USCG Safety: 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.


23: Your ship is sinking rapidly. A container containing an inflatable liferaft has bobbed to the surface upon functioning of the hydrostatic release. Which action should you take?


58: Changing rescuers while carrying out artificial respiration should be done __________.


80: What represents the metacentric height? (D001SA )


214: In a message sent by flashing light, what group of letters will direct the receiver of a message to repeat the transmission back to the sender?

    N a. REPEAT
    Y b. RPT
    N c. RPB
    N d. UD AA

393: A sea anchor is __________.

    N a. a heavy anchor with an extra long line used to anchor in deep water
    Y b. a cone shaped bag used to slow down the wind drift effect
    N c. a pad eye to which the sea painter is made fast
    N d. made of wood if it is of an approved type

587: Which vessel is NOT required to have a radiotelephone?

    N a. A 34-foot vessel engaged in towing
    N b. A dredge operating in a channel
    N c. A vessel of 100 GT carrying 50 passengers for hire
    Y d. A 12-meter private yacht

656: The governor brake on a lifeboat winch shall be capable of controlling the speed of lowering a fully equipped lifeboat from a cargo ship at __________.

    N a. a safe speed only specified
    N b. not less than 120 feet per minute
    Y c. not more than 120 feet per minute
    N d. not more than 90 feet per minute

683: The purpose of air tanks in a lifeboat is to __________.

    N a. make the boat float higher
    N b. provide a stowage place for provisions
    N c. add strength to the boat
    Y d. keep the boat afloat if flooded

735: You are fueling your vessel when you notice oil in the water around your vessel. You should immediately stop fueling and __________.

    N a. begin cleanup operations
    Y b. notify the U. S. Coast Guard
    N c. leave the area
    N d. notify the Corps of Engineers

773: When using the lifeboat compass, you must be careful to __________.

    N a. set it on the centerline of the boat
    N b. apply the correction for compass error
    N c. keep metal objects away from it
    Y d. All of the above

969: That center around which a vessel trims is called the __________.

    Y a. tipping center
    N b. center of buoyancy
    N c. center of gravity
    N d. turning center

972: Which statement concerning carbon dioxide is FALSE?

    N a. It displaces the oxygen in the air.
    N b. It cannot be seen.
    N c. It cannot be smelled.
    Y d. It is safe to use near personnel in a confined space.

1011: Which vessel(s) is(are) required to comply with the vessel bridge-to-bridge radiotelephone regulations while navigating?

    N a. All towing vessels 25 feet or less in length
    N b. All passenger vessels of 50 gross tons or less, carrying one or more passengers
    Y c. Power-driven vessels 20 meters in length or longer
    N d. An intermittently manned floating plant under the control of a dredge

1087: A combination or all-purpose nozzle produces __________.

    N a. low-velocity fog only
    N b. a solid stream only
    N c. a solid stream and foam
    Y d. a solid stream and fog

1109: On small passenger vessels, drains or outlets for drawing off diesel fuel from water traps or strainers __________.

    N a. must be located at the lowest portion of the tank
    N b. must have only a gravity-forced flow
    N c. must be extended to an external area of the hull
    Y d. are permitted

1193: On small passenger, vessels spaces containing batteries require good ventilation because it __________.

    N a. adds as much as 2 volts to battery performance
    N b. supplies extra nitrogen for the battery
    Y c. helps dissipate flammable gas accumulations
    N d. allows less soda water to be used in the diodes

1321: How should the lifeboat sea painter be rigged?

    Y a. Secured to the inboard side of a forward thwart and led inboard of the falls
    N b. Spliced into the ring on the stem post
    N c. Secured by a toggle to the stem post and led outboard of the falls
    N d. Secured by a toggle around the outboard side of a forward thwart

1442: If the cause of severe list or trim is off-center ballast, counterflooding into empty tanks will __________.

    N a. increase the righting moment
    N b. increase the righting arm
    N c. increase list or trim
    Y d. decrease list or trim

1667: A shipmate suffers a heart attack and stops breathing. You must __________.

    N a. immediately give a stimulant, by force if necessary
    N b. make the victim comfortable in a bunk
    Y c. immediately start CPR
    N d. administer oxygen

1798: The combined fan discharge rate in an inert gas system is related to the __________.

    N a. shoreside loading rate
    Y b. cargo pump discharge rate
    N c. boiler forced draft fan rate
    N d. size of the largest cargo tank

1825: Each drilling unit equipped with helicopter fuel storage tanks must have the tanks installed as far as practicable from the __________.

    Y a. landing area and sources of vapor ignition
    N b. main deck
    N c. engine room
    N d. drill floor

1980: What product is considered a noxious liquid substance for regulatory purposes?

    N a. Dodecyl methacrylate
    N b. Asphalt
    N c. Camphor oil
    Y d. Latex

2076: A cargo tank that is initially gas freed, can be inerted by introducing inert gas by a process known as __________.

    N a. dilution
    N b. displacement
    N c. precipitation
    Y d. Either A or B

2296: Regulations require that cargo pumps in tank vessels carrying grade D liquid cargo shall be isolated from sources of vapor ignition by __________.

    N a. cofferdams
    Y b. gastight bulkheads
    N c. passageways or living quarters
    N d. general cargo spaces

2370: According to the Chemical Data Guide, the flammable limits of ethylene oxide are __________.

    N a. 1.85 - 48.0%
    Y b. 2 - 100%
    N c. 2.7 - 34%
    N d. 1.9 - 88.0%

2421: How many degrees are there on a compass card?

    Y a. 360°
    N b. 380°
    N c. 390°
    N d. 420°

2434: Your vessel's drafts are: FWD 14'-11", AFT 16'-01"; and the KG is 24.4 feet. What is the righting moment when the vessel is inclined to 30°? (Use the reference material in Section 1, the blue pages, of the Stability Data Reference Book)

    N a. 24,960 foot-tons
    N b. 22,870 foot-tons
    N c. 20,360 foot-tons
    Y d. 18,240 foot-tons

2454: In order to determine the fire and explosion hazard data for naphtha, you would use that information contained in the Chemical Data Guide for which chemical?

    N a. Treacle
    N b. Napthalene
    N c. Tar camphor
    Y d. Mineral spirits

2675: The heavier outboard strake of deck plating on a MODU is called the deck __________.

    N a. stiffener
    N b. beam
    Y c. stringer
    N d. doubler

2755: What repair or modification to a MODU would most likely require consulting the construction portfolio?

    N a. Replacing watertight doors in quarters
    N b. Repair of drill pipe racks on deck
    Y c. Repair of leg-to-can connection on a jack-up
    N d. Replacing a service pump foundation

2767: Forces within a drilling unit have caused a difference between the starboard and port drafts. This difference is __________.

    Y a. list
    N b. heel
    N c. trim
    N d. flotation

2814: Your vessel's drafts are: FWD 21'-04", AFT 21'-08"; and the KG is 20.6 feet. Use the selected stability curves in the blue pages of the Stability Data Reference Book to determine the remaining righting arm at 45° inclination if the center of gravity is 1.2 feet off the centerline.

    N a. 3.8 feet
    Y b. 4.4 feet
    N c. 5.2 feet
    N d. 5.6 feet

2911: In the event of a fire, the doors to a stair tower must be closed to prevent the spread of fire by __________.

    N a. ventilation
    Y b. convection
    N c. radiation
    N d. conduction

3006: The SS AMERICAN MARINER will sail with the load shown. Use the white pages of The Stability Data Reference Book to determine the drafts. ST-0094

    N a. FWD 26'-03", AFT 27'-08"
    N b. FWD 26'-08", AFT 25'-07"
    Y c. FWD 25'-06", AFT 26'-11"
    N d. FWD 26'-11", AFT 25'-06"

3280: Which type of fire extinguishers are permitted on inspected vessels? (small passenger vessel regulations)

    N a. Foam
    N b. Carbon dioxide
    N c. Dry chemical
    Y d. All of the above

3401: While in port, what signal flag would inform the vessel's crew to report on board because the vessel was about to proceed to sea?

    Y a. "P"
    N b. "H"
    N c. "U"
    N d. "A"

3803: For the DEEP DRILLER, what are the transverse moments for a sounding of 5 feet in tank C3P?

    N a. 1,005 foot-tons
    N b. 2,139 foot-tons
    Y c. -7,130 foot-tons
    N d. -10,797 foot-tons

3931: Aboard the DEEP DRILLER, to use the drill water pump to supplement the bilge pumps, it is necessary to open valves 26 and __________.

    N a. 41
    N b. 29
    Y c. 28
    N d. 25

3934: The SS AMERICAN MARINER has the liquid loading shown. Use the white pages of The Stability Data Reference Book to determine the LCG-FP of the liquid load. ST-0150

    Y a. 228.8 ft
    N b. 238.3 ft
    N c. 252.4 ft
    N d. 266.5 ft

3936: After abandoning ship which action should be taken IMMEDIATELY upon entering a liferaft?

    N a. Open equipment pack.
    N b. Issue anti-seasickness medicine.
    Y c. Get clear of the ship.
    N d. Dry the liferaft floor and inflate.

3982: In the illustration shown, the external lifelines are shown as item number __________. (D014SA )

    N a. 1
    N b. 12
    Y c. 17
    N d. 19

3991: The DEEP DRILLER is loaded as shown in Sample Load Form #4 (Drilling). What would be the new sum of transverse moments for the Stores & Supplies (Table 6) if paint weighing 3.48 tons is added to the paint locker?

    N a. 592 foot-tons
    N b. 296 foot-tons
    N c. 148 foot-tons
    Y d. 000 foot-tons

4026: When do the towing vessel fire protection regulations allow a towing vessel to carry portable fuel systems on board?

    N a. When used for outboard engines
    N b. When permanently attached to portable equipment such as bilge and fire pumps
    N c. If the portable tanks used for portable equipment meet published safety standards
    Y d. All of the above

4138: Multiple fire pumps may be used for other purposes provided that one pump is __________.

    N a. on line to the fire main
    Y b. kept available for use on the fire main at all times
    N c. capable of being connected to the fire main
    N d. rated at or above 125 psi

4385: While elevated as shown in Sample Load Form #3 (Drilling), winds are 57 knots and current is 2 knots. What is the maximum wave height allowed for drilling?

    N a. 30 feet
    N b. 33 feet
    Y c. 35 feet
    N d. 40 feet

4561: The sounding level of 17 lb. per gallon mud in mud pit 2S of the COASTAL DRILLER is 7.75 feet. What is the weight of the mud?

    N a. 153.16 kips
    N b. 156.13 kips
    Y c. 194.77 kips
    N d. 198.54 kips

4755: Because there is a possibility of fuel oil being discharged overboard from a full fuel oil tank, it is decided to transfer 25 kips from tank #14 to tank #13. See COASTAL DRILLER Sample Load Form #1 (Rig Move). What would be the change in vertical moments with this transfer?

    N a. 81 ft-kips increase
    N b. 31 ft-kips increase
    Y c. 26 ft-kips decrease
    N d. 47 ft-kips decrease

4777: The COASTAL DRILLER is loaded as shown in the Sample Load Form #1 (Rig Move). While in field transit, the wind speeds are predicted to increase above 70 knots. What would be the new KGL if the legs are lowered to the recommended value?

    N a. 50.65 feet
    Y b. 37.00 feet
    N c. 36.53 feet
    N d. 13.65 feet

5565: What is the bow type anchor shackle primarily used for?

    N a. Chain to chain connections
    N b. Chain to anchor connections
    N c. Kenter link to anchor connections
    Y d. Wire rope connections

5694: What is the meaning of the signal QU RQ when sent by the International Code of Signals?

    N a. This is the call sign of a vessel registered in Latvia.
    Y b. Is anchoring prohibited?
    N c. Will you lead me to a safe anchorage?
    N d. Interrogative

5806: Damage stability is the stability __________.

    N a. which exists when the wind speed is less than 50 knots
    N b. before collision
    Y c. after flooding
    N d. at the maximum load

5933: Each fire hydrant must have at least one spanner and at least one __________.

    Y a. hose rack or reel
    N b. all purpose nozzle
    N c. foam applicator
    N d. pick axe

6271: During storm conditions on a MODU, the mooring tensions should be adjusted so that __________.

    N a. all mooring lines have a different tension
    N b. the leeward lines have higher tension than the windward lines
    Y c. the maximum tension of the most heavily loaded line does not exceed the safe working load
    N d. all horizontal tension forces on the windward lines are no greater than the vertical tension forces

6308: You are underway at sea when a fire is reported in the forward part of the vessel. The wind is from dead ahead at 20 knots. You should __________.

    N a. remain on course and hold speed
    N b. change course to put the wind on either beam and increase speed
    N c. remain on course but decrease speed
    Y d. change course and put the stern to the wind

8397: What is the best indication of the loading of a diesel engine?

    N a. Oil temperature
    N b. Manifold pressure
    Y c. Exhaust gas temperature
    N d. Fuel consumption

8685: The DEEP DRILLER, at 58.0 feet draft in sea water, places 275.8 long tons on board. What is the new draft?

    N a. 56 feet
    N b. 58 feet
    Y c. 60 feet
    N d. 62 feet

8873: The DEEP DRILLER is loaded as shown in the Sample Load Form #1 (Transit). Weather conditions make it necessary to ballast down to survival draft. It is decided to check the stability at the intermediate draft of 32 feet. If the added ballast has an average VCG of 9.03 feet, and the sum of free surface moments is 56,244 foot-tons, what is the new KGL?

    N a. 54.76 feet
    N b. 55.76 feet
    N c. 57.22 feet
    Y d. 61.16 feet

9129: Automatic fire dampers in ventilation systems are operated by use of a __________.

    N a. heat or smoke detector
    Y b. fusible link
    N c. remote operated valve
    N d. C02 system pressure switch

9205: When you are firing a pyrotechnic distress signal, it should be aimed __________.

    N a. horizontally and directly abeam of your vessel
    N b. at the vessel whose attention you want to attract
    N c. into the wind
    Y d. at greater than 60 degrees above the horizon

9705: Which of the following statements is/are FALSE in regard to Ro-Ro vessels' spaces that are "specially suitable for vehicles"?

    Y a. The spaces shall NOT be fitted with a flame detecting system.
    N b. The spaces shall be fitted with an approved fixed CO2 fire extinguishing system.
    N c. As an alternative to a fixed CO2 system, the Commandant may permit a water sprinkler system.
    N d. All of the above