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.


170: You observe the lower limb of the Sun at a sextant altitude (hs) of 54°28.2' on 22 July . The index error is 1.5' off the arc. The height of eye is 56 feet (17.1 meters). What is the observed altitude (Ho)?


187: At 2020, you obtain a fix using the following information:
9960-X-27112
9960-Y-41432

Cape Charles Lighted Bell Buoy "14" bears 333°pgc. Your longitude is __________.


279: At 1752, your position is LAT 37°04.3'N, LONG 76°06.4'W. On a flood current you should expect to be set to the __________.


280: Your 1752 position places you __________.

    N a. less than 0.5 mile eastward of York Spit Channel
    Y b. less than 0.5 mile westward of York Spit Channel
    N c. greater than 0.5 mile westward of York Spit Channel
    N d. greater than 0.5 mile eastward of York Spit Channel

291: What is the height above water of Davis Creek Channel Light "1"?

    Y a. 15 feet (4.6 meters)
    N b. 17 feet (5.2 meters)
    N c. 19 feet (5.8 meters)
    N d. 24 feet (7.3 meters)

344: The maximum ebb current at a location 4.3 miles south of Stratford Point will occur at 0413. The predicted current will be 1.0 knot at 075°. What will be your course made good if you steer 082°T at 8 knots?

    N a. 087°T
    N b. 085°T
    N c. 083°T
    Y d. 081°T

369: At 0812, you obtain the following radar information:


Cape Henry Light bearing 284°true @ 3.8 nm

What is your 0812 position?

    N a. LAT 36°53.7'N, LONG 75°56.0'W
    N b. LAT 36°53.8'N, LONG 75°56.1'W
    Y c. LAT 36°54.6'N, LONG 75°55.8'W
    N d. LAT 36°55.2'N, LONG 75°55.4'W

493: At 0815, Montauk Pt. Light House is bearing 167°T, Shagwong Pt. has a radar range of 4.5 miles, and Cerberus Shoal "9" Buoy is bearing 284°T. If the engine is making turns for 10 knots, what was the set and drift of the current since 0748?

    N a. Set 065°T, drift 1.1 knots
    N b. Set 065°T, drift 2.4 knots
    Y c. Set 245°T, drift 2.4 knots
    N d. Set 245°T, drift 1.1 knots

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

524: The two wavy magenta lines running to Green Hill Point represent __________.

    N a. recommended approaches to Green Hill Point
    N b. a restricted anchorage area
    Y c. submarine cables
    N d. prohibited fishing areas

553: At 0507, Stratford Shoal Middle Ground Light bears 208°pgc. What is the position of your 0507 running fix?

    N a. LAT 41°04.6'N, LONG 73°04.7'W
    N b. LAT 41°04.8'N, LONG 73°04.8'W
    N c. LAT 41°04.8'N, LONG 73°04.9'W
    Y d. LAT 41°05.1'N, LONG 73°05.1'W

569: At 0823, Old Point Comfort Light bears 000°T at 0.6 mile. What is your 0823 position?

    N a. LAT 36°59.8'N, LONG 76°18.0'W
    Y b. LAT 36°59.5'N, LONG 76°18.4'W
    N c. LAT 36°59.0'N, LONG 76°19.6'W
    N d. LAT 36°55.5'N, LONG 76°18.6'W

599: Which town is located at mile 663.5 AHP?

    Y a. Helena
    N b. Friers Point
    N c. St. Francis
    N d. Rodney

1084: On 4 Dec. , your 1500 ZT DR position is LAT 18°06.0'N, LONG 75°42.0'W. You are on course 020°T at a speed of 15.0 knots. You observed 3 celestial bodies. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 1548 running fix.

    N a. LAT 18°10.3'N, LONG 75°34.5'W
    N b. LAT 18°12.6'N, LONG 75°42.0'W
    N c. LAT 18°14.0'N, LONG 75°40.0'W
    Y d. LAT 18°17.3'N, LONG 75°37.7'W

1089: At 1830 zone time, on 6 April , your DR position is LAT 26°33.0'N, LONG 64°31.0'W. You are steering course 082°T at a speed of 16.0 knots. You observed 3 celestial bodies. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 1900 running fix. NP-0019

    N a. LAT 26°20.1'N, LONG 64°19.4'W
    N b. LAT 26°23.7'N, LONG 64°29.3'W
    N c. LAT 26°28.4'N, LONG 64°32.1'W
    Y d. LAT 26°32.5'N, LONG 64°27.1'W

1233: What is the distance from Greenville, MS, to Tiptonville, TN on the Mississippi River System?

    N a. 95 miles
    N b. 136 miles
    Y c. 341 miles
    N d. 520 miles

1270: At 0500 zone time, on 21 August , your DR position is LAT 47°00'N, LONG 125°15'W. You are steering 000°T at a speed of 9.8 knots. What is the zone time of sunrise?

    Y a. 0525
    N b. 0529
    N c. 0531
    N d. 0535

1408: The horizontal clearance of the center span on the Baton Rouge RR and Highway 190 Bridge is __________.

    N a. 443
    N b. 500
    Y c. 623
    N d. 748

1412: At Filter Point Light (mile 475 AHP) there are 3 close straight dashed lines on the map passing through the black dot below the number 475. What do these lines represent?

    N a. Oil pipelines
    N b. Submerged gas pipelines
    Y c. Power Cables
    N d. Submerged fiber optic cable

1493: On 11 July , your 0240 ZT position is LAT 14°52'N,
LONG 34°23'W. You observe Polaris bearing 359.8°pgc. At the time of the observation the helmsman noted that he was heading 279°pgc and 299°psc. The variation is 19°W.
What is the deviation for that heading?

    Y a. 0°
    N b. 1°E
    N c. 1°W
    N d. 3°W

1688: As you approach Ashland Light (mile 378.1 AHP), which type of daymark would you see on the light structure?

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

1740: On what river is Ghent, Kentucky located?

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

1769: In order to determine what buoys, if any, are in place at Concordia Bar crossing (mile 596.0 AHP), what should you check?

    N a. Bulletin board at the Rosedale Gage
    N b. Waterways Journal
    N c. Light List
    Y d. Notice to Mariners

2154: On 30 June , at 0630 zone time, morning stars were observed, and the vessel's position was determined to be LAT 25°15.0'S, LONG 175°36.0'E. Your vessel is steaming at 16.0 knots on a course of 302°T. A sextant observation of the Sun's lower limb is made at 1015 zone time. The chronometer reads 10h 14m 38s, and the sextant altitude is 32°07.9'. The index error is 4.5' on the arc, and the chronometer error is 01m 25s slow. Your height of eye on the bridge is 58.0 feet. What is the azimuth (Zn) of this sight using the assumed position?

    Y a. 035.3°T
    N b. 144.7°T
    N c. 186.5°T
    N d. 248.5°T

2685: You are steering 031°T, and a light is picked up dead ahead at a distance of 12.7 miles at 0017. You change course to pass the light 3.5 miles off abeam to starboard. If you are making 11 knots, what is your ETA at the position 3.5 miles off the light?

    N a. 0118
    N b. 0121
    Y c. 0124
    N d. 0127

2911: What is indicated by the two light gray shaded areas that cross the river above False River Lt. (mile 251.0 AHP)?

    N a. Ferry crossings
    Y b. Utility crossings
    N c. Aerial cable crossings
    N d. Bridge construction

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%

3276: While steaming at 15 knots, your vessel burns 326 bbls of fuel per day. What will be the rate of fuel consumption if you decrease speed to 12.2 knots?

    Y a. 175 bbls/day
    N b. 215 bbls/day
    N c. 277 bbls/day
    N d. 300 bbls/day

3281: While steaming at 15.7 knots, your vessel consumes 329 barrels of fuel oil per day. In order to reduce consumption to 267 barrels of fuel oil per day, what is the maximum speed the vessel can turn for?

    N a. 12.7 knots
    N b. 13.5 knots
    Y c. 14.6 knots
    N d. 15.5 knots

3293: Your vessel consumes 274 barrels of fuel per day at a speed of 17.5 knots. What will be the fuel consumption of your vessel at 13.5 knots?

    Y a. 126 bbls
    N b. 163 bbls
    N c. 211 bbls
    N d. 253 bbls

3305: You have steamed 201 miles and consumed 18.0 tons of fuel. If you maintain the same speed, how many tons of fuel will you consume while steaming 482 miles?

    N a. 25.2 tons
    Y b. 43.2 tons
    N c. 52.6 tons
    N d. 103.5 tons

3463: You are underway on course 215°T at 12 knots. The current is 000°T at 2.3 knots. What is the course made good?

    N a. 209°T
    N b. 217°T
    Y c. 222°T
    N d. 232°T

3636: You desire to make good a true course of 279°. The variation is 8°W, magnetic compass deviation is 3°E, and gyrocompass error is 1°E. A north-northwesterly wind produces 3° leeway. What is the course to steer per standard magnetic compass (psc) to make the true course good?

    N a. 281°psc
    N b. 284°psc
    Y c. 287°psc
    N d. 290°psc

4003: You swung ship and compared the magnetic compass against the gyro compass to find deviation. Gyro error is 2°W. The variation is 8°W. Find the deviation on a gyro heading of 058°.
HEADING HEADING HEADING
PSC PGC PSC PGC PSC PGC
358.5° - 354° 122.5° - 114° 239.5° - 234°
030.5° - 024° 152.0° - 144° 269.0° - 264°
061.5° - 054° 181.0° - 174° 298.0° - 294°
092.0° - 084° 210.0° - 204° 327.5° - 324°

    Y a. 1.5°W
    N b. 1.0°W
    N c. 1.0°E
    N d. 0.5°W

11006: At what time will the first maximum flood occur 1 mile east of Old Field Point on 29 April 1983? (You are keeping daylight saving time ZD +4).

    N a. 0957
    N b. 1059
    Y c. 1328
    N d. 1423

11013: What will be the height of the tide at Horton Pt., New York, on 16 June 1983, at 1845 DST (ZD +4)?

    N a. 0.2 foot
    Y b. 2.7 feet
    N c. 4.1 feet
    N d. 5.5 feet

11306: At 1919 your position is LAT 37°00.0'N, LONG 75°30.0'W. At 1950 your position is LAT 36°59.5'N, LONG 75°37.0'W. What is the speed made good?

    N a. 5.6 knots
    N b. 8.2 knots
    N c. 9.1 knots
    Y d. 10.9 knots

11410: At 0647 a GPS fix places your vessel 1 mile due south of buoy "8C" (buoy position LAT 41°10.8'N, LONG 72°29.4'W). At 0753 another GPS fix places your vessel at LAT 41°08.6'N, LONG 72°41.6'W. What were your true course and speed made good?

    N a. 088° at 9.6 knots
    N b. 192° at 8.8 knots
    Y c. 263° at 8.5 knots
    N d. 268° at 9.1 knots

11703: What is the true heading to steer inbound in York River Entrance Channel if your engines are turning for 9.8 knots, the current is 220°T at 1.2 knots, and a northeasterly wind causes 3° of leeway?

    Y a. 319°T
    N b. 315°T
    N c. 301°T
    N d. 298°T

13101: At 1523 your position is LAT 41°08.2'N, LONG 71°34.4'W. You are turning for 8.7 knots. What is your ETA at Shagwong Reef Buoy "7SR"?

    N a. 1653
    N b. 1700
    Y c. 1711
    N d. 1718

14504: You are proceeding in a westerly direction on the Columbia River. The pool level of the Bonneville reservoir stands at 72 feet above MSL. If the highest point on your vessel is 44 feet above the water, what will be the vertical clearance as you pass under the overhead power cables at mile 173.8?

    N a. 43 feet
    N b. 68 feet
    N c. 111 feet
    Y d. 115 feet

15019: At 2215, Cape Henry Light bears 242°pgc, Cape Charles Light bears 010.5°pgc, and Chesapeake Channel Tunnel North Light bears 319°pgc. You are heading 271°pgc. What is the relative bearing of Thimble Shoal Light?

    N a. 280°
    N b. 332°
    Y c. 014°
    N d. 017°

15108: Your 1752 position places you __________.

    Y a. less than 0.5 mile westward of York Spit Channel
    N b. less than 0.5 mile eastward of York Spit Channel
    N c. greater than 0.5 mile westward of York Spit Channel
    N d. greater than 0.5 mile eastward of York Spit Channel

15260: From your 0830 position, you wish to make good 097°T. There is no current, but a southerly wind is producing 4°
leeway. What course should you steer per standard magnetic compass in order to make good your true course?

    N a. 101°psc
    N b. 108°psc
    N c. 110°psc
    Y d. 115°psc

15513: If your height of eye is 35 feet (10.7 meters), what is the approximate geographic range of Block Island North Light?

    N a. 7.4 nm
    N b. 13.0 nm
    N c. 14.3 nm
    Y d. 15.8 nm

15719: On chart 12354, the datum from which heights of objects are taken is __________.

    Y a. mean high water
    N b. mean low water
    N c. lowest low water
    N d. mean lower low water

15746: Which nautical chart would you use to navigate into New London, CT?

    N a. 13209
    N b. 13211
    Y c. 13212
    N d. 13214

15819: You must arrive at your final destination by 0800. The distance from your 0300 position to the final destination is 40.5 miles. What minimum speed must be made good to arrive on time?

    Y a. 8.1 knots
    N b. 8.5 knots
    N c. 9.3 knots
    N d. 9.6 knots

15825: What is the vertical clearance between the highest point of your towboat, if it is 58 feet above the water, and if the Natchez Gage reads 28.13 feet when passing under the Natchez Upper Highway Bridge?

    N a. 15.9 feet
    N b. 33.2 feet
    Y c. 39.9 feet
    N d. 45.4 feet

16015: By 0430, the wind has increased, and the visibility cleared due to passage of a front. You estimate 3° leeway due to NW'ly winds. What is the course per gyrocompass to pass 1.2 miles due south of Twenty-eight Foot Shoal Lighted Buoy "TE"?

    Y a. 080°
    N b. 083°
    N c. 086°
    N d. 090°