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 __________.


55: You are in charge of a U.S. documented vessel. Under title 46 of the United States Code, if you fail to report a complaint of a sexual offense, you may be __________.


111: You are the licensed Master of a towing vessels operating between New York and Tampa, Florida. If you carry four (4) deckhands onboard, how many must be able seamen?


123: When patching holes in the hull, pillows, bedding, and other soft materials can be used as __________.

    N a. shores
    Y b. gaskets
    N c. strongbacks
    N d. wedges

124: Bilge soundings indicate __________.

    N a. the amount of condensation in the hold
    N b. whether the cargo is leaking or not
    N c. whether the vessel is taking on water
    Y d. All of the above

125: Chafing gear is normally used __________.

    N a. for portable fenders
    N b. for ground tackle
    N c. on the inside of the hawsepipe
    Y d. on mooring lines

132: What is a characteristic of all centrifugal cargo pumps?

    N a. They are self-priming.
    Y b. Decreasing the speed of rotation will decrease the discharge pressure.
    N c. Opening the discharge valve wider will increase the discharge pressure.
    N d. All of the above

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

211: A seaman is entitled by law to a release from Foreign Articles when __________.

    N a. intoxicated
    Y b. the vessel is overloaded
    N c. there is a change of home port
    N d. there is a change of Master

239: Flame screens are used to __________.

    N a. contain flammable fumes
    N b. protect firefighters from flames
    Y c. prevent flames from entering tanks
    N d. keep flames and sparks from getting out of an engine's exhaust system

251: A seaman lost his continuous discharge book during the voyage. Upon discharge from Articles, he should be issued a __________.

    N a. letter of service on company letterhead signed and sealed by the master
    N b. Record of Entry in a Continuous Discharge Book for use in applying for a duplicate book
    Y c. Certificate of Discharge with the white copy forwarded to the Commandant
    N d. Mutual Release (CG-2119), and the articles should be annotated as to the loss

295: Which publication offers information on Great Lakes ice services?

    N a. Light List volume VII
    Y b. U.S. Coast Pilot #6
    N c. Marine Weather Log
    N d. National Weather Service, Ice Outlooks

344: The purpose of a bilge well is to __________.

    N a. afford access to the shell through the double bottoms
    Y b. collect water to be pumped out
    N c. provide access for the pneumercator
    N d. provide a base line for sounding measurements

363: Which space(s) is(are) deducted from gross tonnage to derive net tonnage?

    N a. Companions and booby hatches
    Y b. Chart room
    N c. Open structures
    N d. All of the above

535: In illustration D044DG, the mooring line labeled "G" is called a(n) __________. (DO44DG )

    N a. offshore bow line
    Y b. inshore bow line
    N c. forward breast line
    N d. forward spring line

536: Your vessel is backing on the starboard screw, and going ahead on the port screw. The bow will __________.

    N a. back on a straight line
    N b. move ahead on a straight line
    N c. swing to port
    Y d. swing to starboard

579: The terminal indicates to you that they are going to use a booster pump to assist the discharging operation. You start the discharge, and in a few minutes the pressure drops sharply. This could be a result of the __________.

    Y a. booster pump coming on the line and discharging properly
    N b. booster pump failing to start
    N c. booster pump being lined up in the wrong direction
    N d. ship's pump speeding up

607: A lashing used to secure two barges side by side, lashed in an "X" fashion, is called a __________.

    Y a. scissor wire
    N b. towing wire
    N c. breast wire
    N d. cross wire

675: An advantage of the modified Christmas Tree towing method is to __________.

    N a. increase the towing hawser's catenary and provide more spring
    Y b. reduce catenary, allow operation in shallower water, and to release one barge without breaking up the entire tow
    N c. enable one tug and its crew without any outside assistance to make up or break down the tow
    N d. provide rapid delivery of logs from the northwestern United States to Hawaiian sawmills

740: The extension of the after part of the keel in a single- screw vessel upon which the stern post rests is called the __________.

    N a. boss
    N b. knuckle
    Y c. skeg
    N d. strut

759: The equipment used to control, protect and connect a towline is called ___________ .

    N a. cat head
    Y b. terminal gear
    N c. level wind
    N d. poured socket

777: Before a Master relieves a Pilot of the conn, the __________.

    N a. Master must always request the Pilot to take corrective action
    Y b. Master should foresee any danger to the vessel on the present course
    N c. Master should agree to sign a release of liability form
    N d. vessel must be in extremis

834: A whipping on a fiber line __________.

    Y a. keeps the ends from fraying
    N b. strengthens it
    N c. protects your hands
    N d. becomes part of a splice

894: When taking a length of new manila rope from the coil, you should __________.

    N a. mount the coil so it will turn like a spool and unreel from the outside
    N b. roll the coil along the deck and allow the rope to fall off the coil
    Y c. lay the coil on end with the inside end down, then pull the inside end up through the middle of the coil
    N d. lay the coil on end with the inside end up then unwind the rope from the outside of the coil

900: Camber, in a ship, is usually measured in __________.

    N a. feet per feet of breadth
    N b. feet per feet of length
    Y c. inches per feet of breadth
    N d. inches per feet of length

1029: When cleaning a tank by the Butterworth process, you should begin to pump out the slops __________.

    N a. at the end of the drop schedule
    Y b. when the process is started
    N c. when the process is finished
    N d. when the tank is clean

1073: You are preparing to slush a stay on your vessel by lowering yourself down the stay in a bosun's chair. The proper way to do this is to ride down the stay on a riding shackle __________.

    N a. with the pin of the shackle riding on the stay
    Y b. with the pin of the shackle through the chair's bridle eye
    N c. with a hook attaching the chair to the riding shackle
    N d. connected to a second shackle on the chair

1671: The number of certificated able seamen and lifeboatmen required on a vessel is determined by the __________.

    N a. International Maritime Organization
    N b. Corps of Engineers
    Y c. Coast Guard
    N d. American Bureau of Shipping

1676: When preparing to hoist the anchor, you should FIRST __________.

    Y a. engage the wildcat
    N b. put the brake in the off position
    N c. take off the chain stopper
    N d. take the riding pawl off the chain

1733: Separating both blocks of a tackle to prepare it for reuse is called __________.

    N a. chockablocking
    N b. out-hauling
    Y c. over-hauling
    N d. two-blocking

1786: You are anchoring in a river where the current is from one direction only. The best way to lay out two anchors is to have them __________.

    N a. directly in line with the bow
    N b. side by side, with their lines on the port and starboard side
    Y c. so that their lines form an angle
    N d. on top of one another

1841: If a tow sinks in shallow water, you should __________.

    N a. release it immediately
    N b. attempt to beach it before it goes under
    Y c. pay out cable until it's on the bottom and place a buoy on the upper end
    N d. shorten cable to keep it off the bottom

1945: One of your crew members falls overboard from the starboard side. You should IMMEDIATELY __________.

    N a. apply left rudder
    Y b. throw the crew member a life preserver
    N c. begin backing your engines
    N d. position your vessel to windward and begin recovery

2010: On the cargo manifest, the total weight of a box containing cargo is the __________.

    N a. tare weight
    N b. net weight
    Y c. gross weight
    N d. cargo weight

2020: To facilitate passing the end of a large rope through a block, you could use a __________.

    N a. gantline
    N b. head line
    Y c. reeving line
    N d. sail line

2136: Your enrolled vessel is bound from Baltimore, MD, to Norfolk, VA, via Chesapeake Bay. Which statement about the required pilot is TRUE?

    Y a. The pilot need only be licensed by the Coast Guard.
    N b. The Pilot must be licensed by either Virginia or Maryland.
    N c. The Pilot must be licensed by Virginia and Maryland.
    N d. The Pilot must be licensed by Virginia, Maryland and the Coast Guard.

2137: The securing systems for containers were developed to prevent container movement during which ship motion?

    N a. Surge
    Y b. Roll
    N c. Sway
    N d. Yaw

2182: What is the name of tackle number 4? (DO29DG )

    N a. Double whip
    N b. Luff tackle
    Y c. Two-fold purchase
    N d. 2-2 tackle

2241: The letter M indicates a(n) __________. (D033DG )

    Y a. web frame
    N b. intercostal
    N c. stringer
    N d. cant frame

2463: The crane manufacturer's load chart should be posted at or near the __________.

    N a. crane pedestal
    N b. wire rope locker
    N c. main deck
    Y d. crane control console

2539: The distance between rivets in a row is known as the __________.

    N a. arm
    Y b. pitch
    N c. gage
    N d. rivet distance

2588: Rivets are usually made of __________.

    N a. wrought-iron
    N b. aluminum
    N c. high-tensile steel
    Y d. mild steel

2656: What is an example of the term "Restraint of Rulers, Princes, or Peoples" in a marine insurance policy?

    Y a. A prohibition from loading a cargo from a country when the cargo may be a carrier of infectious diseases.
    N b. Arrest of a vessel by legal authorities to satisfy claims through exercise of a maritime lien.
    N c. Damage caused by riot of the population of a port.
    N d. Losses caused by fines from polluting the harbor after malfunction of a piping system.

2684: Which statement about bilge keels is CORRECT?

    N a. They are critical strength members and require careful design consideration.
    Y b. They increase resistance to rolling.
    N c. They attach to a low stress area.
    N d. They provide support when the vessel is dry docked.

2785: You are proceeding under NCS (Naval Control of Shipping) and wish to send a message by rapid transmission which does not require a higher precedence. Which precedence would you assign this message?

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

2805: "Hard right rudder" means __________.

    N a. jam the rudder against the stops
    Y b. put the rudder over to the right all the way
    N c. meet a swing to the right, then return to amidships
    N d. put the rudder over quickly to 15 degrees right rudder

2922: A long pole with a hook at one end, used to reach for lines, is known as a __________.

    Y a. pike pole
    N b. jack staff
    N c. line rod
    N d. hooker

2952: Spontaneous heating of coal rapidly accelerates at the approximate minimum temperature of __________.

    N a. 88°F
    Y b. 100°F
    N c. 111°F
    N d. 119°F

3124: You attach a line to a stationary barge lying off your starboard beam in order to maneuver it into position to make up tow. The line used to do this is a __________.

    N a. jockey line
    N b. fore and aft line
    N c. check line
    Y d. swing line

3219: 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
    N b. 10 minutes if possible
    N c. 30 minutes to 1 hour
    Y d. 1 to 6 hours

3275: When underway with a tow, you are required to notify the Coast Guard in which casualty situation?

    N a. Damage to property amounting to $12,500
    N b. Loss of bridge-to-bridge radio capability
    N c. An injury requiring first aid treatment
    Y d. Accidental stranding or grounding

3290: What will be accepted as the shipping papers for an unmanned tank barge but will not be accepted if the tank barge is manned?

    N a. Bill of Lading
    Y b. Logbook entry
    N c. Manifest
    N d. Shipping document

3338: What is used to prevent wear on towlines that bear on hard surfaces?

    Y a. Chafing gear
    N b. Chocks
    N c. Grease
    N d. Boots

3420: A face line is used to __________.

    N a. prevent barge movement in a lock
    N b. secure two barges end-to-end
    Y c. secure barges to the towboat
    N d. secure barges side-by-side

3462: Under U.S. law, what is the penalty for assaulting the Master?

    N a. Fine of not more than $1000
    N b. Fine of not more than $500 and/or imprisonment for not more than 1 year
    Y c. Imprisonment for not more than 2 years
    N d. Revocation of the Merchant Mariner's Document (and license if applicable)

4060: You are arriving in port and are assigned to anchor in anchorage circle B-4. It has a diameter of 550 yards and your vessel's LOA is 449 feet. If you anchor in 9 fathoms at the center of the circle, what is the maximum number of shots of chain you can use and still remain in the circle?

    N a. 6 shots
    N b. 5 shots
    Y c. 4 shots
    N d. 3 shots

4132: What is used when securing heavy vehicles aboard Ro-Ro vessels?

    N a. Buckle or ratchet tensioner
    N b. Webbing
    N c. Manila rope
    Y d. None of these

4211: Pedestal cranes have limit switches to restrict movement of which function(s)?

    N a. Hoist upper & lower limits
    N b. Luff travel limits
    N c. Rider block hoist upper & lower limits
    Y d. All of the above

4263: Which statement(s) is/are TRUE concerning crane cargo operations?

    N a. Lifting points on all equipment must be safely checked prior to commencing a lift.
    N b. Cargo loaded into vehicles and/or containers prior to lifting needs to be properly secured so as to prevent shifting during transport.
    N c. Never exceed crane manufacturer’s limits concerning the safe working loads of cargo jibs.
    Y d. All the above

4875: The crane manufacturer's operating tables are posted near the __________.

    N a. crane pedestal
    N b. wire-rope locker
    N c. main deck
    Y d. crane controls