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.


88: Which position includes the effects of wind and current?


214: A sextant having an index error that is "on the arc" has a __________.


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?


260: The National Ocean Service publishes the __________.

    N a. Light Lists
    Y b. Coast Pilots
    N c. pilot charts
    N d. Sailing Directions

290: The true wind is from 330°T, speed 6 knots. You want the apparent wind to be 30 knots from 10° on your port bow. To what course and speed must you change?

    N a. Cn 240°, 28.0 knots
    N b. Cn 270°, 28.0 knots
    N c. Cn 180°, 30.0 knots
    Y d. Cn 090°, 32.5 knots

427: On 23 March 1983, at Kingston Point, NY, what is the earliest time after 1700 EST (ZD +5) that the predicted tide will be +2.0 feet?

    N a. 1730
    N b. 1800
    Y c. 1854
    N d. 2030

445: The values of the Greenwich hour angle and declination, tabulated in all almanacs, are for the __________.

    N a. upper limb of a celestial body
    N b. lower limb of a celestial body
    Y c. centers of the various celestial bodies
    N d. lower limb of the Sun and Moon; center of the stars and planets

465: When applying a dip correction to the sighted sextant angle (hs), you always subtract the dip because you are correcting __________.

    N a. hs to the visible horizon
    Y b. hs to the sensible horizon
    N c. hs to the celestial horizon
    N d. Ho to the celestial horizon

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

548: When the declination of the Moon is 0°12.5'S, you can expect some tidal currents in Gulf Coast ports to __________.

    N a. have either a double ebb or a double flood
    N b. become reversing currents
    Y c. become weak and variable
    N d. exceed the predicted velocities

625: The center of a circle of equal altitude, plotted on the surface of the Earth, is the __________.

    N a. dead reckoning position of the observer
    N b. assumed position of the observer
    Y c. geographical position of the body
    N d. assumed position of the body

660: What is the length of a nautical mile?

    N a. 1,850 meters
    N b. 5,280 feet
    N c. 1,760 yards
    Y d. 6,076 feet

664: Which ARPA data should you use in order to determine if a close quarters situation will develop with a target vessel?

    N a. Set and drift of the current
    Y b. Relative track information
    N c. Predicted time of CPA
    N d. Initial range of acquisition

707: Set of the current is __________.

    N a. its velocity in knots
    N b. direction from which it flows
    N c. estimated current
    Y d. direction towards which it flows

714: When using the ARPA in heavy rain, which action should you take?

    N a. Increase the radar gain to pick up weak echoes through the rain.
    N b. Increase the STC setting to reduce close-in spurious signals.
    Y c. Navigate as though the effective range of the radar has been reduced.
    N d. Increase the range of the inner and outer guard rings.

959: What is the index error of sextant B in illustration D050NG? (D050NG )

    N a. 0'30" off the arc
    N b. 1'00" off the arc
    Y c. 3'30" off the arc
    N d. 1'30" on the arc

1054: The dry-bulb temperature is 78°F (26°C) and the wet-bulb temperature is 68°F (20°C). What is the relative humidity?

    N a. 10%
    N b. 24%
    N c. 56%
    Y d. 60%

1087: The velocity of a rotary tidal current will increase when the Moon is __________.

    N a. new
    N b. full
    N c. at perigee
    Y d. All of the above

1099: You are enroute to assist vessel A. Vessel A is underway at 6 knots on course 133°T, and bears 343°T at 92 miles from you. What is the course to steer at 9 knots to intercept vessel A?

    N a. 356°
    Y b. 003°
    N c. 022°
    N d. 038°

1128: In 1981, when would Jupiter and Saturn be visible in temperate latitudes for both evening and morning stars?

    N a. 10 January
    Y b. 27 March
    N c. 22 June
    N d. 8 October

1135: A position on the Earth has a longitude of 74°10'E. Its celestial counterpart would have a __________.

    Y a. GHA of 285°50'
    N b. SHA of 74°10'
    N c. SHA of 285°50'
    N d. LHA of 74°10'E

1142: Which weather conditions would you expect to find 100 miles East of position "B"? (D049NG )

    N a. Winds NW at 20.5 knots, steady warm temperature, high seas
    N b. Winds calm, falling temperature, clear skies, high seas
    Y c. Winds WSW, steady temperature, scattered clouds, moderate seas
    N d. None of the above

1158: What type of cloud is indicated by the number 5 in illustration D039NG? (D039NG )

    N a. Cirrostratus
    N b. Cirrocumulus
    Y c. Altocumulus
    N d. Nimbostratus

1186: As a cold front passes an observer, pressure __________.

    N a. drops and winds become variable
    Y b. rises and winds become gusty
    N c. drops and winds become gusty
    N d. rises and winds become variable

1193: If a ship is proceeding towards the magnetic equator, the uncorrected deviation due to permanent magnetism __________.

    N a. increases
    N b. remains the same
    Y c. decreases
    N d. is unimportant and may be neglected

1247: What is the predicted velocity of the tidal current 2 miles west of Southwest Ledge for 2330 DST (ZD +4) on 7 September 1983?

    Y a. 1.3 knots
    N b. 1.6 knots
    N c. 1.9 knots
    N d. 2.2 knots

1316: When a warm air mass overtakes a cold air mass, the contact surface is called a __________.

    N a. line squall
    N b. water spout
    N c. cold front
    Y d. warm front

1410: A white buoy marked with an orange rectangle indicates __________.

    N a. a fish net area
    Y b. general information
    N c. an anchorage
    N d. mid-channel

1452: When is the rhumb line distance the same as the great circle distance?

    N a. Course 090°T in high latitudes
    Y b. Course 180°T when you cross the equator
    N c. Course 045°T in low latitudes
    N d. The rhumb line distance is always longer than the great circle distance.

1461: The chart indicates the variation was 3°45'W in 1988, and the annual change is decreasing 6'. If you use the chart in 1991 how much variation should you apply?

    Y a. 3°27'W
    N b. 3°27'E
    N c. 4°03'W
    N d. 4°03'E

1473: Which statement about gyrocompass error is TRUE?

    Y a. The amount of the error and the sign will generally be the same on all headings.
    N b. The sign (E or W) of the error will change with different headings of the ship.
    N c. Any error will remain constant unless the compass is stopped and restarted.
    N d. Any error shown by a gyro repeater will be the same as the error of the master compass.

1481: What is the approximate geographic range of Fenwick Island Light, Delaware, if your height of eye is 42 feet (12.8 meters)? Refer to "Reprints from the LIGHT LISTS AND COAST PILOTS".

    Y a. 18.3 nm
    N b. 15.4 nm
    N c. 13.1 nm
    N d. 10.3 nm

1702: In a cyclone the lowest pressure is found in the __________.

    Y a. center
    N b. outer edge
    N c. warm front
    N d. cold front

1712: Tornados are often associated with __________.

    N a. winds in the warm sector ahead of a cold front and travel from southwest towards the east or northeast
    N b. squall lines and very heavy thunderstorm activity
    N c. winds that may be in excess of 200 knots and destructive funnel clouds
    Y d. All of the above

1793: Which weather element cannot be measured accurately while on board a moving vessel?

    N a. relative humidity
    N b. temperature
    Y c. true wind speed
    N d. atmospheric pressure

1798: The climate of the northern Gulf coast __________.

    N a. is humid and subtropical throughout the year
    N b. has an east coast marine type of climate
    Y c. is a warm marine type of climate
    N d. varies from warm to subtropical

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°

1858: A white buoy with an orange cross within a diamond marked on it indicates __________.

    N a. danger
    Y b. vessels are excluded from the area
    N c. an anchorage area
    N d. operating restrictions are in effect

1879: A chart projection depicting the poles and a small area on either side of a connecting meridian, that is sometimes used for star charts, is the __________.

    N a. azimuthal gnomonic projection
    N b. Lambert conformal projection
    Y c. transverse Mercator projection
    N d. polyconic projection

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)

1949: "Revolution" is the __________.

    N a. wobbling of the Earth about its axis
    N b. motion of bodies in the solar system relative to the stars
    Y c. motion of a celestial body in its orbit
    N d. spinning of a celestial body about its axis

2058: Illustration D038NG represents a fixed C of E lock and dam. What navigational light(s) is(are) exhibited at the position indicated by the letter D in the illustration? (D038NG )

    N a. One red light
    N b. Two green lights
    Y c. Three green lights
    N d. No lights

2150: On a Mercator chart, 1 nautical mile is equal to __________.

    N a. 1 minute of longitude
    N b. 1 degree of longitude
    Y c. 1 minute of latitude
    N d. 1 degree of latitude

2177: This diagram represents a movable dam. If there is high water and the wickets are down so that there is an unobstructed navigable pass through the dam, what light(s) will be shown at D if the lock walls and piers are not awash? (D037NG )

    N a. One amber light
    N b. Three red lights
    N c. Two red lights
    Y d. One red light

2181: Diagram Number D037NG represents a movable dam. If there is high water and the wickets are down so that there is an unobstructed navigable pass through the dam, what light(s) will be shown at D if the lock walls and piers are not awash?

    Y a. One red light
    N b. Two red lights
    N c. Three red lights
    N d. No lights

2198: Opposition occurs when __________.

    N a. the Sun, Earth, and Moon are at right angles
    N b. the Sun's declination is 0° and is moving south
    N c. an inferior planet is at the maximum angle to the line of sight to the Sun
    Y d. the Earth is between a planet and the Sun

2328: Universal time (UTI) is another name for __________.

    N a. sidereal time
    Y b. Greenwich mean time
    N c. ephemeris time
    N d. atomic time

2360: What U.S. agency is responsible for NAVAREA warnings?

    N a. Coast Guard
    N b. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    N c. National Ocean Service
    Y d. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

2382: What causes geocentric parallax?

    N a. The varying distance between the Earth and Moon.
    Y b. The change in the Moon's position relative to the stars when viewed from the Earth's surface, as compared to the Earth's center.
    N c. The rapid change in declination of the Moon causes a rotational oscillation of its axis.
    N d. The nearness of the Moon causes an apparent increase in diameter as its altitude increases.

2442: You have completed the magnetic compass adjustments on magnetic east and magnetic south. The vessel is now steady on magnetic north but the compass reads 004°. You should now adjust the compass until it reads __________.

    N a. 356°
    N b. 358°
    N c. 000°
    Y d. 002°

2529: A bridge over a navigable waterway is being repaired. There is a traveler platform under the bridge's deck that significantly reduces the vertical clearance. If required by the CG district commander, how will this be indicated at night?

    N a. Illumination by flood lights
    Y b. A quick flashing red light at each lower corner
    N c. A strobe light visible both up and downstream
    N d. Fixed amber lights under the extreme outer edges of the traveler

2664: The Light List shows a lighted aid to navigation on the right bank. This means that the light can be seen on the port side of a vessel __________.

    N a. crossing the river
    N b. descending the river
    Y c. ascending the river
    N d. proceeding towards sea

2680: The angle measured eastward from the vernal equinox along the celestial equator often expressed in time units is the __________.

    N a. Greenwich sidereal time
    Y b. right ascension
    N c. local sidereal time
    N d. sidereal hour angle

2714: A current moving across a lock entrance toward the river or toward the dam is called a(n) __________.

    N a. cutoff
    Y b. outdraft
    N c. lockwash
    N d. springpool

2716: Under the U.S. Aids to Navigation System on the Western Rivers, passing daymarks on the left descending bank are __________.

    N a. green squares
    N b. green diamonds
    N c. red diamonds
    Y d. red triangles

2928: You are in a buoyed channel at night and pass a lighted buoy with an irregular characteristic. You should report this to the __________.

    Y a. Coast Guard
    N b. harbor master
    N c. Corps of Engineers
    N d. National Ocean Service

3020: A mooring buoy, if lighted, shows which color light?

    N a. Yellow
    Y b. White
    N c. Blue
    N d. Any color except red or green

3022: A green-and-red banded daymark, green band uppermost, will have the shape shown at letter __________. (D045NG )

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

3038: In low latitudes, the low(s) of the diurnal variation of pressure occur(s) at __________.

    N a. noon
    N b. noon and midnight
    N c. 1000 and 2200
    Y d. 0400 and 1600

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