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.


59: Where on your vessel shall the recharge for each self-contained breathing apparatus be carried?


130: When making a turn (course change) on most merchant ships, the vessel will heel outwards if __________.


177: Before taking drinking water on board in the U.S. or its possessions, the responsible person from the vessel should determine that the source __________.


210: Metacentric height is an indication of a vessel's stability __________.

    N a. for all angles of inclination
    N b. for large angles of inclination
    Y c. for small angles of inclination
    N d. in no case

288: A negative metacentric height __________.

    N a. will always cause a vessel to capsize
    N b. always results from off-center weights
    Y c. should always be immediately corrected
    N d. All of the above are correct

367: A ship's radiotelephone station license is issued by the __________.

    N a. U.S. Coast Guard
    Y b. Federal Communications Commission
    N c. Radio Technical Commission for Marine Services
    N d. Maritime Mobile Service Commission

434: You are underway in the Gulf of Mexico when you hear a distress message over the VHF radio. The position of the sender is about 20 miles south of Galveston, TX, and you are about 80 miles ESE of Galveston. What action should you take?

    N a. Immediately acknowledge receipt of the distress message
    Y b. Defer acknowledgment for a short interval so that a coast station may acknowledge receipt
    N c. Do not acknowledge receipt until other ships nearer to the distress have acknowledged
    N d. Do not acknowledge receipt because you are too far away to take action

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

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

568: On a small passenger vessel, if an inlet or discharge pipe is not accessible, its shut off valve __________.

    N a. must be operable from the weather deck
    N b. may be operable from any accessible location above the bulkhead deck
    N c. must be labeled at its operating point to show its identity and direction of closing
    Y d. All of the above

637: The date and time kept in the radiotelephone log shall commence at __________.

    Y a. midnight
    N b. noon
    N c. beginning of the watch
    N d. any convenient time

692: Why should foam be banked off a bulkhead when extinguishing an oil fire?

    N a. To coat the surrounding bulkheads with foam in case the fire spreads
    N b. To cool the bulkhead closest to the fire
    N c. To prevent any oil on the bulkheads from igniting
    Y d. To prevent agitation of the oil and spreading the fire

732: Which statement(s) is(are) TRUE concerning the use of dry chemical extinguishers?

    Y a. You should direct the spray at the base of the fire.
    N b. You should direct the spray directly into the fire.
    N c. You should direct the spray at a vertical bulkhead and allow it to flow over the fire.
    N d. All of the above

819: Providing you are not in a special area, such as the Mediterranean or Red Sea, how many nautical miles from land must you be to throw wooden dunnage into the sea?

    Y a. 25 nm
    N b. 12 nm
    N c. 6 nm
    N d. 3 nm

939: CO2 cylinders forming part of a fixed fire extinguishing system must be pressure tested at least every __________.

    N a. year
    N b. 2 years
    N c. 6 years
    Y d. 12 years

973: You are on a vessel that has a metacentric height of 1.0 foot and a beam of 40 feet. What can you expect the rolling period of the vessel to be?

    N a. 15.2 seconds
    N b. 15.9 seconds
    N c. 17.0 seconds
    Y d. 17.6 seconds

1002: How do you operate a portable CO2 fire extinguisher?

    N a. Point the horn down.
    N b. Turn cylinder upside-down.
    N c. Break the rupture disc.
    Y d. Pull pin, squeeze grip.

1359: Your vessel has 3 lifeboats on each side. The middle lifeboat on the port side is designated as boat number __________.

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

1585: Up to two thirds of a survival crafts required drinking water may be produced by a manually-powered reverse osmosis desalinator if it can be done in __________.

    N a. 12 hours
    N b. 1 day
    Y c. 2 days
    N d. 4 days

1804: Your vessel displaces 869 tons and measures 136'L x33'B. You ship a large wave on the after deck which measures 52'Lx 33'B. The weight of the water is estimated at 52.8 tons. What is the reduction in GM due to free surface before the water drains overboard?

    Y a. 4.83 feet
    N b. 5.12 feet
    N c. 5.46 feet
    N d. 5.85 feet

2008: Your vessel measures 119 feet long by 17 feet in beam. If the natural rolling period at a draft of 5'-05" is 6 seconds, what is the GM?

    N a. 1.14 feet
    N b. 1.36 feet
    Y c. 1.55 feet
    N d. 1.96 feet

2516: When heated to breakdown, tetraethyl or tetramethyl lead compounds emit highly toxic fumes of __________.

    N a. hydrogen gas
    Y b. lead
    N c. bromide
    N d. phosgene

2790: The weight of liquefied petroleum gas vapors as compared to air is __________.

    N a. variable
    N b. the same
    N c. lighter
    Y d. heavier

2790: The weight of liquefied petroleum gas vapors as compared to air is __________.

    N a. variable
    N b. the same
    N c. lighter
    Y d. heavier

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

3035: The external inflation bladder on an immersion suit should be inflated __________.

    N a. before you enter the water
    Y b. after you enter the water
    N c. after one hour in the water
    N d. after you notice that your suit is losing buoyancy

3050: A vessel's drafts are: FWD 14'-04", AFT 15'-08". How much more cargo can be loaded to have the vessel down to the freeboard draft? (Use the information in Section 1, the blue pages, of the Stability Data Reference Book)

    N a. 7280 tons
    Y b. 7879 tons
    N c. 8004 tons
    N d. 8104 tons

3109: 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-0106

    Y a. 3.9 feet
    N b. 4.3 feet
    N c. 4.7 feet
    N d. 5.1 feet

3186: Using a sea anchor will __________.

    Y a. reduce the drift rate of the liferaft
    N b. keep the liferaft from turning over
    N c. aid in recovering the liferaft
    N d. increase your visibility

3257: A semisubmersible with a displacement of 20,000 tons and a KG of 60.0 feet loads 300 tons at a VCG of 120 feet. To maintain draft, ballast is discharged from a height of 20 feet. What is the change in KG?

    Y a. 1.5 feet upward
    N b. 1.5 feet downward
    N c. 0.8 foot upward
    N d. 0.8 foot downward

3426: In illustration D011SA, number 1 operates the __________. (D011SA )

    N a. releasing gear
    N b. sea painter
    Y c. Fleming gear
    N d. McCluny hook

3552: You are communicating by radiotelephone using the International Code of Signals. What is the correct method of sending the group 1.3?

    N a. "Wun point tree"
    N b. "Unaone point tercetree"
    Y c. "Unaone decimal terrathree"
    N d. "One decimal three"

3564: The sea painter of a rescue boat should be led __________.

    Y a. forward and outboard of all obstructions
    N b. forward and inboard of all obstructions
    N c. up and down from the main deck
    N d. to the foremost point on the vessel

3843: The sounding in tank 1P of the DEEP DRILLER is 7.58 feet. What are the longitudinal moments for this quantity of ballast?

    N a. 729 ft-long tons
    N b. 6,707 ft-long tons
    N c. 19,609 ft-long tons
    Y d. 27,652 ft-long tons

4109: 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 would you find the answer?

    N a. Subchapter B
    N b. Subchapter D
    N c. Subchapter F
    Y d. Subchapter T

4178: 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-0156

    N a. 229.8 ft
    N b. 234.3 ft
    N c. 244.6 ft
    Y d. 253.5 ft

4213: While in ocean transit, the COASTAL DRILLER has a roll period of four seconds. What would be the largest angle each side of vertical that does not exceed the design limit of the legs?

    N a. 6.3 degrees
    N b. 5.0 degrees
    N c. 3.5 degrees
    Y d. 2.0 degrees

4295: The COASTAL DRILLER, in transit with winds expected to exceed 70 knots, must lower the legs so that the can tips are __________.

    Y a. 60.5 feet below the hull
    N b. 48.5 feet below the hull
    N c. 11.6 feet below the hull
    N d. 1.2 feet below the hull

4337: The COASTAL DRILLER, following discharge of preload, should __________.

    N a. leave dump valves open
    Y b. close all dump valves
    N c. remove dump valves
    N d. replace dump valves

4375: On the COASTAL DRILLER, what is NOT considered a drilling load?

    N a. Hook load
    Y b. Cantilever pipe rack
    N c. Conductor tension
    N d. Setback

4833: To keep injured survivors warm in the water after abandoning a MODU, they should __________.

    Y a. be placed in the middle of a small circle formed by the other survivors in the water
    N b. float on their backs with their arms extended for maximum exposure to the air
    N c. remove their life preservers and hold on to the uninjured survivors
    N d. sip seawater at intervals of fifteen minutes

4847: The rated operating time of a self-contained breathing device may be reduced in actual use because of __________.

    N a. pressure differences in the atmosphere
    N b. the length of the hose attached to the facepiece
    Y c. the physical exertion of the person wearing the device
    N d. spaces containing poisonous vapors

5062: You are making a heavy lift with the jumbo boom. Your vessel displaces 8530 T. The 40-ton weight is on the pier and its center is 65' to starboard of the centerline. The head of the boom is 115' above the base line and the center of gravity of the lift when stowed on deck will be 50' above the base line. As the jumbo boom takes the strain the ship lists to 5°. What is the GM with the cargo stowed?

    N a. 2.96 ft
    N b. 3.18 ft
    N c. 3.46 ft
    Y d. 3.77 ft

5073: An obstruction light on a mobile offshore drilling unit on the waters of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, shall have a lens that is visible over an arc of __________.

    N a. 60°
    N b. 90°
    N c. 180°
    Y d. 360°

5124: The SS AMERICAN MARINER is ready to bunker with drafts of FWD 14'-04", AFT 18'-08". 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-0173

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

5477: Standards for fabrication and testing of chain on mobile offshore drilling units are provided by the __________.

    N a. Department of the Interior
    N b. U.S. Coast Guard
    N c. Minerals Management Service
    Y d. American Petroleum Institute

5737: Given the same water depth and line tension, the holding power of a 19 pound/foot wire rope mooring system in comparison to the holding power of a 90 pound/foot chain mooring system will be __________.

    Y a. weaker
    N b. equal
    N c. greater
    N d. indeterminable

5951: Control valves of a CO2 system may be located within the protected space when __________.

    N a. it is impractical to locate them outside
    N b. there is also a control valve outside
    Y c. the CO2 cylinders are also in the space
    N d. an automatic heat-sensing trip is installed

6011: On a MODU, hand portable extinguishers are size(s) __________.

    N a. II only
    N b. II and III
    Y c. I and II
    N d. I only

6496: In a water-tube marine type boiler, after the steam leaves the generating tubes, in what part of the boiler is temperature of the steam increased?

    N a. Mud drum
    Y b. Superheater
    N c. Economizer
    N d. Firebox

6858: A hydraulic accumulator is designed to __________.

    Y a. store fluid under pressure
    N b. act as a fluid reservoir
    N c. provide overpressure relief
    N d. replenish fluid to a system

6897: Who shall insure that all records required by regulations are retained on board a mobile offshore drilling unit involved in a casualty?

    N a. Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection
    Y b. Owner
    N c. Pilot
    N d. Engineer

7128: Some spaces protected by fixed carbon dioxide systems are required to have audible alarms that begin sounding prior to the discharge of CO2. This time delay must be at least __________.

    Y a. 20 seconds
    N b. 40 seconds
    N c. one minute
    N d. two minutes

7667: Subtracting GM from KM yields __________.

    N a. BL
    N b. GM
    N c. FS
    Y d. KG

8156: Category 1 EPIRBs are required to be carried on board __________.

    N a. small passenger vessels on the Great Lakes
    N b. all deep draft vessels
    Y c. fishing industry vessels
    N d. small passenger vessels

8345: For H2S detection, sensitized tapes indicate H2S presence by means of discoloration of an exposed spot on the tape. The shade of the color on the spot depends upon the concentration of H2S and __________.

    N a. air temperature at the time of the exposure
    N b. air pressure at the time of the exposure
    N c. humidity at the time of exposure
    Y d. duration of the exposure

8527: The COASTAL DRILLER, while drilling, has a total weight of 15,435 kips. The LM are 1,975,680 ft-kips and the TM are -15,435 ft-kips. What is the port leg reaction?

    N a. 4,060 kips
    N b. 5,145 kips
    N c. 5,559 kips
    Y d. 5,816 kips

8535: You are transferring fuel from a supply vessel to your MODU. If you close off one tank in the line of tanks being filled, the rate of flow to other open tanks on the same line will __________.

    Y a. increase
    N b. decrease
    N c. stop
    N d. stabilize

8911: If a victim is unconscious, you should first look for evidence of __________.

    N a. high fever
    N b. head injury
    N c. broken limbs
    Y d. irregular breathing

9137: Fighting a fire in the galley poses the additional threat of __________.

    N a. contaminating food with extinguishing agent
    N b. spreading through the engineering space
    N c. loss of stability
    Y d. a grease fire in the ventilation system

9321: In battery charging rooms, exhaust ventilation should be provided __________.

    N a. at the lowest point
    N b. near the batteries
    Y c. at the highest point
    N d. only when charging is in progress