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.


6: Which statement about a tunnel bow thruster is TRUE?


12: The maximum length allowed between main, transverse bulkheads on a vessel is referred to as the __________.


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 __________.


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

264: The total weight of cargo, fuel, water, stores, passengers and crew, and their effects, that a ship can carry, is the __________.

    N a. bale cubic
    Y b. deadweight
    N c. gross tonnage
    N d. loaded displacement

478: The moisture equilibrium chart can be used to determine the __________.

    N a. absolute moisture content of the air surrounding a hygroscopic cargo when moisture equilibrium exists
    Y b. dew point temperature that the air surrounding a hygroscopic commodity will have when in moisture equilibrium with that commodity
    N c. enthalpy of the air surrounding a hydroscopic cargo which is in moisture equilibrium with the cargo
    N d. temperature at which moisture equilibrium will occur in a cargo hold containing a hygroscopic cargo

500: What would NOT require that a detailed report of the release of hazardous cargo be made to the Department of Transportation?

    N a. The valve on an empty portable tank that contained acetone is accidentally opened and some of the residue escapes to the open sea.
    N b. A carboy of nitric acid is broken on deck while loading and is flushed overboard with no injury or damage.
    Y c. Part of your deck cargo of five gallon cans of paint is damaged and leaking so you jettison them to eliminate the fire hazard.
    N d. Heavy weather causes damage to packages of a hazardous liquid that is subsequently pumped out at sea through the bilge pumping system.

508: When the dew point of the outside air is lower than or equal to the dew point of the air in the cargo hold, you should __________.

    N a. secure all ventilation
    N b. shut down the exhaust blowers
    N c. shut down the intake blowers
    Y d. ventilate the cargo holds

633: A tug is best positioned for towing and maneuvering on rivers and other restricted waters where wave action is limited when __________.

    Y a. directly astern and pushing the tow
    N b. towing on a hawser
    N c. towing alongside and parallel to the vessel it is towing
    N d. towing on the hip

651: Fire fighting equipment requirements for a particular vessel may be found on the __________.

    Y a. 4Certificate of Inspection
    N b. Certificate of Seaworthiness
    N c. Classification Certificate
    N d. Certificate of Registry

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

    N a. Companions and booby hatches
    N b. Open structures
    Y c. Spaces for the exclusive use of the officers or crew
    N d. Water ballast spaces

716: Your vessel is proceeding along a narrow channel. The effect called bank cushion has which effect on the vessel?

    Y a. Forces the bow away from the bank
    N b. Forces the stern away from the bank
    N c. Forces the entire vessel bodily away from the bank
    N d. Decreases the draft at the bow

728: How many board feet of dunnage are in a draft 4 feet wide, 1-1/2 feet high and 13 feet long?

    N a. 84
    N b. 756
    Y c. 936
    N d. 1021

789: Which statement about a centrifugal cargo pump is TRUE?

    N a. It is a positive displacement pump.
    Y b. It must have a positive suction.
    N c. Increasing rotation speed will decrease discharge pressure.
    N d. All of the above

789: Which statement about a centrifugal cargo pump is TRUE?

    N a. It is a positive displacement pump.
    Y b. It must have a positive suction.
    N c. Increasing rotation speed will decrease discharge pressure.
    N d. All of the above

840: The terms "cant frame" and "counter" are associated with the vessel's __________.

    N a. cargo hatch
    N b. forecastle
    N c. steering engine
    Y d. stern

907: While assigned to a 90 GRT vessel, you are required to sign "foreign" articles on a voyage from Philadelphia to which port?

    Y a. San Francisco, CA
    N b. Baltimore, MD
    N c. Tampico, Mexico
    N d. Montreal, Canada

981: When a vessel is entering or leaving a port, a record of engine speeds is kept in the __________.

    Y a. bell book
    N b. deck rough log
    N c. Official Logbook
    N d. engine rough log

985: You have the "conn" at the time the helmsman who is steering by hand reports that the rudder is not responding to the wheel. Your FIRST action should be to __________.

    N a. call the engineroom and report that you have lost steering
    N b. signal the engineroom to stop the engines
    Y c. shift the selector switch to the other steering system
    N d. call the Master

1004: Uncoiling manila line improperly can result in a(n) __________.

    N a. number of fishhooks
    Y b. kink in the line
    N c. 50% loss of efficiency of the line
    N d. increase in deterioration of the line

1153: What affect does shallow water have on a vessel's stopping distance?

    N a. The stopping distance is shorter.
    Y b. The stopping distance is longer.
    N c. There is no difference in the stopping distance.
    N d. The propeller is more effective when going astern in shallow water.

1306: You are making mooring lines fast to bitts, stern to, as in some Mediterranean ports. A swell is liable to make the vessel surge. How should you tie up?

    Y a. Use manila or synthetic fiber hawsers only.
    N b. Use wires only from the stern and each quarter.
    N c. Use synthetic fiber and/or manila hawsers as required.
    N d. Use wires from each quarter and manila hawsers from the stern.

1404: Galvanizing would not be suitable for protecting wire rope which is used for __________.

    Y a. cargo runners
    N b. mooring wires
    N c. shrouds
    N d. stays

1468: What will NOT reduce yawing of a tow?

    N a. Increasing the length of the towing hawser
    N b. Trimming the tow by the stern
    Y c. Stowing deck loads forward
    N d. Drogues put over the stern

1509: If an electric cargo winch is being used to lift a draft of cargo and the engine room loses all power, which will occur?

    N a. A pawl, forced by a spring mechanism, will engage the teeth of the bull gear and hold the load.
    Y b. An electromagnetic brake will hold the load where it is suspended.
    N c. The load will fall rapidly to the deck unless the foot brake is engaged.
    N d. The load will slowly lower to the deck under control of the drag of the winch motor.

1608: Your ship is dead in the water with the rudder amidships. As the right-handed screw starts to turn ahead, the bow will tend to go __________.

    N a. to starboard
    Y b. to port
    N c. straight ahead
    N d. as influenced by the tide and sea

1632: In which casualty case is it UNNECESSARY to notify the local Coast Guard Marine Safety Office?

    Y a. Your vessel strikes a pier and does $1,500 damage to the pier but none to the vessel.
    N b. A nylon mooring line parts while the vessel is tied up and kills a harbor worker who was on the pier.
    N c. A seaman is injured and in the hospital for four days.
    N d. Your vessel is backing from a dock and runs aground, but is pulled off by tugs in 30 minutes.

1694: A "whipping" is __________.

    N a. a messenger
    N b. a stopper for nylon line
    N c. a U-bolt for securing a cargo whip to the winch drum
    Y d. turns of twine around a rope end

1696: Mooring with two bow anchors has which major advantage over anchoring with one bow anchor?

    N a. The vessel will not reverse direction in a tidal current.
    Y b. The radius of the vessel's swing will be shortened.
    N c. A mooring approach may be made from any direction.
    N d. The vessel will not swing with a change in wind.

1737: When evacuating a seaman by helicopter lift, which course should the ship take?

    N a. Downwind so that the apparent wind is close to nil.
    Y b. A course that will keep a free flow of air, clear of smoke, over the hoist area.
    N c. A course that will have the hoist area in the lee of the superstructure.
    N d. With the wind dead ahead because the helicopter is more maneuverable when going into the wind.

1787: Which picture represents a blackwall hitch? (DO30DG )

    N a. F
    N b. H
    N c. P
    Y d. S

1807: When evacuating a seaman by helicopter lift, which statement is TRUE?

    N a. Evacuation should be from an area forward of the bridge.
    N b. The vessel should be slowed to bare steerageway.
    N c. If the hoist is at the stern, booms extending aft at the stern should be cradled with the topping lifts hove taut.
    Y d. The litter should not be touched until it has been grounded.

1981: The boom stops on a pedestal crane prevent the boom from __________.

    Y a. being raised too high
    N b. swinging at sea
    N c. overloading when not in use
    N d. being lowered too low

2111: You are anchoring in 16 fathoms of water. On a small to medium size vessel, the __________.

    N a. anchor may be dropped from the hawsepipe
    Y b. anchor should be lowered to within 2 fathoms of the bottom before being dropped
    N c. scope should always be at least ten times the depth of the water
    N d. scope should always be less than 5 times the depth of the water

2145: The fo'c'sle card __________.

    N a. is posted in the crews quarters and lists the emergency stations
    Y b. advises the crew of the conditions of employment
    N c. is also known as a Merchant Mariner's Document
    N d. designates the quarters a seaman will occupy during a voyage

2172: The lower hold of your vessel has a bale cubic of 52,000 cu. ft. You will load a cargo of cases, each weighing 380 lbs. and measuring 3 ft. x 2 ft. x 2 ft. The estimated broken stowage is 15%. How many tons of cases can be loaded?

    N a. 137 tons
    N b. 161 tons
    Y c. 625 tons
    N d. 969 tons

2197: You are signing on crew members. The minimum number of people required aboard, and the qualifications of each, is listed on the __________.

    N a. Crew list
    N b. fo'c'sle card
    Y c. Certificate of Inspection
    N d. Articles of Agreement

2205: On the fully containerized ship, approximately one-third or more of the cargo is on deck above the rolling center. Top stowed containers are subject to __________.

    Y a. accelerations greater than on conventional vessels
    N b. accelerations less than on conventional vessels
    N c. accelerations the same as on conventional vessels
    N d. no accelerations

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

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

2478: A "contra-guide" is a type of __________.

    N a. bow thruster
    N b. cargo gear
    N c. steering engine
    Y d. rudder

2491: Before being certified by the American Bureau of Shipping, anchor chain must undergo __________.

    N a. USCG inspection
    Y b. a breaking test
    N c. x-ray inspection
    N d. spectroanalysis

2550: When a small craft's anchor fouls in a rocky bottom, the first attempt to clear it should be made by __________.

    N a. hauling vertically on the line
    N b. making the line fast to the bitt and bringing the vessel further forward
    Y c. reversing the angle and direction of pull, with moderate scope
    N d. increasing the scope and running slowly in a wide circle with the anchor line taut

2579: Where are the test certificates, for wire rope used as cargo runners, and loose gear certificates usually maintained?

    Y a. With the Cargo Gear Register on the ship
    N b. In the Official Log
    N c. At the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office with the vessel's inspection records
    N d. At the central records center of the agency testing the cargo gear

2600: A smooth, tapered pin, usually of wood, used to open up the strands of a rope for splicing is called a(n) __________.

    N a. batten
    N b. bench hook
    N c. awl
    Y d. fid

2606: You are approaching the pilot station with the wind fine on the starboard bow and making about 3 knots. You can help to calm the seas by taking what action just before the pilot boat comes along on the port side?

    N a. Backing full
    N b. Stopping the engines
    N c. Giving right full rudder
    Y d. A short burst of ahead full with left full rudder

2729: The load line markings shown are inscribed on the vessel's __________. (D031DG )

    N a. port side
    N b. starboard side
    Y c. port and starboard sides
    N d. stern

2746: Which of the Great Lakes experiences the least amount of water level fluctuation between seasonal high and low water marks?

    N a. Lake Huron
    N b. Lake Erie
    Y c. Lake Superior
    N d. Lake Michigan

2910: Your vessel is a single-screw ship with a right-hand propeller. There is no current. The easiest way to make a landing is __________.

    Y a. port side to
    N b. starboard side to
    N c. dropping anchor and swinging the ship in to the pier
    N d. either port or starboard side to, with no difference in degree of difficulty

3076: The part of the anchor indicated by the letter K is the __________. (D038DG )

    N a. crown
    Y b. ring
    N c. shank
    N d. bending shot

3081: A seaman is entitled by law to a release from Foreign Articles when __________.

    N a. intoxicated
    N b. deductions are made from wages
    N c. injured
    Y d. the vessel is overloaded

3098: A weight of 1,000 short tons is equivalent to __________.

    N a. 1,500 foot-pounds
    N b. 2,240 long tons
    N c. 2,000 pounds
    Y d. 2,000 kips

3112: A tug is to assist in docking an oceangoing vessel on a hawser. The greatest danger to the tug is __________.

    N a. from the ship's propeller when making up aft
    N b. from being overrun if making up forward
    N c. hull damage while alongside passing a hawser
    Y d. getting in a tripping position

3122: When a tug is "in irons", she __________.

    N a. is made fast to the dock with engines secured
    N b. is in dry dock
    Y c. may be in danger of being overrun by her tow
    N d. should pay out more towline

3449: What term indicates an inward curvature of the ship's hull above the waterline?

    N a. Camber
    Y b. Tumble home
    N c. Deadrise
    N d. Flare

3719: Besides saving distance along the track line, another advantage of the Scharnow Turn over the Williamson Turn in a man overboard situation is because __________.

    Y a. it is faster
    N b. it can be used in both the immediate action and the delayed action situations
    N c. in fog, if the turn is started as soon as the man goes over, the vessel will be at the point where he went over when the turn is completed
    N d. it returns the vessel to the original track line on a reciprocal course

3982: Fairleads perform the same function as __________.

    N a. deadeyes
    N b. bollards
    N c. bitts
    Y d. chocks

4042: You are on a 120,000 DWT loaded bulk carrier. What is the maximum safe docking speed when coming alongside?

    N a. 0.1 foot per second (0.06 knot)
    Y b. 0.2 foot per second (0.12 knot)
    N c. 0.5 foot per second (0.30 knot)
    N d. 0.75 foot per second (0.44 knot)

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

4236: What is another description for a tandem crane lift?

    N a. Single crane hoisting 30 tons
    N b. Twin cranes hoisting 60 tons
    Y c. Quad lift hoisting 120 tons
    N d. All of the above

4391: A report of casualty to a vessel must include __________.

    N a. the estimated cost of damage
    N b. the amount of ballast on board
    Y c. the name of the owner or agent of the vessel
    N d. an evaluation of who was at fault