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.


83: If more than one raft is manned after the vessel has sunk, you should __________.


100: When a vessel has positive stability, the distance between the line of force through B and the line of force through G is called the __________.


115: Which is TRUE concerning immersion suits and their use?


251: Free communication effect is in direct proportion to __________.

    Y a. length and width of space
    N b. length of space only
    N c. width of space only
    N d. neither length nor width

447: According to the "Vessel Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Act", what is NOT required in the radiotelephone log?

    N a. Distress and alarm signals transmitted or intercepted
    N b. Times of beginning and end of watch period
    Y c. Routine navigational traffic
    N d. Daily statement about the condition of the required radiotelephone equipment

496: The lifeboat releasing gear lever should be marked with the words __________.

    N a. "DANGER, DO NOT TOUCH"
    N b. "DANGER, BOAT MAY DROP"
    N c. "DANGER, LEVER RELEASES BOAT"
    Y d. "DANGER, LEVER DROPS BOAT"

750: The center of flotation of a vessel is __________.

    N a. the center of volume of the immersed portion of the vessel
    Y b. the center of gravity of the water plane
    N c. that point at which all the vertical downward forces of weight are considered to be concentrated
    N d. that point at which all the vertical upward forces of buoyancy are considered to be concentrated

769: A life float on a fishing vessel must be equipped with __________.

    Y a. a painter
    N b. red smoke flares
    N c. a jackknife
    N d. a signal mirror

1195: The command "Oars" means to __________.

    N a. lift the oars to a vertical position
    Y b. complete the stroke and bring the oars horizontal, blades feathered
    N c. place the oars in the boat with blades forward
    N d. place the oars in the rowlocks directly from the boated position

1608: Cold water, in commercial fishing, means water where the monthly mean low water temperature is normally __________.

    N a. 39°Fahrenheit or less
    N b. 44°Fahrenheit or less
    N c. 49°Fahrenheit or less
    Y d. 59°Fahrenheit or less

1642: The Master or person in charge on a MODU shall insure that line throwing equipment is not operated __________.

    N a. during a rain storm
    Y b. in an explosive atmosphere
    N c. near a lifeboat station
    N d. by other than senior rig personnel

1867: Under the Pollution Regulations, when you dump garbage in to the sea you must __________.

    N a. notify the U.S. Coast Guard
    N b. make an entry in the Official Logbook
    Y c. keep a record for two years
    N d. No action is required if you are more than 25 miles from land and no plastic materials are dumped.

1869: The three corners of the main sail are called __________. (D002SL )

    N a. head, fore, and aft
    N b. luff, leech, and spar
    N c. headboard, foot, and tail
    Y d. head, tack, and clew

1964: When crossing a bar in rough weather, you should enter on a(n) __________.

    N a. tidal bore
    N b. ebbing current
    Y c. flood current
    N d. All of the above

2150: You have approximately 6 tons of fish on deck. What will be the shift in the center of gravity after you shift the fish to the fish hold, a vertical distance of 7 feet? (total displacement is 422 tons)

    Y a. 0.1 foot
    N b. 0.3 foot
    N c. 0.5 foot
    N d. 0.9 foot

2181: To prevent the spread of fire by conduction you should __________.

    N a. shut off all electrical power
    N b. close all openings to the area
    N c. remove combustibles from direct exposure
    Y d. cool the bulkheads around the fire

2205: 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.

2273: During an abandonment or drill, the first person to arrive at the survival craft should __________.

    N a. pass out food and water to personnel
    N b. open the doors and start the sprinkler system
    N c. activate the emergency release handle
    Y d. open the doors and prepare the craft for boarding

2306: Which flash point would indicate a grade D combustible liquid?

    N a. 40°F
    Y b. 95°F
    N c. 79°F
    N d. 155°F

2307: Why does a centrifugal bilge pump require priming?

    N a. To lubricate shaft seals
    Y b. Lack of ability to lift water level to impellers
    N c. Head pressure must equal discharge pressure
    N d. To overcome resistance of water in the discharge line

2315: What is the function of an air receiver in the compressed air system on a MODU?

    N a. Condenses moisture
    N b. Provides overpressure protection
    N c. Purifies the air
    Y d. Acts as an accumulator

2409: Your vessel's drafts are: FWD 14'-04", AFT 15'-02"; and the KG is 23.2 feet. Use the selected stability curves in the blue pages of the Stability Data Reference Book to determine the angle of list if the center of gravity is shifted 1.0 foot off the centerline.

    N a. 9°
    Y b. 12°
    N c. 15°
    N d. 17°

2447: The connected joints of pipe, usually made of three joints of pipe approximately 90 feet long, racked in the derrick when making a trip are called a __________.

    N a. string
    Y b. stand
    N c. joint
    N d. standpipe

2559: What is NOT a grade B flammable liquid?

    N a. tert-Butylamine
    N b. Allyl chloride
    Y c. Ethyl chloride
    N d. Carbon disulfide

2571: You have abandoned ship in rough weather. After picking up other survivors in your liferaft, what should you do next?

    Y a. Close up the entrances.
    N b. Top up the buoyancy tubes.
    N c. Prepare for the arrival of rescue units.
    N d. Decide on food and water rations.

2830: Your vessel assumes an angle of loll of 14° after loading a deck cargo. The drafts are: FWD 13'-01", AFT 13'-11". Use the information in Section 1, the blue pages, of the Stability Data Reference Book to determine the negative GM.

    Y a. -0.7 foot
    N b. -0.4 foot
    N c. -0.3 foot
    N d. -0.1 foot

3054: Your sailing drafts are: FWD 22'-04", AFT 23'-06" and the GM is 3.2 feet. What will be the angle of list if #3 starboard double bottom (capacity 97 tons, VCG 2.5 feet and 23 feet off the centerline) is filled with saltwater? (Use the data in Section 1, the blue pages, of the Stability Data Reference Book)

    N a. Less than 1°
    Y b. 3°
    N c. 7°
    N d. 11°

3131: Damage stability of a MODU 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 survival draft

3245: 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-0115

    Y a. FWD 25'-02", AFT 29'-10"
    N b. FWD 25'-06", AFT 29'-06"
    N c. FWD 27'-10", AFT 26'-02"
    N d. FWD 29'-11", AFT 25'-04"

3411: The SS AMERICAN MARINER has the liquid loading shown. Use the white pages of The Stability Data Reference Book to determine the KG of the liquid load. ST-0127

    Y a. 7.9 feet
    N b. 7.3 feet
    N c. 6.4 feet
    N d. 4.3 feet

3447: A semisubmersible, 200 feet in length between draft marks with the LCF 10 feet aft of amidships, records the following drafts: Port Forward 64'-09"; Port Aft 68'-09"; Starboard Forward 59'-09"; and Starboard Aft 63'-09". What is the list?

    N a. 10 feet to port
    Y b. 5 feet to port
    N c. 2.5 feet to port
    N d. 5 feet to starboard

3460: How should the letter "T" be pronounced when spoken on the radiotelephone?

    N a. TEE
    N b. TA HO
    Y c. TANG GO
    N d. TU TU

3464: The SS AMERICAN MARINER is ready to load the cargo listed. There is already 3175 tons of cargo on board with a KG of 25.8 feet. Use the white pages of the Stability Data Reference Book to determine the final KG of all the cargo after loading is completed. ST-0132

    Y a. KG 26.8 feet
    N b. KG 27.3 feet
    N c. KG 28.2 feet
    N d. KG 28.5 feet

3468: Handholds or straps on the underside of an inflatable liferaft are provided __________.

    Y a. to right the raft if it capsizes
    N b. to carry the raft around on deck
    N c. for crewmen to hang on to
    N d. to hang the raft for drying

3642: When communicating on the radiotelephone using plain English, what procedure word indicates the end of my transmission and that a response is necessary?

    N a. Out
    Y b. Over
    N c. Roger
    N d. Wilco

3685: While drilling loaded as shown in Sample Load Form #4 (Drilling), the DEEP DRILLER suffers an unexpected but slowly increasing starboard and aft inclination. The wind and waves are light. This inclination could have been caused by __________.

    N a. the failure of mooring lines 6 and 7
    N b. the drilling crew dumping the mud
    N c. the drill string breaking
    Y d. ballast tanks equalizing into tank 10S

3729: A crew member suffering from hypothermia should be given __________.

    N a. a small dose of alcohol
    Y b. treatment for shock
    N c. a large meal
    N d. a brisk rub down

3877: On the DEEP DRILLER, among the starboard-side valves to open when deballasting from ballast tank 2S is valve __________.

    N a. 8
    N b. 19
    N c. 20
    Y d. 48

4006: The SS AMERICAN MARINER arrived in port with drafts of: FWD 18'-06", AFT 20'-10". Cargo was loaded and discharged as indicated. Use sheet 2 in the white pages of the Stability Data Reference Book to determine the final drafts. ST-0152

    N a. FWD 18'-11", AFT 20'-02"
    N b. FWD 19'-01", AFT 20'-00"
    N c. FWD 19'-03", AFT 19'-10"
    Y d. FWD 19'-05", AFT 19'-08"

4007: The DEEP DRILLER is loaded as shown in Sample Load Form #4 (Drilling). What would be the new sum of longitudinal free surface moments for Fuel Oil (Table 2) if the entire contents of Tank #4P are transferred to Tank #4S?

    N a. 1,189 foot-tons
    Y b. 2,835 foot-tons
    N c. 5,378 foot-tons
    N d. 5,670 foot-tons

4127: While loaded as shown in the DEEP DRILLER Sample Load Form #3 (Preparing to Drill), all of the casing is discharged. What is the change in LCG?

    N a. 0.45 foot
    Y b. -0.45 foot
    N c. -1.78 feet
    N d. -2.68 feet

4210: You are loading in a port subject to the summer load line mark and bound for a port subject to the winter load line mark. You will enter the winter zone after steaming four days. You will consume 35 tons of fuel, water, and stores per day. The hydrometer reading at the loading pier is 1.0083, and the average TPI is 65. What is the minimum freeboard required at the start of the voyage? (Get Table Data)

    Y a. 74 inches
    N b. 78 inches
    N c. 80 inches
    N d. 86 inches

4288: The Master or person in charge of a vessel subject to the "Vessel Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Act" who fails to comply with the Act or the regulations thereunder may be charged a civil penalty of __________.

    N a. $2,000
    N b. $1,500
    N c. $1,000
    Y d. $650

4315: Curve A in the Design Limits of Legs Chart of the Coastal Driller Operating Manual, shows the operating limits during severe storm conditions during transit based on __________.

    Y a. stability and leg strength
    N b. variable load
    N c. environmental load
    N d. load line

4486: The international body responsible for drafting the convention prohibiting marine pollution (MARPOL) is the __________.

    N a. Maritime Advisory Council
    Y b. International Maritime Organization
    N c. International Association of Shipping
    N d. Association of Seafaring Nations

4677: 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 is the new height of the center of gravity corrected for transverse free surface effects?

    N a. 47.49 feet
    N b. 49.16 feet
    Y c. 50.82 feet
    N d. 50.93 feet

5276: The SS AMERICAN MARINER has drafts of: FWD 18'-07", AFT 23'-03". Use the white pages of the Stability Data Reference Book to determine the drafts if you ballast the forepeak with 92 tons of seawater.

    Y a. FWD 19'-04.9", AFT 22'-08.7"
    N b. FWD 19'-05.4", AFT 22'-08.0"
    N c. FWD 19'-05.7", AFT 22'-07.7"
    N d. FWD 19'-06.3", AFT 22'-07.1"

5449: The SS AMERICAN MARINER is ready to bunker with drafts of FWD 17'-06", AFT 20'-04". After all bunkers are on board, soundings indicate the tonnages shown. Use the white pages of The Stability Data Reference Book to determine the free surface correction. ST-0178

    N a. 1.05 feet
    N b. 1.15 feet
    N c. 1.25 feet
    Y d. 1.31 feet

5555: The fluke angle of an anchor system is the angle between the __________.

    Y a. flukes and the shank
    N b. shank and the sea bottom
    N c. mooring line and the sea bottom
    N d. flukes and the shackle

5601: Your semisubmersible drilling unit is moving onto a location in shallow water with a very hard bottom. What is the most effective means of maintaining your position at this location during severe weather?

    N a. Running out all the anchor chain available
    Y b. Piggyback all anchors and pretension to above the expected tensions
    N c. Install fluke angle blocks on all your LWT anchors
    N d. Remove fluke angle blocks on all your LWT anchors

5645: On a semisubmersible drilling unit, increasing riser tension reduces __________.

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

5705: The design of a spring buoy helps __________.

    N a. to retrieve the anchor
    Y b. to prevent chafing at the lower end of the pendant
    N c. to mark the rig's approach to the location
    N d. an anchor handling vessel back toward the rig

6625: Each hose in the fuel transfer system for helicopter refueling must meet the standards of the __________.

    Y a. Federal Aviation Administration
    N b. Corps of Engineers
    N c. National Fire Protection Association
    N d. National Transportation Safety Board

7331: Routine radio communications should be no more than __________.

    N a. one minute
    Y b. three minutes
    N c. five minutes
    N d. eight minutes

7395: In evacuation from a MODU, an individual without the option of a survival craft or liferaft should enter the water on the leeward side, except when __________.

    Y a. there is burning oil on the water
    N b. there is a rescue craft in the area
    N c. water temperature is below 40°F
    N d. a rigid survival craft is in the area

7403: If you must jump from a MODU, your posture should include __________.

    Y a. holding down the life preserver against the chest with one arm crossing the other, covering the mouth and nose with a hand, and feet together
    N b. knees bent and held close to the body with both arms around legs
    N c. body straight and arms held tightly at the sides for feet first entry into the water
    N d. both hands holding the life preserver below the chin, with knees bent, and legs crossed

7703: The average of the forward and after drafts is the __________.

    Y a. mean draft
    N b. true mean draft
    N c. mean of the calculated drafts
    N d. draft at the center of flotation

8807: The prohibition against displaying lights which may be confused with required navigation lights applies __________.

    Y a. from sunset to sunrise and during restricted visibility
    N b. only when other vessels are in the area
    N c. only when operating in a traffic separation scheme
    N d. only when under tow

9485: The difference between the starboard and port drafts due to wind or seas is called __________.

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

9577: When is the density of the water required to be logged in the logbook of a MODU?

    N a. Any time the vessel moves from water of one density into waters of a different density
    Y b. Prior to getting underway when the vessel is floating in fresh or brackish water
    N c. Only when the vessel moves from fresh water into salt water
    N d. The density of the water is not required to be logged in the unofficial logbook