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.


20: You are carrying triethylamine, methyl methacrylate and isoprene in your multiple-product tankship. Which of the following statements is true?


22: A wildcat is a __________.


77: When steering a vessel, a good helmsman will __________.


128: Which is characteristic of a "special cargo"?

    N a. The cargo gives off toxic gases when heated.
    N b. Periodic inspection is required while in transit to prevent spoilage.
    Y c. It is of high value or easily pilferable.
    N d. It must be stowed on deck.

149: A standard net barrel of petroleum products is __________.

    Y a. 42 gallons at 60°F
    N b. 48 gallons at 70°F
    N c. 50 gallons at 50°F
    N d. 60 gallons at 100°F

186: The pivoting point of a vessel going ahead is __________.

    N a. at the hawsepipe
    Y b. about one-third of the vessel's length from the bow
    N c. about two-thirds of the vessel's length from the bow
    N d. near the stern

223: Who is responsible for providing urine specimen collection kits to be used following a serious marine incident?

    N a. Qualified medical personnel
    Y b. The marine employer
    N c. The U.S. Coast Guard
    N d. The local police department

271: Total responsibility for shipping and discharging the seamen is that of the __________.

    Y a. Master of the vessel
    N b. steamship company
    N c. U.S. Custom Service
    N d. U.S. Coast Guard

311: The Shipping Articles shall be signed by each seaman and the __________.

    Y a. Master of the vessel
    N b. Shipping Commissioner
    N c. U.S. Coast Guard
    N d. U.S. Customs Service

374: Holes in the bulwark, which allow deck water to drain into the sea, are __________.

    N a. doggers
    N b. fidleys
    Y c. freeing ports
    N d. swash ports

405: At the establishment of Naval Control of Shipping (NCS), ships at sea will __________.

    N a. stop and await further orders
    N b. attempt to make their way to the nearest port of a friendly nation and await further instructions
    Y c. continue voyages unless in danger areas defined in the advisory or supplemental message
    N d. keep radio silence

406: A twin-screw vessel with a single rudder is making headway. The engines are full speed ahead. There is no wind or current. Which statement is FALSE?

    N a. If one screw is stopped, the ship will turn toward the side of the stopped screw.
    N b. The principal force which turns the ship is set up by the wake against the forward side of the rudder.
    Y c. Turning response by use of the rudder only is greater than on a single-screw vessel.
    N d. With the rudder amidships, the ship will steer a fairly steady course.

417: When inspecting wire rope that has been in use for some time, one must look for __________.

    N a. fishhooks
    N b. kinks
    N c. worn spots
    Y d. All of the above

456: You are conning a twin-screw vessel going ahead with rudders amidships. If the port screw stops turning the bow will __________.

    Y a. go to port
    N b. go to starboard
    N c. not veer to either side
    N d. go first to port and then to starboard

516: You are going ahead on twin engines with rudder amidships. Your starboard engine stalls. To continue on course, you should __________.

    Y a. apply left rudder
    N b. apply right rudder
    N c. increase engine speed
    N d. keep your rudder amidships

687: The damage to a vessel is over $25,000. Who must notify the nearest Coast Guard Marine Safety or Marine Inspection Office as soon as possible?

    N a. The vessel's agent
    N b. The owner of the vessel
    N c. The Master of the vessel
    Y d. Any one of the above

855: Which party must ensure that legal work hour limitations (for both officers and crew members), rest periods and regulations governing work on Sundays and holidays are followed when the vessel is in a safe harbor?

    N a. The owner of the vessel
    N b. The company operating the vessel
    Y c. The Master of the vessel
    N d. The company chartering the vessel

856: A wedge of water building up between the bow and nearer bank which forces the bow out and away describes __________.

    Y a. bank cushion
    N b. bank suction
    N c. combined effect
    N d. bend effect

896: A V-shaped ripple with the point of the V pointing upstream in a river may indicate a __________.

    N a. submerged rock, not dangerous to navigation
    N b. sunken wreck, not dangerous to navigation
    Y c. towed-under buoy
    N d. All of the above

939: What is the purpose of pressure-vacuum relief valves?

    N a. Regulation of discharge pressure from cargo pumps
    N b. Maintaining constant velocity in cargo lines
    N c. Regulation of suction head on cargo pumps
    Y d. To maintain a tank or void at atmospheric pressure

958: You are in a tropical port. The refrigeration machinery on a container loaded with air-cooled fruit fails. It cannot be repaired for 18 to 24 hours. Which step should you take to reduce the temperature rise and spoilage of the fruit?

    N a. Discharge a cylinder of nitrogen into the container
    Y b. Shade the container and periodically hose it down
    N c. Seal any ventilation openings and add dry ice
    N d. Spread ice over the top layer and in any voids within the container

998: When steering on autopilot which of the following input conditions may NOT have an effect on the control of the steering gear?

    Y a. Non-followup
    N b. Rudder adjustment
    N c. Weather adjustment
    N d. All the above may be activated

1031: Which certificate is NOT issued by the Coast Guard?

    N a. Award of official number
    N b. Certificate of Inspection
    Y c. Classification of Hull and Machinery
    N d. Safety Equipment Certificate

1080: The "inner bottom" is the __________.

    Y a. tank top
    N b. compartment between the tank top and shell of the vessel
    N c. inner side of the vessel's shell
    N d. space between two transverse bottom frames

1097: Which of the knots, bends, or hitches shown in the illustration would you use to properly secure a bosun's chair to a gantline? (D030DG )

    N a. I
    N b. P
    Y c. R
    N d. X

1215: What is an advantage in the use of a towing hook?

    N a. To prevent the tug from becoming tripped
    N b. To quickly connect or release a tow, especially a sinking tow
    N c. To facilitate berthing maneuvers
    Y d. All of the above

1422: A U.S. vessel engaged in foreign trade must be __________.

    N a. classed
    N b. enrolled
    N c. licensed
    Y d. registered

1460: Weight concentration in which area will cause a vessel's bottom to be subjected to tension stresses?

    N a. Aft
    Y b. Amidships
    N c. At both ends
    N d. Forward

1464: When talking about wire rope, the lay of the wire is the __________.

    Y a. direction wires and strands are twisted together
    N b. number of strands in the wire
    N c. direction the core is twisted
    N d. material used in the core

1594: What is the breaking strain of steel wire rope with a 5/8" diameter?

    N a. 1.0 tons
    N b. 6.6 tons
    Y c. 9.6 tons
    N d. 15.6 tons

1714: A "sheepshank" is used to __________.

    N a. keep a line from fraying
    N b. join lines of unequal size
    N c. stop off a line
    Y d. shorten a line

1831: A "loose" tow may cause all of the following EXCEPT __________.

    N a. loss of maneuverability
    N b. lines to part
    N c. damage to the towing vessel and tow
    Y d. a saving in the transit time

1979: What is a proper size block to use with a 3-inch circumference Manila line?

    N a. At least a 12-inch sheave
    Y b. 9-inch cheek, 6-inch sheave
    N c. 8-inch cheek, any size sheave
    N d. 6-inch cheek, 4-inch sheave

1995: The single turn method of returning to a man overboard should be used ONLY if __________.

    N a. the man is reported missing rather than immediately seen as he falls overboard
    Y b. the vessel is very maneuverable
    N c. the conning officer is inexperienced
    N d. a boat will be used to recover the man

2008: When towing another vessel, the length of the towing line should be __________.

    N a. as long as possible
    N b. as short as possible under the circumstances and not over two wave lengths
    N c. such that one vessel will be on a crest while the other is in a trough
    Y d. such that the vessels will be in step

2019: A man was sighted as he fell overboard. After completing a Williamson turn, the man is not sighted. What type of search should be conducted?

    N a. Expanding circle
    Y b. Sector search
    N c. Parallel track pattern
    N d. Datum-drift search

2039: There is a large shipment of case goods available to be loaded on your vessel. You are to load as many tons as possible in a hold which has 32,300 cubic feet left unfilled by cargo. Each case measures 2-feet high by 2-feet wide by 4-feet long and weighs 500 pounds. If you allow a broken stowage allowance of 10% of the 32,300 feet, what is the nearest whole number of tons which may be loaded?

    N a. 324 tons
    N b. 360 tons
    N c. 363 tons
    Y d. 406 tons

2052: You are proceeding under NCS (Naval Control of Shipping) when it becomes necessary to send a distress message. Which precedence would you assign this message?

    Y a. O (IMMEDIATE)
    N b. P (PRIORITY)
    N c. R (ROUTINE)
    N d. Z (FLASH)

2095: You are using a racetrack turn to recover a man overboard. The vessel is first steadied when how many degrees away from the original heading?

    N a. 60° to 70°
    N b. 90°
    N c. 135°
    Y d. 180°

2147: What is the name of tackle number 8? (DO29DG )

    N a. Parbuckle
    Y b. Gun tackle
    N c. Single purchase
    N d. Single luff tackle

2243: You are using tackle number 4, as shown, to lift a weight. The hauling part of this tackle is bent to the weight hook of tackle number 11. What is the mechanical advantage of this rig? (DO29DG )

    N a. 4
    N b. 6
    N c. 10
    Y d. 24

2258: The knot lettered L in illustration DO30DG is a __________. (DO30DG )

    N a. square knot
    Y b. double blackwall hitch
    N c. fisherman's bend
    N d. timber hitch

2285: While writing in the logbook at the end of your watch, you make an error in writing an entry. What is the proper way of correcting this error?

    N a. Remove this page of the log book and rewrite all entries on a clean page.
    N b. Carefully and neatly erase the entry and rewrite it correctly.
    N c. Blot out the error completely and rewrite the entry correctly.
    Y d. Cross out the error with a single line, write the correct entry, and initial it.

2346: What is the volume of a sphere with a radius of 11 feet?

    N a. 506.75 cubic ft.
    N b. 696.78 cubic ft.
    Y c. 5,575.28 cubic ft.
    N d. 44,593.82 cubic ft.

2391: Determine the weight of a rectangular piece of 40.8 lbs. steel measuring 3 feet by 5 feet.

    N a. 326.4 lbs
    N b. 453.6 lbs
    Y c. 612.0 lbs
    N d. 1224.0 lbs

2393: Determine the weight of a rectangular piece of 25.5 lbs. steel measuring 4.5 feet by 6.7 feet.

    N a. 285.6 lbs.
    N b. 329.7 lbs.
    N c. 591.2 lbs.
    Y d. 768.8 lbs.

2536: Wages due a seaman may be attached by the court for the __________.

    N a. payment of any fines imposed by the court
    N b. payment of back taxes to the IRS
    Y c. support of a spouse
    N d. All of the above

2580: You want to double the strength of a mooring line by using two lines. To accomplish this, the second line must __________.

    N a. be 1 1/2 times the diameter of the first
    N b. be married to the first
    N c. not cross the first
    Y d. be of the same length

2652: You are using the anchor to steady the bow while maneuvering. You have the proper scope of anchor cable when the __________.

    Y a. bow is held in position with the engines coming slowly ahead
    N b. anchor is just touching the bottom
    N c. scope is not more than 5 times the depth of the water
    N d. cable enters the water at an angle between 60° and 85° from the horizontal

2762: Which vessel is exempt from the load line and marking requirements for vessels operating on the Great Lakes System?

    N a. A 300 GT tank barge operating exclusively on Lake Michigan
    N b. A 200 GT passenger vessel operating between Duluth, MN and Munising, MI
    N c. A 79-foot, 150 GT pleasure craft operating on the St. Lawrence River
    Y d. A 500 GT dry cargo river barge operated continuously between Calumet Hbr Chicago, IL and Burns Hbr, IN

2768: Which of the Great Lakes lies entirely within the United States?

    N a. Lake Ontario
    N b. Lake St. Clair
    Y c. Lake Michigan
    N d. Lake Superior

3058: Which type of ice is the most difficult to combat and presents the greatest hazard to shipping on the Great Lakes during the winter months?

    N a. Icebergs
    N b. Fast ice
    N c. Slow ice
    Y d. Pack slush ice

3232: The signal man assisting the crane operator has his arm extended with the palm down and holds this position rigidly. This is the signal to __________.

    N a. hoist
    N b. swing
    Y c. stop
    N d. lower

3340: It is NOT advisable to use nylon for alongside towing because it __________.

    Y a. stretches too much
    N b. is too difficult to make fast
    N c. parts too readily
    N d. is too susceptible to mildew

3450: Kort nozzles are installed around the propellers of some vessels to __________.

    Y a. increase the thrust of the propeller
    N b. protect the propeller from striking sawyers
    N c. prevent the propeller from striking barges towed on the hip
    N d. prevent the propeller from touching bottom in low water

3465: Which type of anchor is illustrated? (D038DG )

    Y a. Stockless
    N b. Danforth
    N c. Old-fashioned
    N d. Kedge

3508: A situation has occurred in which your vessel must be towed. When the towing vessel passes the towing line to you, you should secure the line __________.

    N a. to the base of the foremast
    Y b. to the forward-most bitts
    N c. to the forward part of the deckhouse
    N d. at the stern

3726: You are lifting a one-ton weight with a swinging boom. When comparing the stresses on the rig with the boom at 20° to the horizontal to the stresses when the boom is at 60° to the horizontal, which statement is TRUE?

    N a. The angle of elevation does not change the stresses in the masthead fairlead for the topping lift.
    Y b. The stress on the head block is greater at 60°.
    N c. The stress on the heel block is greater at 60°.
    N d. The thrust on the boom is greater at 20°.

4136: A disadvantage of using chain lashing on heavy vehicles aboard Ro-Ro vessels is that it __________.

    N a. can wrap around cargo
    N b. is easily damaged
    N c. is affected by temperature
    Y d. does not absorb shock

4139: A disadvantage of using chain lashing on heavy vehicles aboard Ro-Ro vessels is that __________.

    N a. it is easily damaged
    N b. it is affected by temperature
    Y c. the links lose strength if placed over corners
    N d. it has high initial cost