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.

111: As you pass Solitude Lt. (mile 249.0 AHP) which dayboard would you see?
122: From Baton Rouge to Cairo, what is the maintained minimum channel depth during low water?
156: What are the dimensions of the Old River Lock?
192: At 2100, Cape Charles Light bears 321°pgc, and Cape Henry Light bears 247°pgc. Your latitude is __________. 

    N a. 37°00.6'N
    N b. 37°00.0'N
    N c. 36°59.7'N
    Y d. 36°59.4'N
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 __________. 

    N a. south southeast
    N b. south southwest
    N c. east southeast
    Y d. north northwest
311: A vessel at LAT 20°10'N, LONG 122°00'E is to proceed to LAT 26°18'N, LONG 128°20'E. What are the course and distance by mid-latitude sailing? 

    N a. 041.2°T, 501.0 miles
    N b. 041.9°T, 503.6 miles
    Y c. 043.5°T, 507.3 miles
    N d. 044.7°T, 509.7 miles
341: You are on course 082°T, and the engines are turning for 8 knots. At 0352, you take the following bearings:
Stratford Point Light 016°pgc Stratford Shoal (Middle Ground) Light 137°pgc

What is your 0352 position? 

    Y a. LAT 41°05.2'N, LONG 73°07.8'W
    N b. LAT 41°05.4'N, LONG 73°07.3'W
    N c. LAT 41°05.3'N, LONG 73°07.5'W
    N d. LAT 41°05.4'N, LONG 73°07.7'W
491: At 0748, you take the following bearings:

Watch Hill Point Light bearing 020.5° pgc
Race Point Light bearing 267.5° pgc

What is the approximate depth of water at this position? 

    N a. 104 feet
    Y b. 130 feet
    N c. 175 feet
    N d. 325 feet
576: What is indicated by the dashed magenta line crossing York Spit Channel between buoys "20" and "22"? 

    N a. You are crossing the demarcation line between the COLREGS and the Inland Rules.
    N b. The line indicates a submarine cable, and you should not anchor in the area.
    Y c. The line marks the limits of a regulated area.
    N d. It marks the range between Ft. Wool Light and Cape Charles Harbor Range, Rear Light.
615: Your vessel departs Yokohama from position LAT 35°27.0'N, LONG 139°39.0'E (ZD -9), at 1330 ZT, on 23 July, bound for Seattle at position LAT 47°36.0'N, LONG 122°22.0'W (ZD +8). The distance by great circle is 4,245 miles, and you estimate that you will average 13.6 knots. What is your estimated ZT of arrival? 

    N a. 0438, 4 August
    Y b. 2038, 4 August
    N c. 0438, 5 August
    N d. 1238, 5 August
623: You are on a voyage from Baltimore, MD, to Seattle, WA. The distance from pilot to pilot is 5960 miles. The speed of advance is 16.0 knots. You estimate 16 hours for bunkering at Colon, and 12.0 hours for the Panama Canal transit. If you take departure at 0824 hours (ZD +5), 18 November, what is your ETA (ZD +8) at Seattle? 

    N a. 1654, 5 December
    N b. 1354, 5 December
    Y c. 2154, 4 December
    N d. 1354, 4 December
637: 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? 

    N a. 48.0 feet
    Y b. 53.2 feet
    N c. 68.2 feet
    N d. 116.0 feet
643: Which company does NOT have a marine facility in Rosedale harbor (mile 585 AHP)? 

    N a. Sanders Elevator Corp
    N b. Rosedale-Boliver County Port Commission
    Y c. T.L. James
    N d. Cives Steel Company
832: On 19 November , in DR position LAT 20°03.5'N, LONG 129°48.0'W, you take an ex-meridian observation of the planet Venus at upper transit. The chronometer time of the sight is 11h 29m 44s, and the chronometer error is 01m 23s slow. The sextant altitude (hs) is 43°54.3'. The index error is 2.0' off the arc, and your height of eye is 48 feet. What is the latitude at meridian transit? 

    N a. 20°08.2'N
    Y b. 19°58.0'N
    N c. 19°53.2'N
    N d. 19°50.6'N
996: On 30 August your 0554 zone time (ZT) position was LAT 25°39.0'S, LONG 31°51.0'E. Your vessel was steaming on course 325°T at a speed of 15.0 knots. An observation of the Sun's lower limb was made at 0836 ZT. The chronometer read 06h 38m 36s and was fast 02m 24s. The observed altitude (Ho) was 30°49.2'. LAN occurred at 1157 ZT. The observed altitude (Ho) was 56°40.0'. What was the longitude of your 1157 ZT running fix? 

    N a. 30°59.8'E
    N b. 30°57.6'E
    N c. 30°55.9'E
    Y d. 30°52.5'E
1095: On 25 Oct. , your 0430 ZT DR position is LAT 24°48'N, LONG 65°31'W. Your vessel is on course 030°T at a speed of 18 knots. You observed 3 celestial bodies. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 0455 running fix. NP-0025

    Y a. LAT 24°53'N, LONG 65°28'W
    N b. LAT 24°53'N, LONG 65°12'W
    N c. LAT 24°54'N, LONG 65°17'W
    N d. LAT 25°03'N, LONG 65°18'W
1098: On 19 September , your 0300 zone time DR position is LAT 24°35'N, LONG 88°40'W. You are on course 288°T at a speed of 14 knots. You observed 3 celestial bodies. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 0600 running fix. NP-0028

    N a. LAT 24°47.4'N, LONG 89°15.0'W
    Y b. LAT 24°52.5'N, LONG 89°22.4'W
    N c. LAT 24°59.5'N, LONG 89°28.6'W
    N d. LAT 25°06.0'N, LONG 90°37.0'W
1189: On 7 February , your 0800 zone time DR position is LAT 22°16.0'N, LONG 92°26.0'W. Your vessel is on course 270°
T at a speed of 20.0 knots. What is the zone time of local apparent noon (LAN)? 

    N a. 1218
    N b. 1222
    N c. 1226
    Y d. 1230
1200: On 26 September , your 0830 DR position is LAT 26°04.0'N, LONG 129°16.0'W. Your vessel is on a course of 119°T at a speed of 20.0 knots. What is the zone time of local apparent noon (LAN)? 

    Y a. 1124
    N b. 1128
    N c. 1142
    N d. 1146
1225: You estimate the current at 2.0 mph. What is the speed over the ground? 

    N a. 9.5 mph
    Y b. 5.5 mph
    N c. 5.0 mph
    N d. 4.5 mph
1252: On 13 August , your 0345 ZT DR position is LAT 21°35.0'
N, LONG 135°26.0'W. You are on course 052°T at a speed of 14 knots. What will be the zone time of sunrise at your vessel? 

    N a. 0443
    N b. 0449
    Y c. 0536
    N d. 0540
1363: You are taking a time tick using the 1400 signal from Buenos Aires, Argentina. You hear a 0.4 second dash followed by a series of dots, noting that the 29th and the 56th to 59th dots are omitted. At the start of the following 0.4 second dash (which is followed by an 8 second pulse), the comparing watch reads 02h 00m 15s. When compared to the chronometer, the comparing watch reads 02h 01m 29s, and the chronometer reads 01h 59m 50s. What is the chronometer error? 

    N a. 0m 15s fast
    N b. 1m 14s fast
    Y c. 1m 24s slow
    N d. 1m 54s slow
1485: On 6 October , your 0416 zone time DR position is LAT 25°16.0'N, LONG 130°25.0'E. At that time, you observe Mars bearing 083°psc. The chronometer reads 07h 16m 22s, and the chronometer error is 00m 10s fast. The variation is 1.5°E. What is the deviation of the standard compass? 

    N a. 0.4°E
    Y b. 1.2°W
    N c. 3.5°E
    N d. 19.0°E
1684: You are passing Putney Lt. (mile 943.6 AHP). The gray shaded areas alongside the river represent __________. 

    N a. levees
    N b. weirs
    N c. dikes
    Y d. revetments
1751: 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
1900: On 22 May , your 0437 DR position is LAT 25°18.5'N, LONG 51°18.0'W. You observed an unidentified star bearing 233°T at an observed altitude (Ho) of 29°42.3'. The chronometer reads 07h 40m 40s, and is 03m 24s fast. What star did you observe? 

    N a. Markab
    N b. Diphda
    Y c. Sabik
    N d. Hamal
2102: Sounding contours in unshaded water areas are at what interval? 

    N a. 10 foot up to 100 ft depths then at 30 foot intervals
    Y b. 30 foot intervals up to 180 feet
    N c. 10 fathom intervals
    N d. The interval will vary to ensure any major underwater hazard is highlighted.
2153: At 0800 ZT, on 29 June , your DR position is LAT 26°00.0'N, LONG 75°29.5'W. Given a chronometer time of 01h 00m 00s, determine the computed altitude (Hc) of the Sun for the assumed position nearest to the above given latitude and longitude. 

    N a. Hc 34°38.6'
    N b. Hc 34°48.6'
    Y c. Hc 34°58.6'
    N d. Hc 35°18.6'
2168: On 22 July , at 0448 ZT, morning stars were observed, and the vessel's position was determined to be LAT 21°43.0'N, LONG 158°39.0'E. Your vessel is steaming at 21.0 knots on a course of 028°T. A sextant observation of the Sun's lower limb is made at 0956 ZT. The chronometer reads 10h 54m 27s, and the sextant altitude is 54°28.2'. The index error is 1.5' off the arc, and the chronometer error is 01m 38s slow. Your height of eye on the bridge is 56 feet. What is the azimuth (Zn) of this sight using the assumed position? 

    N a. 080.9°T
    N b. 082.2°T
    N c. 084.2°T
    Y d. 086.9°T
2500: You are underway and intend to make good a course of 227°T. You experience a current with a set and drift of 350°T at 2.1 knots, and a northwest wind produces a leeway of 5°. You adjust your course to compensate for the current and leeway, while maintaining an engine speed of 11 knots. What will be your speed made good over your intended course of 227°T? 

    N a. 18.5 knots
    N b. 18.1 knots
    N c. 17.6  knots
    Y d. 17.2 knots
2689: You are steering 107°T, and a light is picked up dead ahead at a distance of 11 miles at 0847. You change course to leave the light 3 miles off to starboard. If you are making 15.5 knots, what is your ETA at the position 3 miles off the light? 

    Y a. 0928
    N b. 0931
    N c. 0934
    N d. 0937
2894: You are steaming on a course of 071°T at 19 knots. At 1907 you observe a lighthouse bearing 122°T. At 1915 the lighthouse bears 154°T. What is your distance off at the second bearing? 

    N a. 3.4 miles
    Y b. 3.7 miles
    N c. 4.0 miles
    N d. 4.3 miles
3095: If the pitch of the propeller is 21.3 feet, and the revolutions per day are 126,214, calculate the day's run allowing 4% positive slip. 

    Y a. 424.5 miles
    N b. 442.1 miles
    N c. 459.9 miles
    N d. 477.3 miles
3109: You are turning 90 RPM, with a propeller pitch of 24 feet, and an estimated slip of -3%. What is the speed of advance? 

    N a. 18.8 knots
    N b. 19.2 knots
    N c. 20.6 knots
    Y d. 21.9 knots
3255: You have steamed 836 miles at 14.5 knots, and consumed 191 tons of fuel. If you have 310 tons of usable fuel remaining, how far can you steam at 17 knots? 

    N a. 842 miles
    Y b. 987 miles
    N c. 1157 miles
    N d. 1865 miles
4015: 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 true heading of 319°.
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° 

    N a. 0.5°E
    N b. 1.0°W
    Y c. 2.5°E
    N d. 2.5°W
6143: At 2027 you obtain a radar range to Shagwong Point of 3.4 miles and a tangent bearing to the east end of Long Island of 172°T. Which statement is TRUE? 

    Y a. You are to the left of your DR track.
    N b. You are inside a precautionary area.
    N c. Your speed made good from 1949 to 2027 is 14.0 knots.
    N d. Your course made good from 1949 to 2027 is 111°T.
10207: Your 2230 position is LAT 41°07.4'N, LONG 72°44.0'W. Assuming that there is no set and drift, what course must you steer per standard magnetic compass to leave Twenty-Eight Foot Shoal Lighted Buoy 1 mile abeam to starboard? 

    Y a. 086°psc
    N b. 091°psc
    N c. 094°psc
    N d. 098°psc
11400: At 1035 your GPS position of LAT 41°05.3'N, LONG 72°33.7'W. At 1103 your position is LAT 41°09.0'N, LONG 72°40.0'W. What was your speed made good? 

    N a. 6.1 knots
    N b. 9.5 knots
    Y c. 13.0 knots
    N d. 14.8 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
11902: What is the true course to steer between the entrance to Lake Montauk (LAT 41°04.8'N, LONG 71°56.3'W) and Winnapaug Pond entrance) LAT 41°19.6'N, LONG 71°45.8'W), if you are turning for 9.5 knots, allow for a current of 075°T at 1.2 knots, and a westerly wind is causing 3° of leeway? 

    Y a. 021°T
    N b. 024°T
    N c. 027°T
    N d. 029°T
13505: What soundings are indicated by a blue tint on this chart? 

    N a. 30 fathoms or more
    Y b. 30 feet or less
    N c. 30 feet or more
    N d. 30 fathoms or less
14602: Where would you tune your radio to receive a VHF-FM weather broadcast for the Columbia River in the vicinity of Government Island? 

    N a. KIH-32 - 162.40 MHz
    N b. KBA-99 - 162.40 MHz
    Y c. KEB-97 - 162.55 MHz
    N d. KEC-62 - 162.55 MHz
15313: From your noon position, if there is no set and drift, what is your course per standard magnetic compass to the "NCA"
(LL #375) buoy? 

    N a. 215°psc
    Y b. 217°psc
    N c. 219°psc
    N d. 221°psc
15407: At 1430, your position is LAT 37°12.8'N, LONG 76°17.7'W. At this time, you come left and steer 045°T. This course will lead you through a channel bordered by yellow buoys. The dashed magenta lines between the buoys mark __________. 

    N a. York River Entrance Channel
    N b. New Point Comfort shoal area
    N c. the piloting channel for Mobjack Bay
    Y d. the limits of fish trap areas
15442: At 2216 CBJ Buoy is close abeam to port. Your lookout reports several sound signals with their relative bearings.
Which would you judge to be coming from a vessel? 

    N a. A bell, broad on the port bow
    Y b. A whistle,  broad on the starboard beam
    N c. A bell, dead ahead
    N d. A gong, two points on the starboard quarter
15457: What is the distance from Lamberts Point to Thimble Shoal Lt.? 

    N a. 9.0 miles
    N b. 9.8 miles
    N c. 10.6 miles
    Y d. 11.2 miles
15865: From your 0200 position, you change course to 272°pgc. How far north of Stratford Shoal Middle Ground Light does this track pass? 

    Y a. 2.1 miles
    N b. 1.6 miles
    N c. 1.3 miles
    N d. 1.0 miles
15965: If the visibility is 5 miles, what is the luminous range of New Point Comfort Spit Light "4"? 

    N a. 0.5 mile
    Y b. 3.4 miles
    N c. 4.8 miles
    N d. 5.0 miles
15967: At 1925, you take a fix using the following radar ranges:
York Spit Light - 3.4 miles away;
New Point Comfort Spit Light "2" - 2.1 miles away;
York Spit Swash Channel Light "3" - 2.7 miles away. Your longitude is __________. 

    Y a. 76°16.6'W
    N b. 76°16.8'W
    N c. 76°17.0'W
    N d. 76°17.2'W
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°
16056: At 1730, your position is LAT 37°13.9'N, LONG 76°26.4'W. What is your distance off Tue Marshes Light? 

    N a. 2.2 miles
    Y b. 2.6 miles
    N c. 3.0 miles
    N d. 3.4 miles
16366: From your 0600 fix, you change course to 250°T. At 0605,
Cape Henry Light bears 250°T. At 0615, it bears 251°T. At 0625, it bears 252°T. Based on this you know you are __________. 

    Y a. being set to the south
    N b. being set to the north
    N c. meeting a current from dead ahead
    N d. running with a current from dead astern
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.
16557: Which course would you steer by your standard magnetic compass to make good a course of 275°T? 

    N a. 266°psc
    N b. 272°psc
    Y c. 289°psc
    N d. 294°psc