USCG Navigation Problems: 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.


41: The Delta-Friar Point revetment on the LMR extends from mile __________.


83: Which light characteristics does Catfish Point Lower Light (mile 572.2 AHP) have?


95: You complete changing out your tow and get underway enroute Memphis, Tennessee to deliver 2 tank barges. What is the distance you must travel from Cairo Point Light to the Lion Oil Refining Co. Docks in Memphis?


111: As you pass Solitude Lt. (mile 249.0 AHP) which dayboard would you see?

    N a. Green square
    Y b. Green diamond
    N c. Red triangle
    N d. Red diamond

141: Your vessel is making turns for 9.5 mph and you estimate the average current for the trip will be 2.5 mph. What will be your ETA Donaldsonville, LA?

    Y a. 1222 on 7 October
    N b. 1823 on 7 October
    N c. 0443 on 8 October
    N d. 1033 on 8 October

223: At 1920, Cape Henry Light bears 225°pgc, and Chesapeake Channel Tunnel North Light bears 288°pgc. If your heading is 268°T, what is the relative bearing of Chesapeake Light?

    N a. 206°
    Y b. 213°
    N c. 215°
    N d. 220°

238: At 0910, your DR position is LAT 41°11.9'N, LONG 72°47.8'W. Your vessel is on course 097°T at 9.5 knots, and the weather is foggy. At 0915, Branford Reef Light is sighted through a break in the fog bearing 318°T. At 0945, Falkner Island Light is sighted bearing 042°T. What is your 0945 running fix position?

    N a. LAT 41°11.1'N, LONG 72°41.2'W
    N b. LAT 41°11.3'N, LONG 72°41.3'W
    Y c. LAT 41°11.5'N, LONG 72°40.7'W
    N d. LAT 41°11.8'N, LONG 72°40.2'W

303: A vessel steams 576 miles on course 260°T from LAT 40°36'N, LONG 50°24'W. What are the latitude and longitude of the point of arrival by mid-latitude sailing?

    N a. LAT 39°12'N, LONG 62°28'W
    N b. LAT 39°06'N, LONG 62°34'W
    N c. LAT 39°02'N, LONG 62°37'W
    Y d. LAT 38°56'N, LONG 62°42'W

377: You depart LAT 22°35.0'N, LONG 157°30.0'W, and steam 4505.0 miles on course 135°T. What are the latitude and longitude of your arrival by Mercator sailing?

    Y a. 30°30.5'S, 102°35.3'W
    N b. 30°30.5'S, 104°30.0'W
    N c. 32°20.0'S, 102°35.3'W
    N d. 32°20.0'S, 104°30.0'W

421: At 0345, you set a course to depart New London Harbor. Assuming no set and drift, which standard magnetic compass course must you steer to stay in the middle of the channel?

    N a. 192°psc
    N b. 190°psc
    Y c. 187°psc
    N d. 175°psc

424: From your 0530 position, you set a course of 271°psc with an engine speed of 9 knots. At 0645, Cornfield Safe-Water Buoy is abeam to starboard. What speed have you averaged since 0530?

    N a. 9.5 knots
    N b. 9.0 knots
    Y c. 8.6 knots
    N d. 7.5 knots

470: Determine the great circle distance and initial course from LAT 35°08.0'S, LONG 19°26.0'E to LAT 33°16.0'S, LONG 115°36.0'E.

    N a. 4457 miles, 126°T
    Y b. 4559 miles, 121°T
    N c. 4682 miles, 059°T
    N d. 4688 miles, 126°T

496: At 0815, you change course to 079°T and head for the entrance of Great Salt Pond on Block Island. To compensate for a northerly wind, you estimate a 5° leeway is necessary. What course should you steer per gyrocompass to make good 079°T?

    Y a. 071°pgc
    N b. 074°pgc
    N c. 076°pgc
    N d. 079°pgc

607: At 0915 zone time, on 6 March , you depart Sydney, LAT 33°51.5'S, LONG 151°13.0'E (ZD -10). You are bound for Kodiak, LAT 57°47.0'N, LONG 152°25.0'W, and you estimate your speed of advance at 21 knots. The distance is 6,222 miles. What is your estimated zone time of arrival at Kodiak?

    N a. 0732, 17 March
    Y b. 2132, 17 March
    N c. 0732, 18 March
    N d. 2132, 18 March

677: Which statement about a great circle track between Cape Flattery (LAT 48°30'N, LONG 125°00'W) and Guam (LAT 14°00'N, LONG 145°00'E) is TRUE? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5270)

    N a. The entire track line is to the west of the Northern Hemisphere vertex.
    Y b. Military exercises being carried out within a 150 mile radius of LAT 47°10'N, LONG 137°30'W will interfere with the proposed track line.
    N c. Distance is measured by determining the length of a line in minutes of arc from the midpoint of the track to the point of tangency.
    N d. When plotted on a Mercator chart the great circle track will appear as an S curve with the curve reversing at the latitude of the point of tangency (30°N).

1150: The highest point on your towboat is 48 feet above the water, and the Memphis Gage reads +7.5 feet. What is the vertical clearance when you pass under the Hernando Desoto Bridge in Memphis?

    Y a. 53.2 feet
    N b. 58.1 feet
    N c. 68.2 feet
    N d. 96.3 feet

1207: On 10 July , your 0930 zone time DR position is LAT 26°31.0'S, LONG 4°41.0'E. Your vessel is on course 308°T at a speed of 22.0 knots. What is the zone time of local apparent noon (LAN)?

    N a. 1144
    Y b. 1149
    N c. 1153
    N d. 1159

1237: At 1118, on 24 May, you pass Natchez Gage and estimate the current will average 3.0 mph for the remainder of the time on the Mississippi River. What is your ETA at Cairo, IL if you continue to turn for 10 mph?

    N a. 0840, 26 May
    N b. 2218, 26 May
    Y c. 2339, 27 May
    N d. 0339, 28 May

1282: On 1 November , your 1600 zone time DR position is LAT 27°48'S, LONG 91°26'E. Your vessel is on a course of 327°
T at a speed of 16 knots. What will be the zone time of sunset at your vessel?

    Y a. 1813
    N b. 1821
    N c. 1829
    N d. 1836

1483: On 31 May , your vessel's 1420 zone time DR position is LAT 29°06'N, LONG 120°06'W, when an azimuth of the Sun is observed. The bearing of the Sun per standard magnetic compass was 255.3°. The chronometer time of the observation is 10h 17m 24s. The chronometer error is 02m 32s slow. The variation for this area is 12.9°E. What is the deviation of the standard magnetic compass?

    Y a. 2.5°W
    N b. 2.9°W
    N c. 2.9°E
    N d. 3.2°E

1535: The Red River Landing Gage reads 5.2 feet. The low water reference plane (LWRP) for Red River is 10.6 feet. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

    Y a. River level is below the Low Water Reference Plane.
    N b. The depth over revetment at Old River is 25.2 ft.
    N c. The depth over Old River Lock sill is greater than 11 ft.
    N d. This gage reading is at a higher elevation than the same reading on the Gage at Head of Passes.

1707: You are passing the Memphis Gage at 0405, 18 March. If you are turning for 8 mph and estimate the current at 2.3 mph,
what is your ETA at Cairo Point, IL (mile 954.5 AHP)?

    N a. 0447, 19 Mar
    N b. 1052, 19 Mar
    N c. 1518, 19 Mar
    Y d. 1839, 19 Mar

1711: What is the length of the trip?

    N a. 722.0 miles
    N b. 953.8 miles
    Y c. 1097.9 miles
    N d. 1332.1 miles

1738: Which of the following statements regarding aids to navigation shown in the Corps. of Engineers map book is TRUE?

    Y a. Buoys should always be given as wide a berth in passing as possible.
    N b. The U.S. Army Corps.. of Engineers is responsible for placing and maintaining all aids to navigation.
    N c. Buoy positions as shown on the chart are exact.
    N d. Lights and daymarks are always shown in their exact location.

1746: The Crooked River empties into which river?

    Y a. Missouri
    N b. Mississippi
    N c. Tennessee
    N d. Ohio

1768: The Natchez Gage reads 14.5 feet. The high point on your towboat is 47 feet above the water. What is the vertical clearance as you pass under the Natchez - Vidalia Highway Bridge?

    N a. 58.0 feet
    Y b. 64.5 feet
    N c. 72.5 feet
    N d. 78.6 feet

1810: You are turning for 9 mph, approaching Fort Adams Lt. (mile 311.4 AHP) and it is reported that the current at Knox Landing is estimated at 4.5 MPH. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

    Y a. Tows and other vessels should navigate as close to the left descending bank as safety will permit.
    N b. The inflow channel is a navigable channel for any vessel.
    N c. You are making 13.5 mph over the ground.
    N d. Old River Control Structure Light and Fort Adams Light may be used as range lights when entering the outflow channel.

2018: On 11 November , your 0200 zone time DR position is LAT 26°32'S, LONG 154°16'E. You are on course 058°T at a speed of 21 knots. Considering their magnitude, azimuth, and altitude, which group includes the three bodies best suited for a fix at star time?

    N a. Polaris, Regulus, Rigel
    N b. Jupiter, Spica, Canopus
    N c. Saturn, Peacock, Rigel
    Y d. Mars, Betelgeuse, Miaplacidus

2026: On 10 June , your 1712 zone time DR position is LAT 25°10.0'S, LONG 06°58.0'E. You are on course 213°T at a speed of 9.0 knots. Considering their magnitude, azimuth, and altitude, which group includes the three stars best suited for a fix at star time?

    N a. Procyon, Antares, Sirius
    N b. Sirius, Procyon, Regulus
    N c. Acrux, Canopus, Regulus
    Y d. Acrux, Procyon, Arcturus

2121: At 1337 ZT, on July 17, , in DR position LAT 30° 56.8' S, LONG 039° 36.5' W, you observe an amplitude of the Moon. The upper limb of the moon is on the visible horizon, bearing 263.0°psc. The variation is 20°W. What is the deviation?

    N a. 2.6°E
    N b. 2.6°W
    Y c. 3.6°E
    N d. 3.6°W

2155: On 17 May , at 0501 zone time, morning stars were observed, and the vessel's position was determined to be LAT 22°16.0'S, LONG 103°46.0'W. Your vessel is steaming at 24.0 knots on a course of 301°T. A sextant observation of the Sun's lower limb is made at 0845 zone time. The chronometer reads 03h 43m 32s, and the sextant altitude is 28°24.7'. The index error is 1.5' off the arc, and the chronometer error is 02m 02s slow. Your height of eye on the bridge is 85.5 feet. What is the azimuth (Zn) of this sight using the assumed position?

    N a. 051.0°T
    Y b. 052.5°T
    N c. 054.2°T
    N d. 055.7°T

3063: The observed distance for a day's run was 302.7 miles. The propeller had a pitch of 20'06", and the average RPM was 67. What was the slip?

    N a. +0.7%
    N b. -0.7%
    Y c. +7.0%
    N d. -7.0%

10307: You are 3 miles due east of Montauk Point Light. What is the course per standard magnetic compass to a position 0.5 mile due south of Race Rock Light?

    Y a. 324°psc
    N b. 328°psc
    N c. 331°psc
    N d. 339°psc

10605: At 0620 your GPS position is LAT 41°01.8'N, LONG 72°48.40'W. You are steering course 274° per standard magnetic compass at a speed of 10 knots. At 0735 you fix your position by plotting several compass bearings on nearby known fixed objects. These result in a position of LAT 40°59.50'N, LONG 73°06.50'W. What were your set and drift?

    N a. 304°T at 0.8 knot
    Y b. 276°T at 1.2 knots
    N c. 099°T at 0.5 knot
    N d. 094°T at 1.3 knots

11104: What is the time of the first PM (Daylight Savings Time) maximum ebb current at Plum Gut on 10 August 1983?

    N a. 1231
    N b. 1249
    N c. 1340
    Y d. 1445

11805: What is the true course to steer between Stratford Shoal (Middle Ground Light) and New Haven Light, if the set and drift of the current are 048°T at 2 knots, and a southeasterly wind will cause 2° of leeway? Your engines are making turns for 10 knots.

    N a. 032°T
    Y b. 037°T
    N c. 039°T
    N d. 041°T

12201: Your vessel is steady on a heading of 203° per standard magnetic compass when you sight New Haven Light and New Haven Outer Channel Range Front Light in line over the stern. This information indicates that the __________.

    N a. existing deviation table is correct for this heading
    N b. compass error is 17°W
    Y c. deviation table is in error for this heading
    N d. deviation is 1°E

14404: You are underway and proceeding in an easterly direction on the Columbia River. You position your vessel in the middle of the channel and bring Government Island Lower Range in line over your bow. What should your fathometer read at this position, if the staff gauge at Portland reads 10.0 feet?

    Y a. 15 feet
    N b. 24 feet
    N c. 28 feet
    N d. 31 feet

15111: At 1810, you sight a buoy on your starboard side labeled "19".
This buoy marks __________.

    N a. a submerged obstruction in York Spit Channel
    N b. the visibility limit of the red sector of Cape Henry Light
    Y c. the side of York Spit Channel
    N d. the junction of the York Spit and York River Entrance Channels

15213: At 2015, your vessel is at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel midway between buoys "13" and "14". If the height of tide is -1 foot (-0.3 meters), what is the approximate depth of water?

    Y a. 53 feet (15.5 meters)
    N b. 46 feet (13.9 meters)
    N c. 40 feet (12.1 meters)
    N d. 35 feet (10.6 meters)

15470: At 1119, Wolf Trap Light bears 268°T at 4.4 miles by radar. What were the set and drift since your 1037 fix?

    N a. 178°, 0.5 knot
    N b. 358°, 0.5 knot
    N c. 178°, 0.7 knot
    Y d. 358°, 0.7 knot

15611: From your 1815 position, you want to make good a course of 263°T. Your engines are turning RPM's for 12 knots. The current is 050°T at 1.9 knots. Adjusting your course for set and drift, at what time should you expect to enter the red sector of Cape Henry Light?

    N a. 1849
    N b. 1854
    N c. 1859
    Y d. 1904

15724: You pass Morrison Towhead Light (mile 890.5 AHP) at 1723. What was your average speed since leaving Cairo?

    N a. 7.5 mph
    N b. 7.8 mph
    Y c. 8.5 mph
    N d. 8.8 mph

15760: As you near Little Gull Island, you use your loran to insure that you do not come within 0.5 mile of the island. Which loran reading will act as a danger line and keep you off Little Gull Island by a minimum of 0.5 mile?

    N a. Not more than 9960-W-14735.9
    N b. Not more than 9960-X-26149.0
    N c. Not less than 9960-X-26140.0
    Y d. Not less than 9960-Y-43953.5

15944: From your 2038 position you change course to 104°T and increase engine speed to 18 knots. If you make good this course and speed, at what time will Southwest Ledge Lighted Bell Buoy "2" bear 157°T?

    N a. 2047
    Y b. 2052
    N c. 2056
    N d. 2101

16070: When exiting Thimble Shoal Channel bound for Norfolk, the track line based on the lights of the Norfolk Entrance Reach Range is __________.

    N a. 220°T
    N b. 222°T
    Y c. 224°T
    N d. 228°T

16515: What action should you take to compensate for the above current?

    N a. Continue on the same course and speed.
    Y b. Alter your course to the left.
    N c. Slow to 8.5 knots.
    N d. Alter your course to the right.

16560: From your 1800 position, you steer a course of 355°psc at a speed of 10.0 knots. At 1830, your position is LAT 41°11.7'N, LONG 71°45.8'W. What are the set and drift of the current?

    Y a. 005°T, 1.0 knot
    N b. 005°T, 0.5 knots
    N c. 180°T, 0.5 knot
    N d. 208°T, 1.0 knots

16564: If your height of eye is 45 feet (13.7 meters), what is the approximate geographic range of Block Island North Light?

    N a. 7.8 nm
    N b. 8.9 nm
    N c. 13.0 nm
    Y d. 16.7 nm

16642: Based on your 0500 fix, which statement is TRUE?

    N a. You are seaward of the 120 fathom curve.
    N b. The course made good between 0445 and 0500 was 345°T.
    Y c. You should alter course to port to clear Southwest Ledge Shoal.
    N d. A radar contact bearing 020°T at 4.8 miles is buoy "2A".