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.
79: The rate of increase in hour angle is the slowest for __________.
N a. the Sun Y b. the Moon N c. Mars N d. Mercury 130: The distance between the surface of the water and the tidal datum is the __________.
N a. range of tide Y b. height of tide N c. charted depth N d. actual water depth 169: You want to transit Hell Gate on 23 July 1983. What is the period of time around the AM (ZD +4) slack before ebb when the current will be less than 0.5 knot?
Y a. 0939 to 0957 N b. 0943 to 0953 N c. 0844 to 0852 N d. 0348 to 0356 211: The light rhythm of Morse (A) is shown on __________.
N a. preferred-channel buoys N b. starboard- or port-side buoys N c. special marks Y d. safe water buoys 220: At 0000 you fix your position and plot a new DR track line. At 0200 you again fix your position and it is 0.5 mile east of your DR. Which statement is TRUE?
N a. The current is westerly at 0.5 knot. N b. You must increase speed to compensate for the current. N c. The current cannot be determined. Y d. The drift is 0.25 knot. 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 277: Your vessel goes aground in soft mud. You would have the best chance of refloating it on the next tide if it grounded at __________.
N a. low water neap Y b. low water spring N c. high water neap N d. high water spring 297: The tides in Boston Harbor generally __________.
N a. are diurnal in nature N b. have their variations caused by the changing declination of the Moon Y c. have a greater range than the tides in Gulf Coast ports N d. All of the above 336: You are steaming eastward in the North Atlantic in an extratropical cyclonic storm and the wind is dead ahead. According to the law of Buys Ballot, the center of the low pressure lies __________.
N a. ahead of you N b. astern of you N c. to the north Y d. to the south 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) 368: A great circle crosses the equator at 134°E. It will also cross the equator at what other longitude?
Y a. 46°W N b. 124°W N c. 134°W N d. 34°E 457: Find the height of the tide at Port Wentworth, GA, on 5 October 1983, at 1840 DST (ZD +4).
N a. 3.0 feet N b. 3.5 feet N c. 4.0 feet Y d. 4.4 feet 467: At what time after 1400 EST (ZD +5), on 4 January 1983, will the height of the tide at Port Wentworth, GA, be 3.0 feet?
N a. 1612 N b. 1630 Y c. 1653 N d. 1718 614: A marine chronometer should be rewound once every __________.
N a. 12 hours Y b. day N c. 3 days N d. week 652: What agency of the U.S. Government issues charts of U.S. waters and Coast Pilots?
Y a. National Ocean Service N b. National Imagery and Mapping Agency N c. U.S. Coast Guard N d. U.S. Naval Observatory 760: As a vessel changes course to starboard, the compass card in a magnetic compass __________.
N a. first turns to starboard then counterclockwise to port N b. also turns to starboard Y c. remains aligned with compass north N d. turns counterclockwise to port 791: Under the IALA Buoyage Systems, the topmark of a red and white vertically-striped buoy shall be __________.
N a. X-shaped N b. two black spheres Y c. a single red sphere N d. a single red cone 803: Which buoy will NOT display white retroreflective material?
N a. Safe water mark N b. Isolated danger mark Y c. Preferred channel mark N d. Daymark of no lateral significance 814: Steam smoke will occur when __________.
Y a. extremely cold air from shore passes over warmer water N b. warm dry air from shore passes over cooler water N c. cold ocean water evaporates into warm air N d. cool rain passes through a warm air mass 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 868: Your ship received a HYDROLANT advising of a special warning to mariners from the Department of State for ships in the Persian Gulf. You are 400 miles south of, and bound for, the Persian Gulf. What action should you take?
N a. Continue on course as the warning is advisory in nature only. Y b. Send an AMVER report and acknowledge receipt of the warning. N c. Remain a minimum of 500 miles outside the Persian Gulf and maintain radio silence. N d. Send a MERWARN message advising your position, course, speed and intentions. 871: Under the IALA-A Buoyage System, a buoy marking the starboard side of the channel when approaching from seaward must have a(n) __________.
N a. pillar shape Y b. green color N c. square topmark N d. even number 875: Sidereal hour angle is always __________.
N a. measured westward from the hour circle containing the first point of Aries N b. measured from the point on the celestial sphere occupied by the Sun at the vernal equinox N c. subtracted from the LHA of the star to obtain the LHA of Aries Y d. All of the above 920: What is the average speed of the movement of a hurricane following the recurvature of its track?
N a. 5 to 10 knots Y b. 20 to 30 knots N c. 40 to 50 knots N d. Over 60 knots 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. 950: Where is the dangerous semicircle located on a hurricane in the Southern Hemisphere?
Y a. To the left of the storm's track N b. To the right of the storm's track N c. In the high pressure area N d. On the south side 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 1030: You are preparing a weather report form, WS Form B-80. The dry bulb thermometer reads 78°F, and the wet bulb thermometer reads 75°F. How would you encode the air temperature groups in the report? (D041NG )
Y a. 10256, 2023/ N b. 10780, 2074/ N c. 00256, 0023/ N d. 10256, 2074/ 1132: On charts of U.S. waters, a magenta marking is NOT used for marking a __________.
N a. radio beacon Y b. 5-fathom curve N c. prohibited area N d. lighted buoy 1217: What will be the velocity and direction of the tidal current at Old Ferry Point, NY, at 1340 EST (ZD +5) on 5 February 1983?
N a. 0.8 knot at 060°T N b. 0.8 knot at 240°T N c. 1.0 knot at 076°T Y d. 1.4 knots at 076°T 1331: When trying to sight a lighthouse you notice a glare from a town in the background. The range at which the light may be sighted due to this glare is __________.
Y a. considerably reduced N b. increased slightly due to extra lighting N c. unchanged N d. increased if the light is red or green due to contrast with the glare 1333: If a magnetic compass is not affected by any magnetic field other than the Earth's, which statement is TRUE?
Y a. Compass error and variation are equal. N b. Compass north will be true north. N c. Variation will equal deviation. N d. There will be no compass error. 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 1555: Under the U.S. Aids to Navigation System, a yellow buoy is a __________.
N a. safe water buoy N b. junction buoy N c. cardinal mark Y d. special purpose mark 1568: You are approaching a vertical lift bridge. You know the span is fully open when __________.
N a. three white lights in a vertical line are lit N b. a red light starts to flash at about 60 times a minute N c. a yellow light is illuminated on the bridge pier Y d. there is a range of green lights under the lift span 1661: Advection fog may be formed by warm moist air passing over a __________.
N a. warmer sea surface Y b. cooler sea surface N c. dry coastal plain N d. polar land mass 1675: You are entering port and have been instructed to anchor, as your berth is not yet available. You are on a SW'ly heading, preparing to drop anchor, when you observe the range lights as shown on your starboard beam. You should __________. (D047NG )
N a. NOT drop the anchor until the lights are in line Y b. ensure your ship will NOT block the channel or obstruct the range while at anchor N c. drop the anchor immediately as the range lights mark an area free of obstructions N d. drop the anchor immediately as a change in the position of the range lights will always be an indication of dragging anchor 1675: You are entering port and have been instructed to anchor, as your berth is not yet available. You are on a SW'ly heading, preparing to drop anchor, when you observe the range lights as shown on your starboard beam. You should __________. (D047NG )
N a. NOT drop the anchor until the lights are in line Y b. ensure your ship will NOT block the channel or obstruct the range while at anchor N c. drop the anchor immediately as the range lights mark an area free of obstructions N d. drop the anchor immediately as a change in the position of the range lights will always be an indication of dragging anchor 1868: Illustration D036NG represents a fixed C of E lock and dam. What navigational light(s) is(are) exhibited at the position indicated by the letter A in the illustration? (D036NG )
Y a. One red light N b. Two red lights N c. Two green lights N d. Three green lights 1872: To find a magnetic compass course from a true course you must apply __________.
N a. deviation N b. variation Y c. deviation and variation N d. magnetic anomalies (local disturbances) 2087: The Light List indicates that a light has a nominal range of 20 miles and is 52 feet (16 meters) high. If the visibility is 20 miles and your height of eye is 20 feet (6 meters), at what approximate distance will you sight the light?
N a. 33.0 nm N b. 20.0 nm Y c. 13.5 nm N d. 8.5 nm 2092: Descending boats, while awaiting their turn to enter a lock, shall NOT block traffic from the lock. They shall be above the lock by at LEAST __________.
N a. 100 feet N b. 200 feet N c. 300 feet Y d. 400 feet 2115: Vessels regularly navigating rivers above Cairo, Illinois, shall at all times have on board a copy of __________.
Y a. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulations (Blue Book) N b. Light List Vol. V N c. U.S. Coast Pilot N d. None of the above 2128: 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 B if the lock walls and piers are not awash?
Y a. Three red lights N b. Two red lights N c. One red lights N d. No lights 2182: 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?
N a. No lights Y b. One red light N c. Two red lights N d. Three red lights 2196: A vessel is heading magnetic northwest and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 312°. What action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?
Y a. If the quadrantal spheres are all the way out, replace them with smaller spheres. N b. If the quadrantal spheres are all the way in, replace them with larger spheres. N c. If the quadrantal spheres are all of the way out, move the spheres in. N d. If the quadrantal spheres are all the way out, replace them with larger spheres. 2196: A vessel is heading magnetic northwest and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 312°. What action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?
Y a. If the quadrantal spheres are all the way out, replace them with smaller spheres. N b. If the quadrantal spheres are all the way in, replace them with larger spheres. N c. If the quadrantal spheres are all of the way out, move the spheres in. N d. If the quadrantal spheres are all the way out, replace them with larger spheres. 2199: Denebola is found in what constellation?
N a. Hydrus Y b. Leo N c. Centaurus N d. Aquila 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 2338: A group of stars which appear close together and form a striking configuration such as a person or animal is a __________.
N a. cluster N b. shower Y c. constellation N d. galaxy 2348: Under the IALA cardinal system, a mark with a quick light showing 9 flashes every 15 seconds indicates that the safest water is on the __________.
N a. north side of the mark Y b. west side of the mark N c. east side of the mark N d. south side of the mark 2364: The immediate surroundings of what constellation contain the most first magnitude stars?
N a. Libra N b. Cassiopeia N c. Pegasus Y d. Orion 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' 2703: Which publication indicates the HYDROLANTS or HYDROPACS issued since the previous working day?
N a. Broadcast Notice to Mariners N b. Local Notice to Mariners Y c. Daily Memorandum N d. Summary of Corrections 2803: Some locations maintain a zone time of -13. What are the Greenwich time and date if the zone time and date are 0152, 10 January?
Y a. 1252, 9 January N b. 1452, 9 January N c. 0052, 11 January N d. 1452, 11 January 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 2832: The Light List indicates that a dayboard is a type MR. You should __________.
Y a. leave it on either side N b. look for the other dayboard forming the range N c. look for an all red daymark N d. check to enter the correct channel at this junction daymark 2916: You take a bearing of 191° and 313° to two objects. Which bearing of a third object will give the best fix?
N a. 022° N b. 131° N c. 211° Y d. 249° 3055: A single line of position combined with a dead-reckoning position results in a(n) __________.
N a. running fix N b. fix Y c. estimated position N d. assumed position 3101: The typical operating range of automatic identification systems (AIS) at sea is nominally __________.
N a. 2 nm N b. 8 nm Y c. 20 nm N d. 40 nm