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.


192: The description "Racon" beside an illustration on a chart would mean a __________.


206: The winds you would expect to encounter in the North Atlantic between latitudes 5° and 30° are known as the __________.


249: When using GPS, how many theoretical position lines are required for a three-dimensional fix that takes into account altitude?


329: The symbols shown are used on radio facsimile weather charts. Which symbol indicates a weather boundary? (D042NG )

    N a. I
    N b. H
    N c. G
    Y d. F

405: At upper transit, if the zenith distance is 34°, the geographical distance from the observer to a body's GP is __________.

    N a. 510 miles
    N b. 1220 miles
    Y c. 2040 miles
    N d. 2260 miles

460: When using horizontal sextant angles of three objects to fix your position, an indeterminate position will result in which situation?

    N a. The objects lie in a straight line.
    N b. The vessel is inside of a triangle formed by the objects.
    N c. The vessel is outside of a triangle formed by the objects.
    Y d. A circle will pass through your position and the three objects.

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°

485: A phase correction is applied to observations of __________.

    N a. the Sun
    N b. stars
    Y c. planets
    N d. All of the above

507: What will be the time after 1000 EST (ZD +5), on 4 March 1983, that the height of the tide at City Island, NY, will be 2.4 feet?

    Y a. 1228
    N b. 1240
    N c. 1244
    N d. 1248

601: White and orange buoys, if lighted, show which color light?

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

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.

656: In the Northern Hemisphere you are caught in the dangerous semicircle with plenty of sea room available. The best course of action is to bring the wind on the __________.

    Y a. starboard bow and make as much headway as possible
    N b. starboard quarter, and make as much headway as possible
    N c. port quarter, and make as much headway as possible
    N d. port bow, and make as much headway as possible

678: On 25 December 1981 you observe the Sun's lower limb. The sextant altitude (hs) is 4°06.9'. The height of eye is 47 feet and the index error is 1.6' on the arc. The temperature is 19°F. and the barometer reads 1030.8 millibars. What is the observed altitude (Ho)?

    N a. 3°57.4'
    Y b. 4°01.9'
    N c. 4°02.5'
    N d. 4°03.4'

746: Lines drawn through points on the Earth having the same atmospheric pressure are known as __________.

    N a. isothermal
    N b. millibars
    Y c. isobars
    N d. seismics

750: On a working copy of a weather map, a cold front is represented by what color line?

    N a. Red
    Y b. Blue
    N c. Alternating red and blue
    N d. Purple

839: When using a radar in an unstabilized mode, fixes are determined most easily from __________.

    Y a. ranges
    N b. center bearings
    N c. tangent bearings
    N d. objects that are close aboard

852: What is published by the U.S. Coast Guard?

    Y a. Light List
    N b. Nautical Charts
    N c. Tide Tables
    N d. U.S. Coast Pilot

899: A latitude line will be obtained by observing a body __________.

    N a. on the prime vertical
    N b. on the celestial horizon
    Y c. at lower transit
    N d. on the Greenwich meridian

934: Clouds that form as small white flakes or scaly globular masses covering either small or large portions of the sky are __________.

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

943: You should plot your dead reckoning position __________.

    N a. when you obtain an estimated position
    N b. ONLY in piloting waters
    Y c. at every speed change
    N d. All of the above are correct.

945: What is NOT a side of the navigational triangle used in sight reduction?

    Y a. Altitude
    N b. Zenith distance
    N c. Colatitude
    N d. Polar distance

952: What is TRUE concerning new editions of Light Lists?

    N a. Supplements to new editions are issued monthly by the U.S. Coast Guard.
    N b. New editions are published by the National Ocean Service.
    Y c. New editions are corrected through the date shown on the title page.
    N d. None of the above

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

1040: An occluded front is usually caused by a __________.

    N a. cold front becoming stationary
    N b. warm front becoming stationary
    Y c. cold front overtaking a warm front
    N d. warm front dissipating

1074: As the temperature for a given mass of air increases, the __________.

    N a. dew point increases
    N b. dew point decreases
    N c. relative humidity increases
    Y d. relative humidity decreases

1089: You are enroute to assist vessel A. Vessel A is underway at 5.5 knots on course 033°T, and bears 248°T at 64 miles from you. What is the course to steer at 13 knots to intercept vessel A?

    Y a. 262°
    N b. 269°
    N c. 276°
    N d. 281°

1176: After a cold front passes, the barometric pressure __________.

    N a. drops, and the temperature drops
    N b. drops, and the temperature rises
    Y c. rises, and the temperature drops
    N d. rises, and the temperature rises

1198: The Illustration shows the symbols used on radio facsimile weather charts. Which of these symbols indicates a dust storm? (D042NG )

    N a. I
    N b. H
    Y c. O
    N d. P

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°

1303: Compass deviation is caused by __________.

    N a. magnetism from the earth's magnetic field
    N b. misalignment of the compass
    Y c. magnetism within the vessel
    N d. a dirty compass housing

1342: An occluded front on a weather map is colored __________.

    N a. blue line
    Y b. purple line
    N c. dashed blue line
    N d. alternate red and blue line

1348: Vessel required to have an Automatic Radar Plotting Aid must have a device to indicate the __________.

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

1369: Which of the following is the most useful factor for predicting weather?

    N a. The present reading of the barometer
    N b. The previous reading of the barometer
    N c. The difference in the barometric readings within the past 24 hours
    Y d. The rate and direction of change of barometric readings

1389: A boundary between two air masses is a(n) __________.

    N a. lapse rate
    N b. isobar
    Y c. front
    N d. continent

1390: The fog most commonly encountered at sea is called __________.

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

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

1465: The planet Venus can be observed in the morning before sunrise if it is well to the __________.

    Y a. west of and higher than the Sun
    N b. west of and lower than the Sun
    N c. east of and higher than the Sun
    N d. east of and lower than the Sun

1585: The sidereal day begins when the __________.

    Y a. first point of Aries is over the upper branch of the reference meridian
    N b. Sun is over the lower branch of the reference meridian
    N c. Sun is over the upper branch of the reference meridian
    N d. first point of Aries is over the lower branch of the reference meridian

1586: A green buoy has a yellow triangle on it. This is a(n) __________.

    N a. information or regulatory buoy that has lateral significance
    N b. buoy that is off-station and is marked to warn mariners of its wrong position
    Y c. dual purpose marking used where the ICW and other waterways coincide
    N d. buoy that was set in error and will be replaced with a red nun buoy

1589: You are enroute to Savannah, GA, from Recife, Brazil. There is a strong N'ly wind blowing. As you cross the axis of the Gulf Stream you would expect to encounter __________.

    N a. smoother seas and warmer water
    Y b. steeper waves, closer together
    N c. long swells
    N d. cirrus clouds

1840: A vessel heading NW is on a course of __________.

    N a. 274.5°
    N b. 292.5°
    Y c. 315.0°
    N d. 337.5°

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)

2098: 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 magnets
    Y c. Fore-and-aft magnets
    N d. Athwartships magnets

2146: What lights would you see on the Illinois water way when any wickets of the dam or bear traps are open, or partially open, which may cause a set in the current conditions in the upper lock approach?

    N a. Green over red
    N b. Red over blue
    Y c. Red over amber (yellow)
    N d. None of the above

2186: You have completed the magnetic compass adjustments on magnetic east and magnetic south. The vessel is now steady on magnetic west but the compass reads 266°. What action should be taken?

    N a. Adjust the compass with the athwartships magnets until the compass reads 268°.
    N b. Adjust the compass with the fore-and-aft magnets until the compass reads 270°.
    N c. Adjust the compass with the quadrantal spheres until the compass reads 274°.
    Y d. Adjust the compass with the fore-and-aft magnets until the compass reads 268°.

2274: A vessel is heading magnetic east and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 086°. What action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?

    N a. If the red ends of the magnets are to port you should lower the athwartships tray.
    N b. If the blue ends of the magnets are to port, and the athwartships tray is at the top, you should reverse the magnets.
    N c. If the red ends of the magnet are aft, and the fore-and-aft tray is at the top, you should add some more magnets.
    Y d. If the red ends of the magnets are aft you should lower the fore-and-aft tray.

2296: A variable star is one that __________.

    Y a. exhibits a change in magnitude
    N b. has a changing declination
    N c. is increasing in SHA
    N d. is also known as a red giant

2370: In the United States, short-range radio navigational warnings are broadcast by the __________.

    Y a. Coast Guard
    N b. Corps of Engineers
    N c. NOAA
    N d. harbor master of the nearest port

2420: You are on course 355°T and take a relative bearing of a lighthouse of 275°. What is the true bearing of the lighthouse?

    N a. 080°
    N b. 085°
    N c. 280°
    Y d. 270°

2519: The standard time meridian for zone description -12 is __________.

    N a. 165.0°E
    N b. 172.5°E
    Y c. 180.0°
    N d. 172.5°W

2586: A chart has extensive corrections to be made to it. When these are made and the chart is again printed, the chart issue is a __________.

    N a. first edition
    Y b. new edition
    N c. revised edition
    N d. reprint

2619: In low latitudes, a first quarter Moon will always rise at about __________.

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

2672: When you are steering on a pair of range lights and find the upper light is in line above the lower light, you should __________.

    Y a. continue on the present course
    N b. come left
    N c. come right
    N d. wait until the lights are no longer in a vertical line

2704: The Light List shows a lighted aid to navigation on the right bank. This means that the light can be seen on the starboard side of a vessel __________.

    N a. proceeding from seaward
    N b. crossing the river
    N c. ascending the river
    Y d. descending the river

2729: While navigating in fog off a coastline of steep cliffs, you hear the echo of the ships fog horn 5.5 seconds after the signal was sounded. What is the distance to the shore?

    N a. 3825 ft (1166 meters)
    N b. 3450 ft (1052 meters)
    Y c. 3072 ft (936 meters)
    N d. 2475 ft (754 meters)

2730: When attempting an upstream landing while pushing empty barges ahead in a hard onshore wind, the approach is best made __________.

    Y a. with bow out, stern in
    N b. with bow in, stern out
    N c. parallel to the dock, as close in as possible
    N d. parallel to the dock, as far out as possible

2796: The correction tables in the Nautical Almanac for use with Moon sights do NOT include the effects of __________.

    Y a. instrument error
    N b. augmentation
    N c. semidiameter
    N d. parallax

2858: While navigating in fog off a coastline of steep cliffs, you hear the echo of the ships fog horn 2 1/2 seconds after the signal was sounded. What is the distance to the shore?

    N a. 225 yards
    Y b. 460 yards
    N c. 750 yards
    N d. 910 yards

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

3054: In illustration D051NG, the position labeled C was plotted because __________.

    Y a. running fixes are better estimates of true position than dead-reckoning positions are
    N b. the vessel's course changed from due North to due East
    N c. the vessel's speed changed
    N d. All of the above are correct