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.


27: Under title 46 of the United States Code, the person in charge of a documented vessel who fails to report a complaint of a sexual offense may be __________.


94: All of the following records are usually maintained by the watch-standing officers aboard a vessel EXCEPT the __________.


215: How does the effect known as "bank suction" act on a single-screw vessel proceeding along a narrow channel?


238: A shore is a piece of securing dunnage that __________.

    Y a. runs from a low supporting level up to the cargo at an angle
    N b. is also known as a "distance piece"
    N c. is placed on the deck under the cargo to distribute its weight evenly
    N d. is run horizontally from a support to the cargo

250: 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 crew members
    Y b. The Master of the vessel
    N c. The port authorities
    N d. All of the above

356: It is possible, and sometimes necessary, to strengthen the deck of a vessel for carriage of deck cargo by __________.

    N a. placing bunker on the deck
    N b. building a stage on which to place the cargo
    N c. welding steel "feet" to the deck, on which the cargo is placed
    Y d. erecting vertical pillars under the deck to support the cargo

465: Which structural members improve a towing vessel's chance of surviving punctured shell plating?

    N a. Stringers
    N b. Longitudinals
    Y c. Transverse watertight bulkheads
    N d. The rake

499: Your tank vessel is loaded down to her marks, and you find that she has too much trim by the stern. To adjust the trim, you may __________.

    N a. add ballast forward
    N b. load more cargo forward
    Y c. shift bunkers forward
    N d. All of the above

656: A deep draft VLCC (100,000 DWT+) navigating in a narrow channel or canal __________.

    Y a. draws more water than when underway in deep water
    N b. draws less water with an increase in speed
    N c. requires less power for a given speed
    N d. steers better under full power

696: A vessel traveling down a narrow channel, especially if the draft is nearly equal to the depth of the water, may set off the nearer side. This effect is known as __________.

    N a. smelling the bottom
    N b. squatting
    N c. bank suction
    Y d. bank cushion

697: What imminent danger results from tripping?

    N a. A crew member being knocked over the side
    Y b. Capsizing your tug
    N c. Your tug being pulled backwards by your tow
    N d. The tow being thrown off course

709: The designations A,B,C,D, and E grades of cargo refer to the __________.

    N a. degrees of quality of petroleum products
    Y b. flash point range and Reid vapor pressure index of petroleum products
    N c. grades of crude oil
    N d. pour point, color, and viscosity index of petroleum products

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

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

810: In nautical terminology a "dog" is a __________.

    N a. crow bar
    Y b. device to force a water tight door against the frame
    N c. heavy steel beam
    N d. wedge

858: The lower hold of your vessel has a bale capacity of 60,000 cubic feet. How many tons of cotton in bales having a stowage factor of 85 can be stowed in the lower hold, assuming a broken stowage factor of 20%?

    N a. 141
    Y b. 565
    N c. 706
    N d. 847

905: When should you conduct a visual inspection of your towline?

    N a. Whenever its serviceability is in doubt.
    N b. In accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation.
    N c. At least once a month.
    Y d. All of the above

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

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

956: When a vessel is swinging from side to side off course due to quartering seas, the vessel is __________.

    N a. broaching
    N b. pitchpoling
    N c. rolling
    Y d. yawing

969: A tank is loaded with 9,000 barrels of gasoline. The temperature of the product is 80°F (27°C), and it has a coefficient of expansion of .0008. The net amount of cargo loaded is __________.

    Y a. 8,856 barrels
    N b. 8,944 barrels
    N c. 9,072 barrels
    N d. 9,144 barrels

978: Anyone voluntarily surrendering their license to a U.S. Coast Guard investigating officer signs a statement indicating that __________.

    N a. all title to the license is given up for 5 years
    Y b. their rights to a hearing are waived
    N c. they may be issued a new license in 5 years after passing another written examination
    N d. All of the above

1166: You are 15 feet off a pier and docking a vessel using only a bow and stern breast line. Once the slack is out of both lines you begin to haul in on the bow breast line. What is the effect on the vessel?

    N a. The bow will come in and the stern will go out.
    N b. The whole ship moves toward the pier.
    Y c. The bow will come in and the stern will remain the same distance off the pier.
    N d. The stern will come in and the bow will remain the same distance off the pier.

1180: The regulations require that inspected vessels on an international voyage, other than small passenger vessels, must carry which of the following distress signals on or near the navigating bridge?

    N a. 12 hand red flares
    Y b. 12 rocket parachute flares
    N c. 12 hand combination flares and orange smoke signals
    N d. 6 hand red flares, and 6 hand orange smoke signals

1292: The Articles of Agreement __________.

    N a. is also known as a Merchant Mariner's Document
    N b. designates the quarters a seaman will occupy during a voyage
    Y c. advises the crew of the conditions of employment
    N d. are signed by each crewmember at the end of the voyage

1350: A deck beam does NOT __________.

    N a. act as a beam to support vertical deck loads
    Y b. lessen the longitudinal stiffness of the vessel
    N c. act as a tie to keep the sides of the ship in place
    N d. act as a web to prevent plate wrinkling due to twisting action on the vessel

1416: What is meant by veering the anchor chain?

    N a. Bringing the anchor to short stay
    N b. Heaving in all the chain
    N c. Locking the windlass to prevent more chain from running out
    Y d. Paying out more chain

1530: Shell plating is __________.

    N a. the galvanizing on steel
    N b. a hatch cover
    Y c. the outer plating of a vessel
    N d. synonymous with decking

1603: Which weakens a line the LEAST?

    N a. Clove hitch
    N b. Long splice
    Y c. Short splice
    N d. Square knot

1620: Owing to the greater girth of a ship amidships than at the ends, certain strakes are dropped as they approach the bow and stern to reduce the amount of plating at the ends. These strakes are called __________.

    Y a. drop strakes
    N b. stealers
    N c. throughs
    N d. voids

1667: When the gyro-pilot is used for steering, what control is adjusted to compensate for varying sea conditions?

    N a. Rudder control
    N b. Sea control
    N c. Lost motion adjustment
    Y d. Weather adjustment

1759: The amount of strain on each runner of a married fall system lifting 2000 lbs. when the angle made by the legs is 90° would be __________.

    N a. 1000 lbs.
    N b. 1154 lbs.
    Y c. 1414 lbs.
    N d. 2000 lbs.

1799: The maximum theoretical stress that can be developed on a guy in a yard and stay rig is limited by the __________.

    Y a. lifting capacity of the winch
    N b. location of the boom
    N c. position of the guy
    N d. weight of the load

1826: The knot lettered X in illustration DO30DG is a __________. (DO30DG )

    N a. timber hitch
    N b. becket bend
    Y c. clove hitch
    N d. blackwall hitch

1917: How many tons of salt water can be loaded into a flat-ended cylindrical tank with a diameter of 5 feet and a length of 14 feet?

    N a. 31.42
    N b. 15.71
    Y c. 7.85
    N d. 6.25

1956: Which lien against a vessel would be settled FIRST?

    N a. Maintenance and cure
    N b. Vessel mortgage
    Y c. Salvage lien
    N d. Ship repairer's lien

2086: What is the mechanical advantage of tackle number 11? (DO29DG )

    N a. 7
    Y b. 6
    N c. 5.5
    N d. 5

2177: Under normal weather and sea conditions when securing a stack of containers with non-locking fittings, lashings are required when the tier exceeds what height?

    Y a. Lashings are always required
    N b. One container
    N c. Two containers
    N d. Three containers

2223: What is the mechanical advantage of tackle number 3? (DO29DG )

    N a. 1
    N b. 2
    Y c. 3
    N d. 4

2233: The knot lettered N as shown is a __________. (DO30DG )

    N a. timber hitch
    N b. rolling bowline
    Y c. stopper
    N d. heaving line hitch

2343: When securing a hook to the end of a wire rope you should use __________.

    N a. a bowline knot
    N b. a long splice
    N c. an overhand knot with a wire rope clip
    Y d. wire rope clips with a thimble eye

2350: A temporary wire eye splice made with three wire rope clamps will hold approximately what percentage of the total rope strength?

    N a. 20%
    N b. 50%
    Y c. 80%
    N d. 99%

2453: On a ship's crane, the load chart relates the allowable load to the combination of the boom length and __________.

    N a. winch speed
    N b. boom strength
    Y c. load radius
    N d. cable strength

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

2557: Which Naval Control of Shipping publication should be aboard your vessel?

    Y a. ATP-2 Vol. II - Allied Control of Shipping Manual
    N b. NWP-II - Underway Replenishment Guide
    N c. Warship Recognition Cards
    N d. ATP-1 - Allied Tactical Signals

2601: To determine the number of inflatable liferafts required on a vessel, you should check the __________.

    N a. Load Line Certificate
    N b. SOLAS Certificate
    N c. Stability Letter
    Y d. Certificate of Inspection

2636: When riveted joints occur at the ends of plating they are called __________.

    N a. trailers
    N b. terminals
    N c. seams
    Y d. butts

2778: Assume that your vessel has just entered Lake Erie by way of the Welland Canal and is proceeding in a southwesterly direction. Which statement about the aids to navigation you can expect to encounter along the route is TRUE?

    Y a. The characteristics of buoys and other aids are as if "returning from seaward" when proceeding in this direction.
    N b. All aids are maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, 9th Coast Guard District, Cleveland, Ohio.
    N c. All red even-numbered buoys should be kept on your port side when proceeding in this direction.
    N d. Lighted aids, fog signals, and radio beacons maintained by Canada are not included in the Great Lakes Light List.

2848: Nautical charts published by the Canadian Hydrographic service which are referenced in the United States Coast Pilot are identified by __________.

    N a. the abbreviation "can" preceding the chart number
    N b. the letter "C" in parentheses following the chart number
    Y c. an asterisk preceding the chart number
    N d. a footnote number

2902: Which basic category of water level fluctuations on the Great Lakes is the most regular?

    Y a. Seasonal fluctuations
    N b. Outflow fluctuations
    N c. Short-term fluctuations
    N d. Long-term fluctuations

2909: A mechanical davit is designed to automatically __________.

    N a. position the boat at the embarkation station
    Y b. lift the boat off the inboard chocks
    N c. energize the winch for the falls
    N d. set the brake on the winch

2981: When the anchor is brought to and holding, the horizontal component of anchor cable tensions should equal the __________.

    N a. displacement tonnage
    N b. weight forces
    N c. buoyancy forces
    Y d. environmental forces

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

3330: When towing astern, chafing gear should NOT be used on a hawser which is __________.

    N a. attached to an "H" bitt
    Y b. attached to an automatic towing engine
    N c. held amidships by a gob rope
    N d. connected to a swivel

3472: You are the Master of a 500 gross ton passenger vessel operating on rivers. Your vessel accidentally runs aground. Under the regulations for passenger vessels, you must notify the __________.

    Y a. nearest Coast Guard Marine Safety or Marine Inspection Office as soon as possible
    N b. Coast Guard only if the grounding results in damage to property in excess of $(SA)25,000
    N c. Coast Guard only if the grounding results in a loss of life
    N d. Coast Guard only if the grounding results in injury to personnel

3511: The wheel on the windlass with indentations for the anchor chain is the __________.

    N a. grabber
    Y b. wildcat
    N c. locking ring
    N d. pawl

3560: What should look-outs report?

    N a. Discolored water
    N b. Shoals
    N c. Floating objects
    Y d. All of the above

3820: When making a Scharnow turn, the __________.

    N a. rudder must be put over towards the side the man went over
    N b. initial turn direction is away from the side the man went over
    Y c. rudder is put hard over and the initial turn is maintained until about 240° from the original course
    N d. man overboard must be not more than 300 feet astern when starting the turn

4028: Which statement about the carriage of coal is true?

    N a. Most problems with spontaneous combustion will occur within 72 hours of loading and after that the risk decreases.
    N b. Wet coal is more liable to spontaneous heating than dry coal.
    N c. Coal absorbs nitrogen from the air which reacts with methane and causes spontaneous heating.
    Y d. Freshly worked coal is more dangerous than weathered coal.

4106: Which of the following are considered to be "road vehicles" that can be carried on Ro-Ro vessels?

    N a. Semi-trailer
    N b. Road train
    N c. Articulated road train
    Y d. All of the above

4120: Which of the following is considered auxiliary securing equipment that provides extra reliability to lashing in Ro-Ro transport operations?

    N a. Trailer trestles
    N b. Pedestals
    N c. Wheel chocks
    Y d. All of the above