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.


82: If the Rosedale Gage reads -0.5 feet, what is the water level in relation to the low water reference plane? The low water reference plane (LWRP) for Rosedale, MS. is 3.0 feet.


103: You are approaching the Old River Control Structure (mile 314.5 AHP). The structure is in operation. Which of the following statements is TRUE?


124: At 1000, on May 11th, you are passing George Prince Lt. (mile 364.1 AHP) in Natchez, Mississippi and must send an ETA to the Monsanto Terminal in St. Louis (mile 178.0 UMR). Your engines are still turning for 8.5 mph and you estimate the current at 2.5 mph. What will be your arrival time in St. Louis?


158: Which daymark should you see as you approach French Point Light (mile 915.4 AHP)?

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

247: What type of bottom is found at Long Sand Shoal?

    N a. Rocky
    N b. Muddy
    Y c. Hard
    N d. Sandy

255: From your 0130 position, you change course to adjust for set and drift, and you later obtain the following lbearings:

Mattituck Inlet Light bearing 104.5°true
Falkner Island Light bearing 001°true

What is the latitude and longitude of the fix?

    N a. LAT 41°00.8'N, LONG 72°40.8'W
    N b. LAT 41°01.2'N, LONG 72°40.4'W
    Y c. LAT 41°02.0'N, LONG 72°39.5'W
    N d. LAT 41°02.6'N, LONG 72°39.0'W

264: At 0720, you are in the outer channel between buoy "1" and buoy "2" and change course to pass Townshend Ledge Lighted Bell Buoy "10A" abeam to port at 200 yards. What is your ETA off the buoy?

    N a. 0745
    N b. 0741
    Y c. 0738
    N d. 0734

468: Determine the great circle initial course from LAT 07°05.0'N, LONG 81°45.0'W to LAT 21°15.0'N, LONG 157°40.0'W.

    N a. 128°T
    N b. 217°T
    Y c. 290°T
    N d. 326°T

528: You depart LAT 38°12'S, LONG 12°06'W and steam 1543 miles on course 270°. What is the Longitude of arrival?

    Y a. 44°49'W
    N b. 45°12'W
    N c. 45°37'W
    N d. 45°42'W

671: You are on a voyage from Nome to Honolulu via Unimak Pass (LAT 54°30'N, LONG 164°30'W). The great circle track passes through a point at LAT 38°00'N, LONG 161°40'W. Using gnomonic chart WOXZC5270, determine which answer is TRUE. (The great circle distance, Unimak Pass to Honolulu, is 2013 miles.)

    N a. A great circle track results in a significant savings in distance when compared to a rhumb line.
    N b. The northern vertex of the great circle track would lie between Unimak Pass and Nome.
    N c. Distance of the great circle track is measured by using the length of degree of latitude at the mid-latitude of the track.
    Y d. A great circle course would offer no significant advantage because the rhumb line course is close to 180°.

755: 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 01h 59m 57s. When compared to the chronometer, the comparing watch reads 02h 00m 38s, and the chronometer reads 02h 01m 33s. What is the chronometer error?

    N a. 0m 03s slow
    N b. 0m 4ls slow
    Y c. 0m 52s fast
    N d. 1m 36s fast

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

1244: If your vessel is making turns for 7.5 mph with an estimated average current of 1.5 mph, what is your ETA at the dock in Angelina, LA?

    Y a. 1621, 28 Dec
    N b. 2203, 28 Dec
    N c. 0516, 29 Dec
    N d. 1621, 29 Dec

1251: On 16 August , your 1600 ZT DR position is LAT 26°17.0'N, LONG 165°17.0'E. You are on course 301°T at a speed of 15 knots. What will be the zone time of sunset at your vessel?

    N a. 1827
    N b. 1832
    Y c. 1838
    N d. 1845

1307: After entering Milliken Bend (mile 455 AHP) you wish to locate the river service in Madison Parish, Louisiana. The river service is indicated by the square containing which number?

    Y a. 5
    N b. 4
    N c. 3
    N d. 2

1478: On 12 June , at 0919 zone time, your position is LAT 26°52'N, LONG 84°34'W. The chronometer reads 03h 17m 00s. Chronometer error is 01m 40s slow. At that time, an azimuth of the Sun is obtained. The bearing is 089.5° per standard magnetic compass. Variation for this area is 4.5°E. What is the deviation of the standard magnetic compass?

    N a. 9.5°E
    N b. 9.5°W
    N c. 5.2°E
    Y d. 5.2°W

1622: Which of the following statements concerning the buoys on the Mississippi River is TRUE?

    N a. The position of river buoys can be determined by consulting the latest Light List - Vol. V.
    N b. A preferred channel mark is a lateral mark indicating a channel junction which must always be passed to starboard.
    N c. Buoys should be passed as close as possible.
    Y d. Setting a buoy is the act of placing a buoy on assigned position in the water.

1674: On 4 July , your vessel's 1722 zone time DR position is LAT 34°30'S, LONG 174°48'E, when an amplitude of the Sun is observed. The sun's center is on the visible horizon and bears 282° per standard magnetic compass. Variation in the area is 17.2°E. The chronometer reads 05h 21m 48s and is 02m 01s fast. What is the deviation of the compass?

    Y a. 1.5°W
    N b. 2.0°W
    N c. 1.5°E
    N d. 2.0°E

1709: A stretch where the channel changes from one side of the river to the other is called a __________.

    N a. bifurcation
    N b. transit
    Y c. crossing
    N d. changeover

1864: At 0520 zone time, on 17 March , while taking stars for a morning fix, you observe an unidentified star bearing 050°T, at an observed altitude (Ho) of 45°00.0'. Your DR position at the time of the sight is LAT 27°23.0'N, LONG 39°42.0° W. The chronometer time of the sight is 08h 22m 15s, and the chronometer error is 01m 45s fast. Your vessel is steaming on a course of 300°T at a speed of 18 knots. What star did you observe?

    N a. Altair
    N b. Alkaid
    N c. Arcturus
    Y d. Deneb

1871: On 12 June , your 1845 DR position is LAT 21°47'N, LONG 46°52'W when you observe a faint unidentifiable star through a break in the clouds. The star bears 270°T at a sextant altitude (hs) of 65°41.7'. The index error is 0.5' on the arc, and the height of eye is 45 feet. The chronometer reads 09h 43m 27s, and the chronometer error is 1m 46s slow. What star did you observe?

    N a. Epsilon Leonis
    N b. Scheat
    N c. Merak
    Y d. Algeiba

2177: On 21 November , at 0430 ZT, morning stars were observed, and the vessel's position was LAT 22°14.0'S, LONG 79°23.0'E. Your vessel is steaming at 14.5 knots on a course of 246°T. A sextant observation of the Sun's lower limb is made at 0816 ZT. The chronometer reads 03h 14m 16s, and the sextant altitude (hs) is 44°29.2'. The index error is 1.0' on the arc, and the chronometer error is 01m 47s slow. Your height of eye is 61.0 feet (18.6 meters). What is the azimuth (Zn) and intercept (a) of this sight using the assumed position?

    N a. Zn 084.2°, a 6.6' A
    N b. Zn 084.2°, a 6.6' T
    N c. Zn 095.6°, a 6.6' A
    Y d. Zn 095.6°, a 6.6' T

2209: The Helena Gage reads 9.4 feet. The high point on your towboat is 42 feet above water. What is the vertical clearance when you pass under the Helena Highway Bridge?

    N a. 53.0 feet
    N b. 62.6 feet
    N c. 64.2 feet
    Y d. 68.0 feet

2702: You are underway on course 241°T at a speed of 18.2 knots.
You sight a daymark bearing 241°T at a radar range of 3.9 miles at 1006. If you change course at 1009, what is the course to steer to leave the daymark abeam to starboard at 1.0 mile?

    N a. 218°T
    Y b. 222°T
    N c. 257°T
    N d. 260°T

2706: While on a course of 216°pgc, a light bears 12° on the port bow at a distance of 11.2 miles. Which course should you steer to pass 2 miles abeam of the light leaving it to port?

    N a. 208°pgc
    N b. 210°pgc
    N c. 212°pgc
    Y d. 214°pgc

2779: If the Fair Landing, AR. Gage reads -1.2 feet, what is the water level in relation to the low water reference plane? The low water reference plane (LWRP) for Fair Landing, AR. is -0.9 feet.

    N a. 2.1 foot above the plane
    N b. 0.3 foot above the plane
    Y c. 0.3 feet below the plane
    N d. 1.2 feet below the plane

2784: You pass Ratcliff Light (mile 289.8) at 1650. What was your average speed since leaving Baton Rouge?

    N a. 7.3 mph
    Y b. 7.6 mph
    N c. 8.0 mph
    N d. 8.3 mph

3097: If the pitch of the propeller is 19.4 feet, and the revolutions per day are 96,713, calculate the day's run allowing 6% positive slip.

    N a. 266.4 miles
    Y b. 290.1 miles
    N c. 308.6 miles
    N d. 327.1 miles

3264: You have steamed 1134 miles at 10 knots, and consumed 121 tons of fuel. If you have to steam 1522 miles to complete the voyage, how many tons of fuel will be consumed while steaming at 12 knots?

    N a. 146 tons
    N b. 189 tons
    N c. 200 tons
    Y d. 234 tons

3461: You wish to make good a course of 053°T while turning for an engine speed of 16 knots. The set is 345°T, and the drift is 2.4 knots. What speed will you make good along the track line?

    N a. 14.1 knots
    N b. 15.2 knots
    N c. 16.1 knots
    Y d. 16.8 knots

11009: What best describes the structure from which Stratford Point Light is shown?

    N a. Brown conical tower with white horizontal band in center of light on black pier
    N b. Red conical tower on brown cylindrical pier
    N c. White octagonal house on brown cylindrical pier
    Y d. White conical tower, with brown band midway of height

12708: You are on course 302° per standard magnetic compass when you take the following bearings: Little Gull Island Light 283°psc Race Rock Light 311°psc Latimer Reef Light 027°psc What is your position?

    N a. LAT 41°12.2'N, LONG 71°57.6'W
    N b. LAT 41°12.4'N, LONG 71°57.4'W
    N c. LAT 41°12.4'N, LONG 71°57.9'W
    Y d. LAT 41°12.6'N, LONG 71°57.6'W

13801: You are operating in the area approximately 2 miles southeast of Kelsey Point when you realize that your vessel's intended track will carry you over the wreck charted at LAT 41°13.5'N, LONG 72°29.6'W. Which statement is TRUE?

    N a. The chart indicates the exact position of the wreck.
    N b. The wreck has been cleared by wire drag to a depth of 39 ft.
    Y c. The wreck represents a danger to surface navigation.
    N d. The wreck is visible above the sounding datum.

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

15012: 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 __________.

    N a. 75°38.9'W
    N b. 75°39.1'W
    N c. 75°39.3'W
    Y d. 75°40.5'W

15023: At 1042, on 16 March, you are passing the Vicksburg Gage (mile 437.0 AHP). What has been the average current since 0630, 15 March, if you have been making turns for 8.0 mph?

    N a. 0.2 mph
    N b. 0.5 mph
    Y c. 0.8 mph
    N d. 1.2 mph

15039: At 0725 you determined your vessel's position to be 37°15.5'N, 75°33.2'W. Assuming that you make good your course of 206° true and a speed of 18 knots, at what time would you expect to be abeam of Cape Charles Lighted Bell Buoy "14"?

    N a. 0750
    N b. 0754
    Y c. 0758
    N d. 0802

15118: What was the speed made good from 1845 to 1930?

    N a. 6.2 knots
    N b. 7.5 knots
    Y c. 8.3 knots
    N d. 9.4 knots

15138: At 2045 you obtained the following Loran readings:
9960-W-14844.0
9960-X-26128.0
9960-Y-43712.5
What is your vessel's position?

    N a. 40°41.1'N, 72°10.5'W
    N b. 40°41.4'N, 72°10.7'W
    Y c. 40°41.8'N, 72°10.8'W
    N d. 40°42.3'N, 72°11.3'W

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)

15270: The distance from New London to the east entrance of the Cape Cod Canal is __________.

    N a. 66 miles
    N b. 77 miles
    Y c. 89 miles
    N d. 136 miles

15419: The mean high water level at Old Point Comfort is __________.

    Y a. 2.6 feet (0.8 meters)
    N b. 1.2 feet (0.4 meters)
    N c. 0.0 feet
    N d. -3.5 feet (-1.1 meters)

15519: As an option to heading into Long Island Sound, you consider anchoring in the vicinity of the Gardiners Point Ruins approximately one mile off the north end of Gardiners Island. What is the minimum recommended distance from the ruins for fishing,
trawling, or anchoring?

    Y a. 300 yards (91 meters)
    N b. 1.0 mile
    N c. 0.5 mile
    N d. No distance is prescribed since any such activities in the area are prohibited.

16059: At 1800, Tue Marshes Light bears 270°pgc, and York Spit Swash Channel Light "3" bears 007°pgc. Your position is __________.

    N a. LAT 37°14.0'N, LONG 76°19.8'W
    N b. LAT 37°14.2'N, LONG 76°20.3'W
    Y c. LAT 37°14.2'N, LONG 76°20.1'W
    N d. LAT 37°14.5'N, LONG 76°20.0'W

16060: The short-long dashed, magenta lines parallel to York River Entrance Channel mark __________.

    Y a. fish trap areas
    N b. naval exercise areas
    N c. underwater cables
    N d. recommended track lines

16212: What is the course per standard magnetic compass between points "A" and "B"?

    N a. 094.5°
    N b. 095.5°
    Y c. 098.5°
    N d. 099.5°

16214: From your 0715 position, you set a course of 085°T. At 0745 you take the following bearings:

Race Rock Light 278°pgc
Watch Hill Light 049°pgc
Fisher's Island East Harbor Cupola 010°pgc

What was the current encountered between 0715 and 0745?

    N a. Set 030°T, drift 0.4 knot
    N b. Set 216°T, drift 0.3 knot
    Y c. Set 070°T, drift 0.6 knot
    N d. Set 238°T, drift 1.0 knot

16268: As you pass between trestle "B" and trestle "C" of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge - Tunnel, you sight along the trestle "C" when it is in line. The gyro bearing is 048°. What is the gyro error by observation?

    N a. 4°E
    Y b. 1°E
    N c. 0°
    N d. 2°W

16739: What is the earliest time you should sight Montauk Point Light (nominal range - 24 miles) if you are turning for 9.2 knots? Visibility is 5 nautical miles.

    Y a. The light is visible at 2212
    N b. 2221
    N c. 2243
    N d. You will not sight the light on this course.