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.
43: A buoy with a composite group-flashing light indicates a(n) __________.
N a. anchorage area N b. fish net area Y c. bifurcation N d. dredging area 61: Red lights may appear on __________.
Y a. horizontally banded buoys N b. vertically striped buoys N c. yellow buoys N d. spherical buoys 62: Charted depth is the __________.
N a. vertical distance from the chart sounding datum to the ocean bottom, plus the height of tide Y b. vertical distance from the chart sounding datum to the ocean bottom N c. average height of water over a specified period of time N d. average height of all low waters at a place 96: A weather forecast states that the wind will commence veering. In the Northern Hemisphere this indicates that the wind will __________.
Y a. shift in a clockwise manner N b. shift in a counterclockwise manner N c. continue blowing from the same direction N d. increase in velocity 106: A local wind which occurs during the daytime and is caused by the different rates of warming of land and water is a __________.
N a. foehn N b. chinook N c. land breeze Y d. sea breeze 159: The apparent wind can be zero when the true wind is from __________.
N a. ahead and equal to the ship's speed Y b. astern and equal to the ship's speed N c. ahead and equal to twice the ship's speed N d. astern and equal to twice the ship's speed 221: In United States waters, a buoy having red and white vertical stripes has a light characteristic of __________.
N a. group occulting Y b. Morse (A) N c. interrupted quick flashing N d. quick flashing 234: When the declination of the Moon is 0°12.5'S, you can expect some tidal currents in Gulf Coast ports to __________.
N a. exceed the predicted velocities N b. become reversing currents N c. have either a double ebb or a double flood Y d. become weak and variable 250: Weather systems in the middle latitudes generally travel from __________.
Y a. west to east N b. east to west N c. north to south N d. None of the above 257: Spring 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 side of the Earth and nearly in line N c. when the Sun and Moon are at approximately 90° to each other as seen from the Earth Y d. when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are nearly in line, in any order 401: You are steaming in a westerly direction along the Gulf Coast. You see ahead of you a lighted buoy showing a red isophase light. Which action should you take?
Y a. Alter course to port and leave the buoy to starboard. N b. Alter course to starboard and leave the buoy to port. N c. Alter course and leave the buoy near by on either side. N d. Alter course and pass the buoy well-off on either side. 458: The prevailing westerlies of the Southern Hemisphere blow 18-30 knots __________.
Y a. all year long N b. during the summer months only N c. during the winter only N d. during spring only 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 470: You are underway on course 120°T and can make 12 knots. The eye of a hurricane bears 150°T at 120 miles. The hurricane is on course 295° at 20 knots. What course should you steer at 12 knots to have the maximum CPA?
N a. 312° N b. 330° Y c. 348° N d. 001° 503: You are approaching a light fitted with a RACON. The light may be identified on the radar by __________.
N a. a dashed line running from the center of the scope to the light N b. an audible signal when the sweep crosses the light N c. a circle appearing on the scope surrounding the light Y d. a coded signal appearing on the same bearing at a greater range than the light 513: You are radar scanning for a buoy fitted with a racon. Which radar screen represents the presentation you should expect on the PPI? (D017NG )
N a. A Y b. B N c. C N d. D 572: You wish to measure the distance on a Mercator chart between a point in latitude 43°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 __________.
N a. 41°30' and 42°00' Y b. 41°45' and 42°15' N c. 42°00' and 42°30' N d. 42°15' and 42°45' 635: A low HDOP (Horizontal Dilution of Precision) number such as 2 indicates a __________.
N a. poor fix Y b. good fix N c. poor signal quality N d. good signal quality 712: Information about the pilotage available at Miami harbor may best be obtained from which publication?
N a. World Port Index N b. Sailing Directions N c. Pilot Chart Y d. United States Coast Pilot 737: What describes an ebb current?
N a. Horizontal movement of the water away from the land following low tide N b. Horizontal movement of the water toward the land following low tide Y c. Horizontal movement of the water away from the land following high tide N d. Horizontal movement of the water toward the land following high tide 748: You are steaming west in the South Atlantic in an extratropical cyclonic storm, and the wind is dead ahead. According to the law of Buys Ballot, the center of low pressure lies __________.
N a. to the north of you Y b. to the south of you N c. dead ahead of you N d. dead astern of you 832: What is the most important source of information to be used in correcting charts and keeping them up to date?
N a. Fleet Guides Y b. Notice to Mariners N c. Sailing Directions N d. Pilot Charts 854: The appearance of nimbostratus clouds in the immediate vicinity of a ship at sea would be accompanied by which of the following conditions?
Y a. Rain and poor visibility N b. Dropping barometric pressure and backing wind in the Northern Hemisphere N c. High winds and rising sea N d. Severe thunderstorms 861: You would expect to find channels marked with the IALA-A Buoyage System in __________.
N a. Argentina N b. Japan Y c. India N d. Canada 922: How is the intensity of a light expressed in the Light Lists?
N a. Luminous range N b. Geographic range Y c. Nominal range N d. Meteorological range 924: The form of cloud often known as "mackerel sky" which is generally associated with fair weather is __________.
N a. nimbostratus N b. stratus Y c. cirrocumulus N d. cumulonimbus 1022: What is the approximate geographic range of Fenwick Island Light, Delaware, if your height of eye is 37 feet (11.6 meters)? Refer to "Reprints from the LIGHT LISTS AND COAST PILOTS" .
N a. 24.8 nm Y b. 17.8 nm N c. 15.9 nm N d. 10.3 nm 1048: The velocity of the current in large coastal harbors is __________.
N a. unpredictable N b. generally too weak to be of concern Y c. predicted in Tidal Current Tables N d. generally constant 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% 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° 1105: The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 22 miles and a height above water of 48 feet (14.6 meters). Your height of eye is 35 feet (10.7 meters) and the visibility is 20.0 miles. At what approximate range will you first sight the light?
N a. 10.5 nm N b. 13.2 nm Y c. 14.7 nm N d. 32.0 nm 1161: What is characteristic of an occulting light?
N a. 1 sec. flash, 2 sec. eclipse, 1 sec. flash, 5 sec. eclipse N b. 5 sec. flash, 5 sec. eclipse Y c. 4 sec. flash, 2 sec. eclipse, 3 sec. flash, 2 sec. eclipse N d. 6 sec. flash, 6 sec. eclipse 1166: A series of brief showers accompanied by strong, shifting winds may occur along or some distance ahead of a(n) __________.
N a. upper front aloft N b. cyclone N c. occluded front Y d. cold front 1211: Red sectors of navigation lights warn mariners of __________.
N a. floating debris N b. heavily trafficked areas N c. recently sunken vessels Y d. shoals or nearby land 1356: The first indications a mariner will have of the approach of a warm front will be __________.
N a. large cumulonimbus (thunderclouds) building up Y b. high cirrus clouds gradually changing to cirrostratus and then to altostratus N c. fog caused by the warm air passing over the cooler water N d. low dark clouds accompanied by intermittent rain 1372: You are enroute to Jacksonville, FL, from San Juan, P.R. There is a fresh N'ly wind blowing. As you cross the axis of the Gulf Stream you would expect to encounter __________.
N a. cirrus clouds N b. long swells N c. smoother seas and warmer water Y d. steeper waves, closer together 1399: You are bound for Baltimore via Cape Henry on a 15 knot ship. If the flood at Chesapeake Bay entrance begins at 1800 EST (ZD +5), at what time would you depart from the Chesapeake Bay entrance to have the most favorable current?
N a. 1700 hours N b. 1800 hours N c. 1900 hours Y d. 2030 hours 1459: In a tropical cyclone, in the Northern Hemisphere, a vessel hove to with the wind shifting counterclockwise is __________.
N a. ahead of the storm center N b. in the dangerous semicircle Y c. in the navigable semicircle N d. directly in the approach path of the storm 1466: Advection fog is most commonly caused by __________.
N a. air being warmed above the dew point N b. saturation of cold air by rain N c. a rapid cooling of the air near the surface of the Earth at night Y d. warm moist air being blown over a colder surface 1493: You are running parallel to the coast and estimate that the current is against you. In plotting a running fix using bearings from the same object on the coast, the greatest safety margin from inshore dangers will result if what speed is used to determine the fix?
Y a. Minimum speed estimate N b. Maximum speed estimate N c. Average speed estimate N d. A running fix should not be used under these conditions. 1500: In what order should the following sextant adjustments be made? I. Make telescope parallel to frame of sextant. II. Set horizon glass perpendicular to frame of sextant. III. Make index mirror and horizon glass parallel when index arm is set at zero. IV. Set index mirror perpendicular to frame of sextant.
N a. I, II, III, IV N b. I, IV, II, III N c. III, II, IV, I Y d. IV, II, III, I 1658: Fog forms when the air temperature is at or below __________.
N a. 32° F N b. the wet bulb temperature Y c. the dew point N d. the dry bulb temperature 1755: Which weather system produces strong cold winds called "Northers" during the winter months in the Gulf of Mexico?
N a. An anticyclone N b. A high pressure system N c. A cyclone Y d. Both A and B 1952: The Moon is subject to four types of libration. Which of the following is NOT one of these types of libration?
N a. Libration in longitude Y b. Geocentric libration N c. Diurnal libration N d. Physical libration 2104: A white buoy marked with an orange rectangle indicates __________.
N a. mid-channel N b. a fish net area Y c. general information N d. an anchorage 2124: You must draw a plotting sheet covering latitudes 45°N to 49°N and longitudes 179°E to 178°W. If the distance between latitude 45°N to 49°N is 20 inches, what is the distance between the meridians of 1° of longitude?
N a. 2.9 inches N b. 3.2 inches Y c. 3.4 inches N d. 3.7 inches 2174: By convention, the Earth's north magnetic pole is colored __________.
N a. red N b. white Y c. blue N d. black 2248: A vessel is heading magnetic north and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 356°. 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 raise the athwartships tray. N b. If the red ends of the magnets are to port, and the athwartships tray is at the top, you should add some more magnets. N c. If the red ends of the magnets are to starboard you should lower the athwartships tray. Y d. If the red ends of the magnets are to starboard, and the athwartships tray is at the top, you should add some more magnets. 2294: What celestial body may sometimes be observed in daylight?
N a. New Moon N b. Saturn N c. Sirius Y d. Venus 2300: When a magnetic compass is not in use for a prolonged period of time it should __________.
Y a. be shielded from direct sunlight N b. be locked into a constant heading N c. have any air bubbles replaced with nitrogen N d. have the compensating magnets removed 2330: You are heading in a northerly direction when you come across an easterly current. Your vessel will __________.
Y a. be pushed to starboard N b. be pushed to port N c. decrease in engine speed N d. remain on course 2437: When daylight savings time is kept, the times of tide and current calculations must be adjusted. One way of doing this is to __________.
N a. add 15° to the standard meridian when calculating the time differences N b. apply no correction as the times at the reference stations are adjusted for daylight savings time Y c. add one hour to the times listed for the reference stations N d. subtract one hour from the times listed for the subordinate stations 2506: Which is TRUE on the Western Rivers when a vessel downbound with a following current is meeting an upbound vessel?
Y a. She has the right of way only if she is a power-driven vessel. N b. She has the right of way only if she has a tow. N c. She does not have the right of way, since the other vessel is not crossing the river. N d. She must wait for a whistle signal from the upbound vessel. 2530: The distance between any two meridians measured along a parallel of latitude __________.
N a. increases in north latitude and decreases in south latitude N b. decreases as DLO increases N c. increases with increased latitude Y d. decreases with increased latitude 2709: Under the IALA-B Buoyage System, when entering from seaward a lateral system buoy to be left to port may display which of the topmarks shown? (D046NG )
N a. A N b. B N c. C Y d. D 2798: A can buoy is indicated by which letter in illustration D044NG?
Y a. A N b. B N c. C N d. D 2822: While navigating in fog off a coastline of steep cliffs, you hear the echo of the ships fog horn 2 seconds after the signal was sounded. What is the distance to the shore?
Y a. 360 yards N b. 320 yards N c. 280 yards N d. 140 yards 2936: Information on search and rescue procedures and special, local communications used in Mexican waters will be found in the __________.
N a. World Port Index N b. International Code of Signals (Pub 102) Y c. Sailing Directions (Planning Guides) N d. International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual 3028: The channel under a bridge is marked with aids from the lateral system. The centerline of the channel is marked on the bridge with __________.
N a. a yellow triangle N b. three white lights N c. a black-and-white diamond Y d. a red-and-white octagon 3071: The level of database information which cannot be removed from the ECDIS display and consists of information which is required at all times in all geographic areas and under all circumstances is the __________.
Y a. display base information N b. standard display information N c. system electronic nautical chart N d. chart display information