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.
2: On an isomagnetic chart, the line of zero variation is the __________.
N a. zero variation line N b. isogonic line N c. variation line Y d. agonic line 49: While steering a course of 150°T, you wish to observe a body for a latitude check. What would the azimuth have to be?
Y a. 000°T N b. 090°T N c. 150°T N d. 240°T 72: The datum from which the predicted heights of tides are reckoned in the tide tables is __________.
N a. mean low water Y b. the same as that used for the charts of the locality N c. the highest possible level N d. given in table three of the tide tables 116: Which wind results from a land mass cooling more quickly at night than an adjacent water area?
N a. Coastal breeze N b. Sea breeze Y c. Land breeze N d. Mistral 242: The difference between the heights of low and high tide is the __________.
Y a. range N b. period N c. depth N d. distance 351: Which buoy may be odd numbered?
N a. A spherical buoy Y b. An unlighted can buoy N c. A red buoy N d. A yellow buoy 406: Your vessel is on course 135°T, speed 18 knots. From the appearance of the sea you estimate the speed of the true wind as 24.5 knots. The apparent wind is 40° on the starboard bow. Determine the speed of the apparent wind.
N a. 24.2 knots N b. 28.4 knots N c. 32.2 knots Y d. 36.0 knots 406: Your vessel is on course 135°T, speed 18 knots. From the appearance of the sea you estimate the speed of the true wind as 24.5 knots. The apparent wind is 40° on the starboard bow. Determine the speed of the apparent wind.
N a. 24.2 knots N b. 28.4 knots N c. 32.2 knots Y d. 36.0 knots 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. 494: Aneroid barometers are usually calibrated to indicate atmospheric pressure in __________.
N a. inches of mercury and centimeters N b. feet of mercury and millibars N c. inches of mercury and millimeters Y d. inches of mercury and millibars 509: A line of position derived by radar range from an identified point on a coast will be a(n) __________.
N a. straight line Y b. arc N c. parabola N d. line parallel to the coast 540: A white buoy with an orange rectangle on it is used to indicate __________.
N a. danger N b. a controlled area N c. an exclusion area Y d. general information 562: You wish to measure the distance on a Mercator chart between a point in latitude 42°30'N and a point in latitude 40°30'N. To measure 30 miles at a time you should set the points of the dividers at __________.
Y a. 41°15' and 41°45' N b. 41°45' and 42°15' N c. 42°15' and 42°45' N d. 42°00' and 42°30' 573: What is the name of the movable, radial guide line used to measure direction on a radar?
N a. Compass rose Y b. Cursor N c. Plan position indicator N d. Variable range marker 587: Your vessel has a draft of 34 feet. On 8 October 1983 you wish to pass over an obstruction near Jaffrey Point, NH, that has a charted depth of 31 feet. Allowing for a safety margin of 3 feet, what is the earliest time after 0900 DST (ZD +4) that this passage can be made?
N a. 0920 Y b. 1029 N c. 1120 N d. 1159 700: 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 N b. long swells Y c. steeper waves, closer together N d. cirrus clouds 736: A line on a weather chart connecting places which have the same barometric pressure is called an __________.
N a. isotherm N b. isallobar Y c. isobar N d. isotope 755: The sidereal day begins when the __________.
N a. Sun is over the lower branch of the reference meridian N b. Sun is over the upper branch of the reference meridian N c. first point of Aries is over the lower branch of the reference meridian Y d. first point of Aries is over the upper branch of the reference meridian 808: On a working copy of a weather map, a stationary front is represented by which color line?
N a. Red N b. Blue Y c. Alternating red and blue N d. Purple 889: The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 6 miles and a height above water of 18 feet (5.5 meters). Your height of eye is 47 feet (14.3 meters) and the visibility is 1.5 miles. At what approximate range will you first sight the light?
N a. 1.5 miles Y b. 2.0 miles N c. 6.0 miles N d. 12.7 miles 936: A cyclone in its final stage of development is called a(n) __________.
N a. tornado N b. anticyclone Y c. occluded cyclone or occluded front N d. polar cyclone 969: The population of northern right whales, an endangered species, numbers approximately __________.
Y a. 300 N b. 5000 N c. 100,000 N d. 1,000,000 1003: The quadrantal spheres are used to __________.
Y a. remove deviation on the intercardinal headings N b. remove deviation on the cardinal compass headings N c. remove heeling error N d. compensate for induced magnetism in vertical soft iron 1093: The Flinders bar on a magnetic compass compensates for the __________.
Y a. induced magnetism in vertical soft iron N b. induced magnetism in horizontal soft iron N c. permanent magnetism in ship's steel N d. vessel's inclination from the vertical 1153: Heeling error is defined as the change of deviation for a heel of __________.
N a. 2°While the vessel is on an intercardinal heading Y b. 1°While the vessel is on a compass heading of 000° N c. 2° and is constant on all headings N d. 1° while the vessel is on a compass heading of 180° 1246: What weather change accompanies the passage of a cold front in the Northern Hemisphere?
N a. Wind shift from northeast clockwise to southwest N b. Steady dropping of barometric pressure N c. Steady precipitation, gradually increasing in intensity Y d. A line of cumulonimbus clouds 1269: The Light List indicates that a light has a nominal range of 14 miles and is 42 feet (12.7 m) high. If the visibility is 16 miles and your height of eye is 20 feet (6.1 m), at which approximate distance will you sight the light?
N a. 20.1 miles N b. 16.0 miles Y c. 12.8 miles N d. 7.6 miles 1271: Which word indicates color variation in the characteristics of a light?
N a. Opposing N b. Changing N c. Reversing Y d. Alternating 1299: What will be the time (ZD +5) of the second high tide at Weymouth Fore River Bridge, MA, on 12 November 1983?
N a. 1639 N b. 1643 N c. 1647 Y d. 1650 1321: A lighthouse can be identified by its __________.
N a. painted color N b. light color and phase characteristic N c. type of structure Y d. All of the above 1366: Clouds appearing in the following order: cirrus, cirrostratus, altostratus, stratus, and nimbostratus usually indicate the approach of a(n) __________.
Y a. warm front N b. occluded front N c. medium front N d. cold front 1396: On the approach of a warm front the barometric pressure usually __________.
Y a. falls N b. rises N c. is steady N d. is unreliable 1417: Determine the first time after 1200 EST (ZD +5) when the velocity of the current will be 0.5 knot on 18 November 1983, at Marcus Hook, PA.
N a. 1221 N b. 1226 Y c. 1239 N d. 1312 1455: Inferior conjunction is possible for __________.
Y a. Mercury N b. Saturn N c. Mars N d. Jupiter 1516: Which correction(s) must be applied to an aneroid barometer?
Y a. Instrument error and height error N b. Instrument error only N c. Height error only N d. Instrument error and latitude correction 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 1616: Which picture in illustration D034NG shows a Morse (A) light? (D034NG )
N a. A N b. B N c. C Y d. D 1635: An isotherm is __________.
N a. a line on a weather map connecting equal points of both temperature and pressure N b. an instrument that measures the climatological effects of temperature N c. a line connecting points of equal barometric pressure on a weather map Y d. a line connecting points of equal temperature on a weather map 1734: The eye of the hurricane has __________.
N a. very high barometric pressure N b. average barometric pressure Y c. the lowest barometric pressure N d. no change in barometric pressure 1780: While in port, you can follow the approach of a dangerous cyclonic storm by inspecting __________.
N a. the Coast Pilot or Sailing Directions N b. the National Weather Service Observing Handbook No.1, Marine Surface Observations Y c. a newspaper N d. the sky overhead 1796: Which weather element cannot be measured accurately while on board a moving vessel?
N a. Relative humidity N b. Atmospheric pressure N c. Temperature Y d. Wave period 1919: The nadir is the point on the celestial sphere that is __________.
N a. 90° away from the zenith N b. over Greenwich N c. on the western horizon Y d. directly below the observer 1924: The point on the celestial sphere that is directly below an observer is the __________.
N a. pole Y b. nadir N c. node N d. zenith 1989: In the horizon system of coordinates what is the equivalent to the meridians on the Earth?
N a. Horizon N b. Hour circle Y c. Vertical circles N d. Celestial meridians 1994: Fomalhaut is found in what constellation?
N a. Leo N b. Taurus Y c. Pisces N d. Canis Major 2019: At evening stars, the last stars that should be observed are those with an azimuth in what quadrant?
N a. Southern Y b. Western N c. Northern N d. Eastern 2119: Which stock number indicates an NGA (NIMA) chart designed for fixing positions at sea and DR plotting while on a long voyage?
Y a. WOAGN520 N b. PILOT16 N c. 16BCO16212 N d. WOPZC5245 2122: A position that is obtained by using two or more intersecting lines of position taken at nearly the same time, is a(n) __________.
Y a. fix N b. running fix N c. estimated position N d. dead-reckoning position 2308: The points where the Sun is at 0° declination are known as __________.
N a. solstices Y b. equinoxes N c. perigee N d. apogee 2342: What happens because of augmentation?
Y a. The Moon appears larger as the elevation increases. N b. The Sun appears larger when viewed against the darker background of the horizon. N c. The horizon appears elevated when observing a bright Sun or Moon at low altitudes. N d. The Moon appears larger at the full Moon. 2378: Which light signal indicates that you may approach the lock?
N a. Flashing red Y b. Flashing amber N c. Steady amber N d. Steady green 2381: The difference between the heights of low and high tide is the __________.
N a. period N b. distance N c. depth Y d. range 2402: 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 356°. You should now adjust the compass until it reads __________.
Y a. 358° N b. 000° N c. 002° N d. 004° 2436: Aphelion is the point where the Sun __________.
N a. and Moon and Earth form a right angle N b. and Moon and Earth are in line N c. crosses the celestial equator Y d. is farthest from the Earth 2480: You are on course 277°T and take a relative bearing of a lighthouse of 045°. What is the true bearing to the lighthouse?
N a. 038° N b. 232° N c. 315° Y d. 322° 2666: The following boats are approaching a lock. Which has priority for locking?
N a. An 85-foot yacht Y b. Corps of Engineer towboat running empty-headed N c. "Delta Queen" (passenger vessel) N d. An integrated chemical tow 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 2849: You take a bearing of 086° of a lighthouse. What bearing of another object would give the best fix?
Y a. 000° N b. 066° N c. 112° N d. 271° 3010: A white buoy with a blue band is __________.
N a. an isolated danger mark N b. a hydrographic data collection buoy Y c. a mooring buoy N d. marking a restricted area 3061: In a river subject to tidal currents, the best time to dock a ship without the assistance of tugs is __________.
N a. at flood tide N b. at high water N c. when there is a following current Y d. at slack water