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.


3: To turn over an inflatable liferaft that is upside down, you should pull on the __________.


317: Your vessel will be entering the navigable waters of the United States. You are required by regulations to __________.


326: CO2 cylinders, which protect the small space in which they are stored must __________.


356: The number of pounds of carbon dioxide required for each cargo space on a cargo vessel is equal to __________.

    N a. the gross volume of the space in cubic feet divided by 100
    N b. one pound of CO2 per cubic foot of space
    N c. one pound of CO2 per square foot of deck area
    Y d. the gross volume of the space in cubic feet divided by 30

658: The ventilation system of your ship has fire dampers restrained by fusible links. Which statement is TRUE?

    N a. A fusible link will automatically open after a fire is extinguished and reset the damper.
    N b. Fusible links must be replaced at every inspection for certification.
    N c. Fusible links are tested by applying a source of heat to them.
    Y d. Fusible links must be replaced if a damper is activated.

802: A portable dry chemical fire extinguisher discharges by __________.

    N a. gravity when the extinguisher is turned upside down
    Y b. pressure from a small CO2 cartridge on the extinguisher
    N c. air pressure from the hand pump attached to the extinguisher
    N d. pressure from the reaction when water is mixed with the chemical

803: The abandon ship signal on the ship's whistle is __________.

    N a. 6 short blasts and 1 long blast
    N b. more than 6 short blasts
    Y c. more than 6 short blasts and 1 long blast
    N d. 1 long blast of at least 10 seconds

851: The preferred agent used in fighting a helicopter crash fire is __________.

    N a. CO2
    N b. dry chemical
    N c. water
    Y d. foam

937: On a class "B" fire, which portable fire extinguisher would be the LEAST desirable?

    N a. Carbon dioxide
    Y b. Water (stored pressure)
    N c. Dry chemical
    N d. Foam

970: During cargo operations, your vessel develops a list due to the center of gravity rising above the transverse metacenter. To correct the list, you should __________.

    N a. shift weight to the high side
    N b. shift weight to the centerline
    Y c. add weight in the lower holds or double bottoms
    N d. remove weight from the lower holds or double bottoms

1157: When using the combustible gas indicator, a special filter for filtering the incoming sample must be used if the atmosphere being tested contains vapors of __________.

    N a. sour crude
    Y b. leaded gasoline
    N c. CO2
    N d. chlorine

1348: Dry chemical fire extinguishers are effective on which type(s) of fire?

    N a. Burning oil
    N b. Electrical
    N c. Paint
    Y d. All of the above

1417: A vessel is "listed" when it is __________.

    N a. down by the head
    N b. down by the stern
    Y c. inclined due to off-center weight
    N d. inclined due to wind

1447: Why is carbon dioxide (CO2) better than dry chemical for fighting a class "C" fire?

    N a. The dry chemical is a conductor.
    Y b. The dry chemical leaves a residue.
    N c. CO2 will not dissipate in air.
    N d. It takes smaller amounts of CO2 to cover the same area.

1477: A fire starts on your vessel while refueling. You should FIRST __________.

    N a. stop the ventilation
    Y b. sound the general alarm
    N c. determine the source of the fire
    N d. attempt to extinguish the fire

1540: Which statement concerning the sources of drinking water is FALSE?

    Y a. Fresh water may be obtained from fish.
    N b. Lifeboat covers or canopies should be washed with rain before drinking water is collected.
    N c. Fresh water may be collected from condensation inside the liferaft.
    N d. Seawater should never be consumed.

1634: To prevent the spread of fire by convection you should __________.

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

1639: What entry would NOT be shown on the V line of an AMVER report?

    N a. NONE
    N b. NURSE
    N c. MD
    Y d. DOCTOR

1896: The edge of the sail labeled "A" is called the __________. (D001SL )

    N a. leech
    N b. clew
    Y c. luff
    N d. headboard

1915: The sails are properly set and trimmed. As a vessel heads up from a beam reach to close hauled the __________.

    N a. apparent wind moves aft
    Y b. heeling moment increases
    N c. side slip decreases
    N d. mainsheet must be eased

1941: On offshore drilling units, boat drills must be conducted at least __________.

    Y a. monthly
    N b. quarterly
    N c. daily
    N d. annually

2141: How often is a drill on the use of the line throwing appliance required to be held on a mobile offshore drilling unit?

    N a. Once a month
    N b. Once a year
    N c. Once a week
    Y d. Once every three months

2170: You have approximately 60 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 8 feet? (total displacement is 960 tons)

    N a. 0.6 foot
    Y b. 0.5 foot
    N c. 0.4 foot
    N d. 0.3 foot

2470: According to the Chemical Data Guide, propylene oxide is assigned a health hazard rating of 3,2,2. The last digit "2" of the rating means __________.

    N a. chemical vapors will cause a slight smarting of the eyes or respiratory system if present in high concentrations
    N b. the chemical contains fairly severe skin irritants, causing second- and third-degree burns after a few minutes contact
    Y c. the chemical poison presents some hazard if it enters the body and typically has threshold limits of 100 to 500 ppm
    N d. the chemical is severely hazardous, usually having threshold limits below 10 ppm

2555: When hoisting personnel from a vessel, with the MODU cranes, the crane operator must assure that __________.

    N a. the personnel carrier remains directly over the vessel
    N b. all personnel are inside the net type carrier
    Y c. the personnel carrier remains directly over water
    N d. he does not swing the load until it is above the landing area

2633: A load line for a MODU is assigned by the __________.

    N a. Minerals Management Service
    N b. Department of Energy
    N c. Corps of Engineers
    Y d. A recognized classification society approved by the Coast Guard

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

2772: Tour vessel's drafts are: FWD 22'-09", AFT 23'-07"; and the KG is 24.2 feet. Use the selected stability curves in the blue pages of the Stability Data Reference Book to determine the righting arm at 18° inclination.

    Y a. 0.7 foot
    N b. 1.3 feet
    N c. 2.0 feet
    N d. 2.3 feet

2787: You are on a commercial fishing vessel 78 feet long. At least one of your ring buoys or throwable flotation devices must have a line of what minimum length attached?

    N a. 60 feet
    N b. 70 feet
    N c. 80 feet
    Y d. 90 feet

2810: Your vessel assumes an angle of loll of 6° after loading a deck cargo. The drafts are: FWD 16'-00", AFT 16'-05". Use the information in Section 1, the blue pages, of the Stability Data Reference Book to determine the negative GM.

    N a. -1.0 foot
    N b. -0.6 foot
    Y c. -0.1 foot
    N d. -0.02 foot

2819: Distress flares and smoke signals are not required on vessels operating on short runs. A "short run" is limited to __________. (small passenger vessel regulation)

    N a. water of less than 20 feet in depth
    N b. where land is always in sight
    N c. no more than 5 miles
    Y d. about 30 minutes away from the dock

2909: Following a collision or accident, the Master of each vessel involved must render assistance to persons affected by the collision or accident __________.

    N a. if he can do so without any risk to his vessel
    N b. if he can do so without undue delay
    Y c. if he can do so without serious danger to his vessel or to individuals on board
    N d. without regard to any danger to his vessel

3145: The DEEP DRILLER, while loaded as shown in the Sample Load Form #4 (Drilling), suffers damage to the port forward column below the waterline. You should pump from tank __________.

    N a. C1P
    N b. 8P
    Y c. 1P
    N d. 2S

3258: Assuming that the recommended hatch loading sequence is followed, how many long tons of iron ore may be loaded through hatch No. 20 while using a single belt loader to arrive at a desired mean keel draft of 24'-10"? (Use the Guidance Manual for Loading M.V. GRAND HAVEN.)

    N a. 1540 tons
    N b. 1590 tons
    Y c. 1645 tons
    N d. 1670 tons

3932: You have hand launched an inflatable liferaft. What should be one of your FIRST actions after all persons have boarded the liferaft?

    N a. Open the equipment pack.
    N b. Inflate the liferaft floor.
    N c. Decide on food and water rations.
    Y d. Cut the sea painter and clear the vessel.

4031: The DEEP DRILLER, at 60.0 feet draft in sea water, has VM = 974,441 foot-long tons, and FSMT = 18,732 foot-long tons. What is the metacentric height corrected for transverse free surface effects?

    N a. 5.66 feet
    N b. 7.37 feet
    Y c. 8.02 feet
    N d. 54.82 feet

4058: When the owner or Master inspects his/her towing vessel before embarking on a voyage of more than 24 hours, he/she must check all terminal gear EXCEPT ___________ .

    N a. the connection of the bridle and towing pendant
    N b. chafing gear
    Y c. quick release towing hook and control system, to see that it operates properly
    N d. the winch brake, if installed

4077: The DEEP DRILLER is loaded as shown in the Sample Load Form #1 (Transit). What is the new longitudinal free surface correction (FSCL) if the entire contents of Salt Water Ballast Tanks 1P and 1S are discharged?

    N a. 1.06 feet
    Y b. 1.09 feet
    N c. 3.30 feet
    N d. 3.38 feet

4116: As Master of an inspected small passenger vessel, you have a question regarding a proposed modification to a watertight bulkhead. In which subchapter of title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations will you find the answer?

    N a. Subchapter D
    N b. Subchapter G
    Y c. Subchapter T
    N d. Subchapter U

4170: The color of the signal flares sent up by a submarine surfacing from periscope depth is __________.

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

4275: The independent-leg drilling unit is the best jack-up rig selection for drilling at locations with __________.

    N a. soft even bottoms
    Y b. firm uneven bottoms
    N c. deep water
    N d. shallow water

4597: While loaded as shown in the COASTAL DRILLER Sample Load Form #3 (Drilling), 236 kips are discharged from 80 feet AF0 and 19.79 feet to port of the centerline. What is the resulting starboard leg reaction?

    N a. 4,281 kips
    N b. 5,382 kips
    Y c. 5,459 kips
    N d. 5,537 kips

4621: On the COASTAL DRILLER, the start/stop station for the bilge pumps is located __________.

    N a. in the OIM's office
    N b. in the control house
    Y c. near the bilge pits
    N d. in the MCC

4786: Which number indicates the hydrostatic release? (D015SA )

    N a. 3
    Y b. 6
    N c. 7
    N d. 10

5075: What lighting characteristic is required of an obstruction light on a mobile offshore drilling unit on the waters of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf?

    N a. Fixed
    N b. Flashing
    Y c. Quick-flashing
    N d. Occulting

5321: While the COASTAL DRILLER is in transit at a draft of 10 feet 6 inches, a severe storm is predicted within 12 hours. VM are 541,257 ft-kips, FSML are 32,000 ft-kips and FSMT are 24,000 ft-kips. How much should the KGL be lowered to satisfy the maximum allowable KG criteria?

    N a. 23.04 feet
    Y b. 1.96 feet
    N c. 0.62 foot
    N d. 0.00 feet

5321: While the COASTAL DRILLER is in transit at a draft of 10 feet 6 inches, a severe storm is predicted within 12 hours. VM are 541,257 ft-kips, FSML are 32,000 ft-kips and FSMT are 24,000 ft-kips. How much should the KGL be lowered to satisfy the maximum allowable KG criteria?

    N a. 23.04 feet
    Y b. 1.96 feet
    N c. 0.62 foot
    N d. 0.00 feet

5817: The two main types of load cells used in mooring tension gauges are __________.

    Y a. distortion and compression
    N b. hydraulic and mechanical
    N c. magnetic and applied torque
    N d. frictionless and hydraulic

6105: The primary danger in helicopter fires on a MODU is __________.

    Y a. burning jet fuel running on to quarters or other areas
    N b. loss of the mooring system
    N c. rotating and flying debris
    N d. heat damage to helicopter structure

6257: If there are a number of survivors in the water after abandoning a MODU, they should __________.

    N a. tie themselves to the unit so they won't drift with the current
    Y b. form a small circular group to create a warmer pocket of water in the center of the circle
    N c. send the strongest swimmer to shore for assistance
    N d. form a raft by lashing their life preservers together

6495: A small fuel spillage has occurred during helicopter refueling. After the leak has been stopped and fire-control personnel have been notified and are standing by, the next step is to __________.

    N a. proceed with fueling operation
    N b. have helicopter move to a safer location
    Y c. wash spilled fuel away with a flood of water
    N d. clean spilled fuel with rags

6505: A MODU helicopter landing deck on which fueling operations are conducted must have a fire protection system that is capable of discharging at 100 psi pressure a foam spray of at least __________.

    N a. 30 gallons per minute
    N b. 40 gallons per minute
    Y c. 50 gallons per minute
    N d. 60 gallons per minute

7113: Fire extinguishers used on MODU's are numbered by size I through V, with I being __________.

    N a. used for electrical fires only
    Y b. the smallest
    N c. the most accessible
    N d. the most effective

7307: All VHF marine band radios operate in the simplex mode, which means that __________.

    Y a. only one person may talk at a time
    N b. only two persons may talk at the same time
    N c. the radio only transmits
    N d. the radio only receives

7337: If you log a distress message, it must include the __________.

    N a. sea state
    N b. names of witnesses
    Y c. time of its occurrence
    N d. wind direction and velocity

7393: When a davit-launched raft is lowered from a MODU, upon becoming waterborne, the raft is released by __________.

    N a. activating the release lock of the hook
    N b. pulling smartly on the knobbed cocking lanyard
    Y c. the effects of buoyancy removing the weight of the raft from the hook
    N d. releasing the boarding flap and the bowsing lines

8381: What are the three basic types of engine starters?

    N a. Air, water, electric
    Y b. Air, hydraulic, electric
    N c. Metered, hydraulic, automatic
    N d. Air, emergency, hydraulic

8483: A jack-up 180 feet in length with the LCF at 120 feet AFO has a true mean draft (draft at LCF) of 10 feet. If the trim is 3 feet by the stern, what is the draft at the stern?

    N a. 8.0 feet
    N b. 9.0 feet
    Y c. 11.0 feet
    N d. 12.0 feet

8631: What is the new location of the longitudinal center of gravity if 200 short tons are discharged from 30 feet forward of amidships on a MODU with LCG 1.5 feet forward of amidships, and displacement 9,000 short tons?

    N a. 0.88 foot forward of amidships
    Y b. 0.85 foot forward of amidships
    N c. 0.82 foot forward of amidships
    N d. 0.79 foot forward of amidships

9341: Dry chemical extinguishers may be used on what class of fires?

    N a. A only
    N b. B only
    N c. B and C only
    Y d. A, B or C as marked on the extinguisher