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.


13: Your liferaft is to leeward of a fire on the water and riding to its sea anchor. You should FIRST __________.


154: The standard rate of signaling by flashing light is __________.


294: If a receiving station cannot distinguish a signal sent by flag hoist it should __________.


416: Under the regulations for cargo vessels, which statement is TRUE concerning fireman's outfits?

    N a. If a vessel carries two outfits, they may be stored in the same location.
    Y b. Each fireman's outfit shall contain a flame safety lamp of an approved type.
    N c. Each fireman's outfit shall contain a fresh-air breathing apparatus.
    N d. All of the above

659: A vessel carries three slack tanks of gasoline (SG .68). The vessel's displacement is 8,000 tons. Each tank is 50 ft. long and 20 ft. wide. What is the reduction in GM due to free surface with the vessel floating in sea water (SG 1.026)?

    N a. .20 feet
    Y b. .24 feet
    N c. .28 feet
    N d. .30 feet

675: Who completes the Declaration of Inspection before loading a tank vessel?

    N a. The U.S. Coast Guard
    N b. The manager of the shore facility
    Y c. The person(s) designated in-charge
    N d. The American Bureau of Shipping

694: What is the international distress frequency for radiotelephones?

    N a. 500 kHz
    N b. 1347 kHz
    Y c. 2182 kHz
    N d. 2738 kHz

789: An inflatable liferaft equipped with a SOLAS B pack must be stowed __________.

    Y a. so as to float free
    N b. with the vessel's emergency equipment
    N c. near the wheelhouse
    N d. as far forward as possible

830: Your vessel has a midships engine room and the cargo is concentrated in the end holds. The vessel is __________.

    N a. sagging with tensile stress on main deck
    N b. sagging with compressive stress on main deck
    Y c. hogging with tensile stress on main deck
    N d. hogging with compressive stress on main deck

1135: Which statement about the bilge piping system of "T-Boats" that are more than 26 feet in length is NOT correct?

    N a. Each watertight compartment must have its own bilge suction line or pump
    N b. Each space's bilge suction connection to a manifold must have stop and check valves, or a stop-check valve
    Y c. All bilge piping must be at least 2" inside-diameter brass pipe
    N d. Bilge suction strainers must have an open area not less than three times the area of the bilge pipe

1155: When picking up a lifeboat at sea with way on the ship, the sea painter should be secured __________.

    Y a. well forward in the lifeboat
    N b. about amidships in the lifeboat
    N c. well aft in the lifeboat
    N d. only after the falls have been attached

1255: The color of the signal flare sent up by a submarine indicating that a torpedo has been fired in a training exercise is __________.

    N a. white
    Y b. green
    N c. yellow
    N d. red

1293: The SS AMERICAN MARINER has the following drafts: FWD 09'-00", AFT 15'-11". Upon completion of loading and bunkering the items listed will be on board. Use the white pages of The Stability Data Reference Book to determine the minimum GM required to meet a one compartment standard. ST-0034

    Y a. 2.62 feet
    N b. 2.82 feet
    N c. 2.97 feet
    N d. 3.15 feet

1331: A Certificate of Financial Responsibility attests that the vessel __________.

    Y a. has financial backing to meet any liability resulting from the discharge of oil
    N b. has the minimum required amount of P & I and hull insurance
    N c. will assume the responsibility for any damage or loss to the shipper
    N d. has financial reserves to meet reasonable expected crew costs of an intended voyage

1537: How should longitude 119°56.3'W be written when preparing an AMVER report?

    N a. V19.9
    N b. 120°W
    N c. 119.9W
    Y d. 11956W

1580: Which statement is TRUE concerning the placard entitled "Discharge of Oil Prohibited"?

    N a. It is required on all vessels.
    N b. It is only required in the wheelhouse.
    Y c. It may be located at the bilge and ballast pump control station.
    N d. All of the above

1614: You may have to give artificial respiration after a/an __________.

    N a. drowning
    N b. electrocution
    N c. poisoning
    Y d. All of the above

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

1891: What would most likely prevent a SART's signal from being detected?

    N a. Signal absorption by the ionosphere
    N b. Heavy sea swells
    Y c. The rescue personnel were monitoring the 10-cm radar
    N d. The rescue personnel were monitoring the 3-cm radar

2159: Your vessel displaces 528 tons. The existing cargo has a center of gravity of 2.9 feet above the deck and weighs 28 tons. If you load 14 tons of ground tackle with an estimated center of gravity of 9 inches above the deck, what is the final height of the CG of the deck cargo?

    N a. 1.76 feet
    N b. 1.93 feet
    Y c. 2.18 feet
    N d. 2.43 feet

2208: Your 20-ton ketch-rigged sailing vessel is sailing close hauled on the port tack in a moderate breeze with all sails properly trimmed. You wish to bear off quickly to avoid a floating hazard. To utilize your sails to assist with the turn, you should __________.

    N a. slack the jib sheet
    Y b. slack the mizzen sheet
    N c. put your rudder hard to port
    N d. All of the above

2229: To get the best speed when tacking and using a mainsail and jib, the sails should be trimmed such that __________.

    N a. the jib is on one side of the vessel and the mainsail on the other
    Y b. an air slot is formed between the two sails
    N c. one sail is as close to a right angle as possible to the other
    N d. as much of a gap as possible exists between the two sails in order to catch the most wind

2274: A virtual rise in the center of gravity may be caused by __________.

    N a. filling a partially filled tank
    Y b. using an on board crane to lift a freely swinging heavy object
    N c. emptying a partially filled tank
    N d. transferring ballast from the forepeak to the after peak

2362: A tankerman who permits or causes oil to go into a navigable waterway may be punished federally by __________.

    N a. fine
    N b. imprisonment
    N c. suspension or revocation of tankerman's document
    Y d. All of the above

2432: You are loading propanolamine and spill a small quantity on deck. According to the Chemical Data Guide, you would expect its odor to be __________.

    N a. sweet
    N b. similar to turpentine
    Y c. fishy
    N d. similar to ammonia

2583: How can rescue personnel detect that a SART is transmitting in the immediate vicinity?

    Y a. The SART's blips on the PPI will become arcs and eventually become concentric circles.
    N b. The DSC unit will react to the SART's signal and respond with the two-tone autoalarm.
    N c. The SART can provide an approximate location to within a two nautical mile radius per IMO standards.
    N d. The SART signal appears as a target which comes and goes; the effect of heavy swells on a SART.

2650: Which product(s) is(are) compatible with the product ethylene cyanohydrin?

    N a. Sulfuric acid
    N b. Nitric acid
    N c. Isocyanates
    Y d. Ammonia

2731: The document that certifies the correctness of the load line marks on a MODU is called the __________.

    N a. Certificate of Inspection
    Y b. Load line certificate
    N c. Certificate of Documentation
    N d. SOLAS Certificate

2884: The sailing drafts are: FWD 23'-02", AFT 24'-06" and the GM is 2.8 feet. Use the information in Section 1, the blue pages, of the Stability Data Reference Book to determine the available righting arm at 30° inclination.

    N a. 1.3 feet
    Y b. 2.5 feet
    N c. 3.2 feet
    N d. 3.7 feet

2992: A 98 GT uninspected towing vessel with a 1500 B.H.P. engine capability would be required to carry how many type B-II hand portable fire extinguishers on board? (Uninspected Vessel Regulations)

    N a. 2
    Y b. 4
    N c. 6
    N d. 8

3118: The SS AMERICAN MARINER has on board 4850 tons of cargo with an LCG-FP of 275.72 feet. See the distribution of the cargo to be loaded. Use the white pages of The Stability Data Reference Book to determine the final LCG-FP of the cargo. ST-0107

    Y a. LCG-FP 268.3 feet
    N b. LCG-FP 265.4 feet
    N c. LCG-FP 261.2 feet
    N d. LCG-FP 256.9 feet

3169: Which license or document enable a person to serve as person in charge of a tank barge which is transferring cargo?

    N a. Operator of Uninspected Towing Vessels
    Y b. Certified Tankerman
    N c. Able Seaman
    N d. Ordinary Seaman/Wiper

3475: What is the increase in the longitudinal free surface correction for the DEEP DRILLER at a draft of 60 feet if 103.48 long-tons of ballast are transferred from a full ballast tank 1P to an empty ballast tank 10S?

    N a. 0.50 foot
    Y b. 0.47 foot
    N c. 0.27 foot
    N d. 0.13 foot

3487: Generally, what is used to inflate liferafts?

    Y a. non-toxic inert gas
    N b. Oxygen
    N c. Hydrogen
    N d. Carbon monoxide

3531: The draft of the DEEP DRILLER in the lightweight condition is __________.

    Y a. 16.19 feet
    N b. 17.71 feet
    N c. 17.96 feet
    N d. 18.35 feet

3544: A message by flashing light consists of the call, the identity, the text, and the __________.

    N a. destination
    N b. answer
    N c. time
    Y d. ending

3576: The SS AMERICAN MARINER is loaded with the cargo shown. Use the white pages of The Stability Data Reference Book to determine the amount of liquid loading required in the double bottom tanks to meet a one compartment standard. ST-0141

    N a. 1220 tons
    N b. 840 tons
    N c. 460 tons
    Y d. 344 tons

3770: The abandon ship signal is __________.

    N a. a continuous ringing of general alarm bells for at least 10 seconds
    N b. a continuous ringing of the general alarm, and sounding of the ship's whistle
    Y c. more than 6 short blasts and 1 long blast of the ship's whistle and the same signal on the general alarm bells
    N d. a continuous sounding of the ship's whistle

3811: The sounding in fuel oil tank 4P on the DEEP DRILLER is 8.75 feet. What are the longitudinal moments for this amount of fuel?

    N a. -17,416 ft-long tons
    N b. -874 ft-long tons
    Y c. 3,992 ft-long tons
    N d. 17,416 ft-long tons

3826: You have abandoned ship and are in charge of a liferaft or survival craft. How much water per day should you permit each person to have after the first 24 hours?

    N a. 1 can
    Y b. 1 pint
    N c. 1 quart
    N d. 1 gallon

3852: The light on a personal flotation device on an OSV must be replaced __________.

    N a. when the power source is replaced
    N b. each year after installation
    N c. every six months
    Y d. when it is no longer serviceable

3939: You board an inflatable liferaft that has been hand launched from a sinking vessel. What should you do FIRST after everyone is onboard the liferaft?

    Y a. Cut the painter.
    N b. Operate the radio equipment.
    N c. Open the equipment pack.
    N d. Ventilate the liferaft of CO2.

4080: On a vessel of 12,500 tons displacement, compute the reduction in metacentric height due to free surface in a hold having free water on the tank top. The hold is 35 feet long and 50 feet wide. The reduction in metacentric height is __________.

    N a. .14 ft
    N b. .45 ft
    N c. .55 ft
    Y d. .83 ft

4136: If one hydraulic pump of an electro-hydraulic steering unit fails, the vessel's steering can be initially and best maintained by using the __________.

    N a. trick wheel
    N b. accumulator
    Y c. standby pump
    N d. telemotor

4687: What is the decrease in vertical moments for the Coastal Driller if 2.5 feet of drill water is discharged from a full drill water tank #23?

    N a. 3,464 ft-kips
    N b. 2,982 ft-kips
    Y c. 482 ft-kips
    N d. 161 ft-kips

4773: The COASTAL DRILLER is loaded as shown in the Sample Load Form #1 (Rig Move). If the entire contents of bulk tanks #2 and #3 are back-loaded to an offshore supply vessel, what longitudinal moment would have to be created to level the unit in trim at the new draft?

    N a. 25,846 ft-kips
    N b. 17,119 ft-kips
    N c. 8,727 ft-kips
    Y d. 1,788 ft-kips

5033: For the purposes of the International Rules of the Road, a non-self-propelled, semisubmersible drilling unit under tow is considered to be a __________.

    N a. power-driven vessel
    N b. limited vessel
    N c. non-displacement vessel
    Y d. vessel

5041: When must a MODU display navigation lights while underway?

    N a. Only between sunrise and sunset
    N b. At all times while being towed
    N c. Only when other vessels are in sight
    Y d. Whenever visibility is restricted

5783: In storm conditions in 600 feet of water, completely slacking the leeward mooring line of the DEEP DRILLER reduces the tension in that line to about __________.

    N a. 25 kips
    Y b. 50 kips
    N c. 75 kips
    N d. 100 kips

5855: A mat-type drilling unit tows more slowly than a jack-up unit due to __________.

    Y a. the drag of the mat
    N b. its deeper draft
    N c. its tubular legs
    N d. the design of the bow

6653: Diesel powered industrial trucks on a MODU that are provided with safeguards to the exhaust, fuel, and electrical systems are designated __________.

    N a. DEFE
    N b. DE
    Y c. DS
    N d. DES

6813: The Master or person in charge of a mobile offshore drilling unit shall ensure the crane record book shows __________.

    N a. the name of the operator
    Y b. the American Petroleum Institute name plate data
    N c. the average load in pounds each usage
    N d. All of the above

7411: What is the spoken emergency signal for a distress signal over a VHF radio?

    N a. Red Alert
    N b. Security
    Y c. Mayday
    N d. Pan

7597: In small angle stability theory, the metacenter is located at the intersection of the inclined vertical centerline and a vertical line through __________.

    N a. G
    N b. F
    Y c. B
    N d. K

8127: The COASTAL DRILLER is loaded as shown in the Sample Load Form #1 (Rig Move). If the contents of #6 and #7 drill water tanks are discharged, what would be the new height of the transverse metacenter?

    N a. 134.95 feet
    N b. 135.91 feet
    Y c. 136.38 feet
    N d. 136.89 feet

8477: You are on a semisubmersible being towed and are concerned that a fishing vessel is not taking sufficient action to avoid you. To signal your concern, you should __________.

    N a. fire a red flare at 15 second intervals
    N b. fire a green flare at 15 second intervals
    Y c. sound five or more short blasts on the whistle
    N d. broadcast a Mayday message on the radiotelephone

8715: Starboard ballast pump #1 on the DEEP DRILLER has failed. To deballast from tank C2SA using starboard ballast pump #2, it is necessary to open the manual valve and which motor driven valves?

    Y a. 15, 34, 35, 36, 46, 48
    N b. 16, 27, 32, 35, 36, 48
    N c. 15, 33, 43, 48
    N d. 14, 34, 35, 36, 46, 48

9002: On all mobile offshore drilling units, the deckhead of each accommodation space must be located above __________.

    N a. the operating draft
    N b. the survival draft
    N c. the transit draft
    Y d. the deepest load line

9491: The difference between the height of the metacenter and the height of the center of gravity is __________.

    N a. KB
    N b. KG
    N c. KM
    Y d. GM

9528: You are in Inland Waters of the United States. You may discharge overboard __________.

    N a. bottles
    N b. metal
    N c. dunnage
    Y d. None of the above