
    Y b. maximum distance at which a light may be seen under existing visibility conditions
    N c. maximum distance at which a light may be seen considering the height of the light and the height of the observer
    N d. average distance of visibility of the light

1446: When compared to air temperature, which factor is most useful in predicting fog?

    N a. Vapor pressure
    Y b. Dew point
    N c. Barometric pressure
    N d. Absolute humidity

1526: A single barometric pressure reading of 28.60 indicates __________.

    N a. rapidly improving weather
    N b. deteriorating weather
    Y c. a severe low pressure system
    N d. fair weather and calm

1607: When your barometer reading changes from 30.25 to 30.05 in a 12-hour period it indicates __________.

    N a. rapidly changing weather
    N b. improving weather
    N c. high winds within the next six hours
    Y d. little or no immediate change

1644: Which scale is used to estimate wind speed by observing sea conditions __________.

    N a. Metric scale
    N b. Wind scale
    N c. Coriolis scale
    Y d. Beaufort scale

1659: The type of fog that occurs on clear nights with very light breezes and forms when the earth cools rapidly by radiation is known as __________.

    Y a. radiation fog
    N b. frontal fog
    N c. convection fog
    N d. advection fog

1721: A storm's track is characterized by all of the following except __________.

    N a. the direction the storm has come from
    N b. the direction in which the storm is moving
    Y c. the speed at which the storm is moving
    N d. the path taken by the storm

1729: The first cloud formations you can use to indicate the bearing of the center of a hurricane or tropical storm are __________.

    Y a. the point of convergence of the cirrus clouds
    N b. the direction of movement of thunderstorms on radar
    N c. the darkest point of the clouds in the "bar" of the storm
    N d. the point of origin of the altostratus clouds

1850: A vessel heading WNW is on a course of __________.

    N a. 270.0°
    Y b. 292.5°
    N c. 315.0°
    N d. 337.5°

1900: A parallax correction is NOT applied to observations of the __________.

    Y a. stars
    N b. Moon
    N c. Sun
    N d. Planets

2232: A vessel is heading magnetic north and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 003°. Which action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?

    N a. If the red ends are to starboard you should raise the athwartships tray.
    Y b. If the red ends are to starboard, and the athwartships tray is at the bottom, you should remove some magnets.
    N c. If the red ends are to port, and the athwartships tray is at the top, you should reverse the magnets.
    N d. If the red ends are to port, and the athwartships tray is at the top, you should lower the tray.

2254: A rock and sand structure extending from the bank of the river toward the channel is known as a __________.

    Y a. wingdam
    N b. towhead
    N c. cutoff
    N d. landwall

2255: The height of tide is the __________.

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

2262: The Milky Way is an example of a __________.

    N a. cluster
    Y b. galaxy
    N c. nova
    N d. nebula

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

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

2526: What is the equivalent of 10 min. 52 sec. in arc units?

    N a. 0°47'
    N b. 1°12'
    Y c. 2°43'
    N d. 3°52'

2628: A drawbridge may use visual signals to acknowledge a vessel's request to open the draw. Which signal indicates that the draw will NOT be opened immediately?

    N a. A flashing amber light
    Y b. A fixed red light
    N c. A white flag raised and lowered vertically
    N d. A flashing white light

2695: 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 current should be ignored.
    Y c. The course and speed made good should be determined and used to advance the LOP.
    N d. The set should be applied to the second bearing.

2798: A can buoy is indicated by which letter in illustration D044NG?

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

2959: Vessels required to have an Automatic Radar Plotting Aid must have a device to indicate the __________.

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

2966: You take a bearing of 264° of a lighthouse. Which bearing of another object would give the best fix?

    N a. 291°
    N b. 059°
    Y c. 182°
    N d. 239°

2975: The letter H in illustration D006NG represents the __________.

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

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°

2999: When entering a channel from seaward, the numbers on buoys __________.

    N a. are the same as their Light List number
    N b. are marked in 6 inch figures with retroreflective material
    Y c. increase with the even numbers to starboard
    N d. decrease with the odd numbers to starboard

3024: 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 018°T, Sp 6 knots
    N b. C 079°T, Sp 24 knots
    N c. C 101°T, Sp 7 knots
    Y d. C 349°T, Sp 25 knots