USCG General Deck: 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.


22: A wildcat is a __________.


120: You are on a multiple-product tankship and scheduled to load a cargo classed as an aromatic amine. This cargo is incompatible with cargoes classed as __________.


134: Your ship is steaming at night on gyro-pilot when you notice that the vessel's course is slowly changing to the right. Which action should you take FIRST?


193: On a transpacific voyage, you receive a message from your vessel's operators saying that your vessel has been consigned to Naval Control of Shipping. Further information is contained in __________.

    N a. the Light List
    N b. the International Code of Signals (PUB 102)
    Y c. Radio Navigational Aids (PUB 117)
    N d. the Coast Pilot

332: The helm command "Meet her" means __________.

    N a. steer more carefully
    Y b. use rudder to check the swing
    N c. decrease the existing rudder angle
    N d. note the course and steady on that heading

355: Generally, you can best keep a vessel under steering control when the vessel has __________.

    Y a. headway
    N b. sternway
    N c. no way on, with engines stopped
    N d. no way on, with engines full ahead

360: The label required on containers carrying barium oxide in an international shipment must read __________.

    Y a. "Poison"
    N b. "Spontaneously Combustible"
    N c. "Radioactive"
    N d. "Infectious Substance"

361: The strictest load line regulations apply to __________.

    N a. gas carriers
    N b. freighters (break-bulk)
    Y c. passenger ships
    N d. tankers

400: You are on a containership carrying a tank container that had been filled with sodium hydroxide solution. The container is empty but has not been cleaned. Which, if any, placard is required?

    N a. No placard is required; the tank openings must be sealed
    N b. Empty placard with corrosive placard
    N c. Residue label with the UN number
    Y d. Black and white corrosive placard

400: You are on a containership carrying a tank container that had been filled with sodium hydroxide solution. The container is empty but has not been cleaned. Which, if any, placard is required?

    N a. No placard is required; the tank openings must be sealed
    N b. Empty placard with corrosive placard
    N c. Residue label with the UN number
    Y d. Black and white corrosive placard

426: You are stopped with no way upon your vessel at the pilot station. Your vessel is a large twin-screw ship. You must come around 180° to board your Pilot. How should you use the engines and rudder to turn the ship fastest in the least amount of space?

    N a. Full ahead on the engines and hard over rudder
    N b. Full ahead on one engine, full astern on the other
    Y c. Half ahead with hard over rudder, then full astern on inboard engine
    N d. Slow ahead with hard over rudder

473: The American Consul has asked the Master of a vessel bound for a port in the U.S. to transport a destitute seaman back to the U.S. Which action may the Master take?

    N a. He may refuse to accept the seaman if the seaman is medically unfit.
    N b. He must take the seaman even if the seaman has a contagious disease.
    N c. He is always required to take the seaman.
    Y d. He may refuse to take the seaman if it will violate the Certificate of Inspection.

496: Your twin-screw vessel is moving ASTERN with rudders amidships. The starboard screw suddenly stops turning. Your vessel's head will __________.

    Y a. go to port
    N b. go to starboard
    N c. remain stationary
    N d. suddenly drop down

538: Using the graph shown, if the dry bulb temperature is 80°F (27°C) and the wet bulb temperature is 70°F (21°C), what is the relative humidity in a cargo hold? (D008DG )

    N a. 45%
    N b. 52%
    Y c. 58%
    N d. 65%

552: Which type of bridle is the most effective for a heavy ocean tow?

    N a. Nylon because of its strength
    N b. Polypropylene because it floats and is easier to handle
    Y c. Stud link anchor chain for chafe resistance and strength
    N d. Wire rope for flexibility and strength

588: Because of the arrangement of the cell guides, the MOST important factor while loading containers is the __________.

    N a. contents of the container
    Y b. list of the vessel
    N c. size of the shoreside crane
    N d. weight of the container

707: Is tripping limited to harbor and coastal towing?

    Y a. No! Forces tending to capsize a tug are as dangerous on the high seas as they are in harbor and coastal work.
    N b. Yes! The long towing hawser used in ocean towing eliminates the danger of tripping.
    N c. No! Tripping is common in ocean towing because of more frequent maneuvering
    N d. Yes! Because of increased water depths, forces required to capsize a tug are not usually found in ocean towing

738: How many board feet of dunnage are there in a draft 3 feet wide, 1-1/2 feet high, and 14 feet long?

    N a. 526
    Y b. 756
    N c. 876
    N d. 906

884: When towing astern, each towline must meet all of these requirements, EXCEPT ___________ .

    Y a. being suitable for use as soon as it is removed from its normal stowage location
    N b. having wire clips for other than a temporary repair
    N c. having the end either spliced with a thimble or fitted with a poured socket
    N d. being free of knots

957: Your vessel has completed an inspection for certification and is issued a Temporary Certificate of Inspection. The Temporary Certificate __________.

    Y a. has the full force of the regular Certificate of Inspection
    N b. expires six months after it is issued
    N c. must be exchanged for a regular Certificate of Inspection within 3 months
    N d. is retained in the custody of the Master

990: Freeboard is measured from the upper edge of the __________.

    N a. bulwark
    Y b. deck line
    N c. gunwale bar
    N d. sheer strake

996: With a following sea, a vessel will tend to __________.

    N a. heave to
    N b. pound
    N c. reduce speed
    Y d. yaw

1011: After your vessel has been involved in a casualty, you are required to make your logbooks, bell books, etc., available to __________.

    N a. attorneys for opposition parties
    N b. marine surveyors
    Y c. U.S. Coast Guard officials
    N d. All of the above

1045: If a hydraulic pump on a winch accidentally stops while hoisting, the load will stay suspended because __________.

    Y a. a check valve will close and prevent reverse circulation
    N b. a centrifugal counterweight counteracts the force of gravity.
    N c. the electric pump motor will cut out
    N d. the control lever will move to the stop position

1119: A single fitting installed in a pipeline that either blanks off the pipe or allows a full flow passage of a liquid through the pipe is referred to as a __________.

    N a. blind flange
    N b. pivot coupling
    N c. quick-release coupling
    Y d. spectacle flange

1200: Your vessel's operators send a message that your vessel has been consigned to Voluntary Naval Control of Shipping. The message will refer you to __________.

    N a. the Light List
    N b. the International Code of Signals (PUB 102)
    Y c. Radio Aids to Navigation (PUB 117)
    N d. the Coast Pilot

1231: What is NOT a condition for a salvage claim?

    N a. The property saved must be "maritime property."
    Y b. The salvors must save or attempt to save any life in peril.
    N c. The salvage service must be voluntary.
    N d. The property must be in peril.

1237: You are a watchstanding mate and have come to the bridge to relieve the watch. After reviewing the chart and having been briefed by the off-going mate, you are now ready to effect the relief. The watch is officially transferred to you after __________.

    N a. you state the vessel's charted position, present course and port of destination
    N b. the mate being relieved tells you the vessel's course and speed and states that you have the watch
    Y c. you say, "I relieve you" and you state the course per gyro and magnetic compasses
    N d. the mate being relieved says, "You have the conn" and you state the ship's course

1375: A chain stripper is used to __________.

    Y a. prevent chain from clinging to the wildcat
    N b. clean the marine debris from the chain
    N c. flake chain from a boat's chain locker
    N d. clean chain prior to an x-ray inspection

1541: Which act would be considered barratry?

    N a. A criminal act committed by a crew member ashore in a foreign port
    Y b. A criminal act committed by the ship Master in violation of his duty to the shipowner
    N c. Theft of cargo by longshoremen
    N d. Smuggling with the connivance of the shipowner

1544: The main function of the core of a wire rope is to __________.

    N a. give flexibility
    Y b. support the strands laid around it
    N c. allow some circulation around the strands
    N d. allow lubrication inside the rope

1557: When relieving the helm, the new helmsman should find it handy to know the __________.

    Y a. amount of helm carried for a steady course
    N b. variation in the area
    N c. leeway
    N d. deviation on that heading

1568: A tackle is "two blocked" when the blocks are __________.

    N a. equally sharing the load
    Y b. jammed together
    N c. as far apart as possible
    N d. rove to the highest mechanical advantage

1617: Using the graph in illustration D008DG, if the dry bulb temperature is 84°, and the wet bulb temperature is 81°, what is the relative humidity in a cargo hold? (D008DG )

    N a. 71%
    N b. 79%
    N c. 81%
    Y d. 87%

1642: Which illustration represents a carrick bend? (DO30DG )

    N a. H
    N b. J
    N c. L
    Y d. M

1697: Using the graph shown, if the dry bulb temperature is 85°, and the wet bulb temperature is 73°, what is the relative humidity in a cargo hold? (D008DG )

    N a. 42%
    Y b. 55%
    N c. 67%
    N d. 85%

1722: In a national emergency, when communicating via the Navy, messages are sent by precedence. A message designated PRIORITY will be delivered within __________.

    N a. 3 hours to start of business the following day
    Y b. 1 to 6 hours
    N c. 30 minutes to 1 hour
    N d. 10 minutes if possible

1778: You are landing a single-screw vessel with a right-handed propeller port side to a dock. As you approach the dock, you back down on your engine with rudder amidships. You would expect the vessel to __________.

    N a. drift away from the dock
    N b. lose headway without swinging
    Y c. swing its stern towards the dock
    N d. swing its stern away from the dock

1817: Refrigeration machinery is often surveyed before loading reefer cargo. This survey is usually performed by the __________.

    N a. U.S. Coast Guard
    Y b. American Bureau of Shipping
    N c. National Cargo Bureau
    N d. local port authority

2070: Which statement about the Williamson turn is FALSE?

    Y a. It requires the highest degree of shiphandling skills to accomplish.
    N b. It is the slowest of the methods used in turning the vessel.
    N c. It is the best turn to use when the victim is not in sight due to reduced visibility.
    N d. It returns the vessel to the original track-line on a reciprocal course.

2218: If reefer spaces are not properly cleaned prior to loading cargo, it will most likely cause __________.

    Y a. mold to develop on commodities
    N b. malfunction of the refrigeration equipment
    N c. contamination of the insulation in the space
    N d. All of the above

2236: Another name for the garboard strake is the __________.

    Y a. A strake
    N b. Z strake
    N c. side keel plate
    N d. stringer plate

2237: Using the graph in illustration D008DG, if the dry bulb temperature is 76° and the wet bulb temperature is 59°, what is the relative humidity in a cargo hold? (D008DG )

    Y a. 34%
    N b. 47%
    N c. 76%
    N d. 79%

2289: A seaman you have just discharged has a Continuous Discharge Book. Which statement is TRUE?

    Y a. The record of entry in the continuous discharge book shall agree with the entry made in the Ship's Articles.
    N b. If the vessel was on coastwise articles, the record of discharge will be made in the Official Logbook.
    N c. An entry should be made in the book and a Certificate of Discharge issued to the seaman.
    N d. A Certificate of Discharge form should be attached to the book.

2578: According to regulations when, if ever, may cargo hatches on Great Lakes vessels, with more than 6 feet of freeboard, be left uncovered or open while the vessel is being navigated?

    N a. If a Mate deems it necessary for ship's maintenance
    Y b. At the discretion of the Master, for reasonable purposes
    N c. On the authority of the Bosun
    N d. The hatch may never be uncovered

2772: The Coordinator Surface Search (CSS) in a SAR situation should display by night __________.

    N a. deck lights forward and aft
    N b. a white light over two red lights
    N c. a red light, white light, and blue light in a vertical line
    Y d. a distinctive signal promulgated by the CSS

2886: How should you signal the crane operator to lower?

    N a. With forearm vertical and forefinger pointing up, move hand in small horizontal circles.
    Y b. With arm extended downwards and forefinger pointing down, move hand in small horizontal circles.
    N c. Extend arm and point finger in the direction to move the boom.
    N d. Extend arm with thumb pointing downward, and flex fingers in and out.

2940: A vessel reduces speed without backing. The rate that her speed through the water decreases depends primarily on the __________.

    N a. vessel's horsepower
    N b. sea state
    N c. number of propellers
    Y d. vessel's displacement

2944: Your ship is navigating independently in heavy ice when it becomes beset. Which statement is FALSE?

    N a. The vessel will most likely require an icebreaker to free her.
    N b. The vessel may be able to free herself by pumping ballast from side to side.
    Y c. The propeller is more susceptible to ice damage when turning slowly than when stopped.
    N d. It is advisable to clear the rudder area of ice by using ahead turns before backing down.

2996: Advection fog, a common occurrence on the Great Lakes, forms when __________.

    N a. air comes in contact with a rapidly cooling land surface
    N b. frigid arctic air moves across the lakes and becomes saturated
    Y c. relatively warm air flows over cooler water
    N d. cool air contacts warm river currents

3028: The term "inland waters", as defined in the Rules of the Road, includes __________.

    N a. the Great Lakes in their entirety
    Y b. the Mississippi River System
    N c. U.S. waters out to three miles offshore
    N d. the St. Lawrence River to Anticosti Island

3080: Which method should be used to warm up the pump turbines prior to discharge?

    N a. Lock the turbine rotor and slowly bleed in steam until operating temperature is reached
    N b. Run the pump at high speed with the discharge valves closed
    N c. Run the turbine at slow speed with the pump disconnected
    Y d. Shut the discharge valve and run the pump at slow speed

3126: Your tankship is carrying a cargo of styrene. Which of the following is NOT a requirement for carriage of this cargo?

    Y a. P/V valves with galvanized parts must be replaced.
    N b. Authorization to carry styrene must be endorsed on the Certificate of Inspection.
    N c. You must have a "Certificate of Inhibition" provided by the shipper.
    N d. The cargo tank heating coils must be blanked off.

3300: You are heading into the sea during rough weather. Having too much weight forward can cause your small boat to __________.

    N a. broach
    Y b. plunge into the wave
    N c. rise rapidly over the wave
    N d. list

3447: The best method to secure a tow line to a cleat is to __________.

    Y a. take a turn around the cleat, then figure-eights, and a half-hitch
    N b. make figure-eights, followed by a half-hitch, then a figure-eight knot
    N c. take a turn, a half turn, and a figure-eight
    N d. take several turns around the cleat only

3451: After inventorying the Naval Control of Shipping publications you find there is no copy of ATP-2, Volume II "Allied Control of Shipping Manual - Bridge Supplement". You should ask for a replacement from the __________.

    Y a. Maritime Administration
    N b. Coast Guard
    N c. Chief of Naval Operations
    N d. local Operational Control Authority

3742: It is good practice to use long towlines for ocean tows because the __________.

    N a. wear on the towline is equalized
    N b. weight of the towline increases the towing force
    Y c. dip in the towline absorbs shock loads
    N d. danger of overriding is reduced

4054: "Hanging a barge off" means to __________.

    Y a. moor a damaged barge to the bank and leave
    N b. remove and deliver a loaded barge from a multiple tow
    N c. remove a barge while locking through
    N d. tow an empty barge astern

4088: With a given load on the cargo hook, the thrust on a cargo boom __________.

    Y a. increases as the angle to the horizontal increases
    N b. increases as the angle to the horizontal decreases
    N c. is greatest at an angle of 45° and decreases as the boom is raised or lowered
    N d. is least at an angle of 45° and increases as the boom is raised or lowered

4187: Which of the following is the stated proper sequence before commencing cargo operations aboard Ro-Ro vessels?

    N a. Start ventilation, lower the ramp, notify engine room
    N b. Lower the ramp, start ventilation, notify engine room
    Y c. Notify engine room, lower the ramp, start ventilation
    N d. Start ventilation, notify engine room, lower the ramp