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.
47: The range of tide is the __________.
N a. distance the tide moves out from the shore N b. duration of time between high and low tide Y c. difference between the heights of high and low tide N d. maximum depth of the water at high tide 82: On the west coast of North America, charted depths are taken from __________.
N a. high water N b. mean tide level N c. mean low water Y d. mean lower low water 148: When possible, a DR plot should always be started from where?
N a. Any position Y b. A known position N c. An assumed position N d. None of the above 191: Safe water buoys may show ONLY __________.
N a. flashing red lights N b. flashing green lights Y c. white lights N d. yellow lights 243: The loran lines drawn on navigation charts represent __________.
Y a. ground waves N b. skywaves N c. either ground waves or skywaves interchangeably N d. an average between ground wave and skywave positions 247: Neap tides occur __________.
N a. at the start of spring, when the Sun is nearly over the equator N b. only when the Sun and Moon are on the same sides of the Earth and are nearly in line Y c. when the Sun and Moon are at approximately 90° to each other, as seen from the Earth N d. when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are nearly in line, regardless of alignment order 331: What indicates a buoy that should be left to port when entering from seaward? (U.S. Aids to Navigation System)
N a. White light N b. Group flashing characteristic N c. Nun shape Y d. Odd number 338: The illustration shows the symbols used on radio facsimile weather charts. The symbol indicated at letter "N" represents __________. (D042NG )
N a. hail N b. freezing rain Y c. rain N d. snow 341: Buoys which only mark the left or right side of the channel will never exhibit a light with which characteristic?
N a. Flashing N b. Quick flashing Y c. Composite group flashing N d. Equal interval (isophase) 418: In most cases, the direction of the apparent wind lies between the bow and __________.
Y a. the direction of the true wind N b. true north N c. the beam on the windward side N d. the beam on the lee side 431: When a buoy marks a channel bifurcation, the preferred channel is NOT indicated by __________.
N a. the shape of an unlighted buoy N b. the light color of a lighted buoy N c. the color of the topmost band Y d. whether the number is odd or even 484: The needle of an aneroid barometer points to 30.05 on the dial. This indicates that the barometric pressure is __________.
Y a. 30.05 inches of mercury N b. 30.05 millimeters of mercury N c. 30.05 millibars N d. falling 486: Tropical cyclones do not form within 5° of the Equator because __________.
N a. there are no fronts in that area N b. it is too hot N c. it is too humid Y d. of negligible Coriolis force 564: A hygrometer is a device used for determining __________.
N a. the absolute temperature N b. atmospheric pressure N c. wind velocity Y d. relative humidity 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 650: What classification of tropical cyclone would have closed isobars, counter clockwise rotary circulation, and sustained winds between 34 and 63 knots?
N a. A tropical disturbance N b. A tropical depression Y c. A tropical storm N d. A hurricane 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 780: Apparent wind speed blowing across your vessel while underway can be measured by a(n) __________.
N a. barometer N b. wind vane Y c. anemometer N d. thermometer 886: The circulation around a low pressure center in the Northern Hemisphere is __________.
Y a. counterclockwise N b. variable N c. clockwise N d. anticyclonic 921: Under the IALA-B Buoyage System, a conical buoy will be __________.
Y a. red in color N b. numbered with an odd number N c. left to port when entering from seaward N d. All of the above 926: When a low pressure area is approaching, the weather generally __________.
N a. improves Y b. worsens N c. remains the same N d. is unpredictable 976: The atmosphere in the vicinity of a high pressure area is called a(n) __________.
Y a. anticyclone N b. cold front N c. occluded front N d. cyclone 1033: Deviation which is maximum on intercardinal compass headings may be removed by the __________.
N a. Flinders bar N b. transverse magnets N c. fore-and-aft magnets Y d. soft iron spheres on the sides of the compass 1057: One of the causes of ocean currents is density differences in the water. This is true because __________.
N a. in an area of high density the water's surface is lower than in an area of low density Y b. surface water flows from an area of high density to one of low density N c. the lesser the density gradient the freer the water is to move N d. it is the density differences that cause the currents to stay in the troughs 1085: A chart position enclosed by a semi-circle is a(n) __________.
N a. fix N b. estimated position Y c. dead reckoning position N d. running fix 1088: Which statement about an estimated position is TRUE?
N a. It is more reliable than a fix based on radar bearings. Y b. It may be based on a single LOP or questionable data. N c. When a 3-LOP fix plots in a triangle, the center of the triangle is the estimated position. N d. It is usually based on soundings. 1146: What is true about a front?
N a. A front is a boundary between two air masses. N b. There are abrupt temperature differences on opposite sides of a front. N c. The pressure tendencies are different on opposite sides of a front. Y d. All of the above 1209: You are on course 201°T. To check the speed of your vessel you should observe a celestial body on which bearing?
N a. 090° N b. 111° N c. 180° Y d. 201° 1238: What will be the height of tide at Three Mile Harbor Entrance, Gardiners Bay, NY, at 0700 (ZD +5) on 14 Nov 1983?
N a. 1.1 feet (0.3 meters) Y b. 1.7 feet (0.5 meters) N c. 1.9 feet (0.6 meters) N d. 2.2 feet (0.7 meters) 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 1249: What is the light characteristic of a lighted, preferred-channel buoy?
N a. Fixed and flashing N b. Continuous quick N c. Isophase Y d. Composite group-flashing 1273: Deviation changes with a change in __________.
N a. latitude Y b. heading N c. longitude N d. sea conditions 1290: In addition to the National Weather Service, what agency provides plain-language radio weather advisories for the coastal waters of the United States?
N a. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency N b. U.S. Hydrological Survey Y c. U.S. Coast Guard N d. American Meteorological Service 1405: After Venus passes the point of greatest elongation east in its orbit, the first position in which the elongation will be zero is __________.
N a. superior conjunction Y b. inferior conjunction N c. opposition N d. None of the above; the elongation will never be zero 1412: The distance between the surface of the water and the tidal datum is the __________.
N a. actual water depth N b. range of tide N c. charted depth Y d. height of tide 1485: The safest and most prudent procedure to follow while navigating in the vicinity of a tropical cyclone is to __________.
Y a. take positive steps to avoid it if possible N b. batten down and prepare to ride out the storm N c. continue to navigate farther from the coast N d. always navigate towards the coast by the most direct route 1507: When you are steering on a pair of range lights and find the upper light is above the lower light you should __________.
N a. come right N b. come left N c. wait until the lights are no longer in a vertical line Y d. continue on the present course 1579: You get underway from the oil terminal at Marcus Hook, PA, at 0815 ZT (ZD +5) on 20 February 1983, enroute to sea. You will be turning for 11 knots. What is the approximate current when you are abreast Reedy Island?
N a. Slack Y b. 2.0 knots ebbing N c. 1.5 knots flooding N d. 0.5 knot flooding 1582: Sextant C in illustration D043NG reads __________. (D043NG )
N a. 30°45.9' N b. 29°56.0' N c. 29°52.0' Y d. 29°47.5' 1618: The Light List indicates that a light has a nominal range of 14 miles and is 26 feet high. If the visibility is 4 miles and your height of eye is 20 feet, at what approximate distance will you sight the light?
Y a. 7.5 miles N b. 9.6 miles N c. 11.2 miles N d. 14.0 miles 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 1687: Which statement is TRUE when comparing cold and warm fronts?
Y a. Cold fronts are more violent and of shorter duration. N b. Cold fronts are milder and last longer. N c. They are very similar with the exception of wind direction. N d. Warm fronts are more violent and of longer duration. 1905: In order to insure that the racon signal is visible on your 3 cm radar, the __________.
N a. 10 cm radar should be placed on standby or turned off N b. gain control should be turned to maximum N c. radar should be stabilized, head up Y d. rain clutter control should be off but, if necessary, may be on low 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 1925: Above-normal tides near the center of a hurricane may be caused by the __________.
N a. high barometric pressure N b. jet stream Y c. storm surge N d. torrential rains 2341: Which statement concerning illustration D010NG is correct? (Soundings and heights are in meters)
N a. Maury Lightship swings about her anchor on a circle with a 21-meter diameter. N b. The position of the lightship is indicated by the center of the star on the symbol's mast. Y c. The sunken wreck southwest of Beito Island shows the hull or superstructure above the sounding datum. N d. There is a 12-meter deep hole inside the 5-meter curve just west of Beito Island. 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 2379: The winter solstice is the point where the Sun is at __________.
N a. maximum declination north Y b. maximum declination south N c. 0° declination going to northerly declinations N d. 0° declination going to southerly declinations 2406: The dividing meridian between zone descriptions +4 and +5 is __________.
Y a. 67°30'W N b. 90°00'W N c. 67°30'E N d. 75°00'E 2426: You are in charge of a power-driven vessel crossing a river on the Western Rivers. You must keep out of the way of __________.
N a. a sail vessel descending the river N b. a power-driven vessel ascending the river N c. a vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver crossing the river Y d. All of the above 2490: A vertex of the navigational triangle is NOT located at the __________.
N a. elevated pole N b. celestial body N c. zenith Y d. coaltitude 2514: Sidereal time is NOT used __________.
N a. as the basis for star charts N b. to enter a star finder N c. in sight reduction using Pub 249 Y d. in sight reductions of planet observations 2632: A section of the river that is narrower than usual and is often navigable from bank to bank is a __________.
Y a. chute N b. stabilized channel N c. slough N d. navigable pass 2634: Under the U.S. Aids to Navigation System on the Western Rivers, a preferred-channel buoy is __________.
Y a. horizontally-banded red and green N b. vertically-striped red and white N c. solid red N d. solid green 2818: You take bearings of 313°T and 076°T on two objects. Which bearing of a third object will give the best fix?
N a. 048°T N b. 101°T N c. 142°T Y d. 187°T 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 3029: On 13 November 1981 you observe a back sight of the upper limb of the Moon. The sextant altitude (hs) is 110°31.2'. The height of eye is 46 feet and the index error is 2.0' on the arc. The horizontal parallax is 61.3'. What is the observed altitude (Ho)?
N a. 70°11.8' Y b. 69°41.8' N c. 69°25.6' N d. 69°18.4' 3083: Which theoretical minimum number of measurements from satellites does a GPS receiver need in order to provide an exact three-dimensional position?
N a. Five Y b. Four N c. Three N d. Two 3103: In general, on how many radio channels will an automatic identification system (AIS) operate?
N a. 1 Y b. 3 N c. 4 N d. 12 3126: Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding automatic identification systems (AIS)?
N a. AIS will not provide information on another vessel if that vessel is indistinguishable in radar sea clutter. N b. AIS can be relied upon as the sole means to determine risk of collision and safe speed. N c. AIS is designed to replace ARPA, maneuvering boards, and visual bearings as a means to ascertain the risk of collision. Y d. AIS provides the other vessel's identity, dimensions and navigational status regardless of visibility.