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.

87: You pass Red River Gage at 2015 on 16 April and estimate the current will average 3.5 mph for the remainder of the time on the Mississippi River. What is your ETA at the mouth of the Ohio River if you continue to turn for 10 mph?
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?
194: At 2100, you alter course to 250°T and reduce speed to 7 knots. You enter the traffic separation scheme on the inbound side. At 2200, your fix shows you crossing a broken purple line on the chart, and you observe North Chesapeake Entrance Lighted Gong Buoy "NCD" to port. This area is __________.
285: At 1845, you plot the following bearing lines:

Old Plantation Flats Light bearing 251°true
New Point Comfort Light bearing 335°true

Your latitude is __________. 

    N a. 37°10.7'N
    N b. 37°10.9'N
    Y c. 37°11.2'N
    N d. 37°11.6'N
328: From your 0315 position, what time can you expect to reach York Spit Channel Buoys "37" and "38"? 

    N a. 0423
    N b. 0417
    N c. 0412
    Y d. 0405
345: The characteristic of Branford Reef Light is __________. 

    N a. flashing red every 4 seconds
    N b. flashing red every 3 seconds
    N c. flashing yellow every 4 seconds
    Y d. flashing white every 6 seconds
386: 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
    N c. Set 238°T, drift 0.9 knot
    Y d. Set 070°T, drift 0.6 knot
459: Determine the great circle distance and initial course from LAT 25°47.0'N, LONG 79°59.5'W to LAT 38°42.0'N, LONG 09°10.5'W. 

    N a. 3341.0 miles, 063°T
    N b. 3347.0 miles, 063°T
    N c. 3427.8 miles, 061°T
    Y d. 3588.6 miles, 059°T
572: At 0908, you change course to 010°T. What course should you steer per standard magnetic compass? 

    N a. 359°
    Y b. 021°
    N c. 017°
    N d. 003°
627: You are on a voyage from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Galveston, TX. The distance is 2138 miles, and the speed of advance is 12.5 knots. You estimate 18.0 hours for bunkering enroute at Port Everglades, FL. If you sail at 0648 hours (ZD +4), 12 June, what is your ETA (ZD +5) at Galveston? 

    Y a. 0250, 20 June
    N b. 0350, 20 June
    N c. 0550, 20 June
    N d. 1350, 20 June
681: At 0119, on 10 September, you pass Springfield Bend Lt. (mile 244.8 AHP) and estimate the current will average 2.5 mph for the remainder of your trip. What is your ETA at the mouth of the Ohio River if you are making turns for 8.5 mph? 

    N a. 1746, 12 September
    N b. 1244, 13 September
    N c. 1244, 14 September
    Y d. 2329, 14 September
740: On 14 March , your 1846 ZT DR position is LAT 21°57.6'N, LONG 132°16.2'W. At that time you observe Polaris with a sextant altitude (hs) of 22°16.8'. The chronometer time of the sight is 03h 45m 10s, and the chronometer error is 01m 32s slow. The index error is 3.2' off the arc, and the height of eye is 44.9 feet. What is your latitude by Polaris? 

    N a. 21°32.4'N
    Y b. 21°49.8'N
    N c. 21°51.0'N
    N d. 21°53.1'N
814: On 1 July , your 0515 zone time fix gives you a position of LAT 23°24.0'S, LONG 151°42.0'W. Your vessel is on course 240°T, and your speed is 10.0 knots. Local apparent noon (LAN) occurs at 1215 zone time, at which time a meridian altitude of the Sun's lower limb is observed. The observed altitude (Ho) for this sight is 42°55.0'. What is the latitude at 1200 ZT? 

    N a. 24°02.5'S
    N b. 24°01.0'S
    Y c. 23°59.7'S
    N d. 23°58.6'S
821: On 30 August , in DR position LAT 26°34.0'N, LONG 141°36.0'W, you take an ex-meridian observation of the Sun's lower limb. The chronometer time of the sight is 09h 15m 26s, and the chronometer error is 00m 00s. The sextant altitude (hs) is 71°41.7'. The index error is 3.2' off the arc, and your height of eye is 49.6 feet. What is the latitude at meridian transit? 

    Y a. LAT 26°41.9'N
    N b. LAT 26°44.6'N
    N c. LAT 26°48.2'N
    N d. LAT 26°52.3'N
1080: On 20 Feb. , your 0530 ZT DR position is LAT 24°15.0'N, LONG 137°33.0'W. You are on course 033°T at a speed of 18 knots. You observed 3 celestial bodies. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 0600 running fix. NP-0010

    N a. LAT 24°23.3'N, LONG 137°35.5'W
    N b. LAT 24°26.0'N, LONG 137°25.8'W
    Y c. LAT 24°27.5'N, LONG 137°31.8'W
    N d. LAT 24°30.1'N, LONG 137°24.5'W
1082: On 20 Nov. , your 1030 ZT DR position is LAT 27°16.0'N, LONG 157°18.6'E. You are on course 060°T at a speed of 20 knots. You observed 3 celestial bodies. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 1200 running fix. NP-0012

    N a. LAT 27°16.8'N, LONG 157°30.5'E
    N b. LAT 27°22.6'N, LONG 157°37.8'E
    Y c. LAT 27°29.7'N, LONG 157°43.0'E
    N d. LAT 27°33.4'N, LONG 157°48.2'E
1141: Which daymark will you see as you approach Natchez Beam Lt. (mile 364.8 AHP)? 

    Y a. Red triangle
    N b. White square
    N c. Green square
    N d. Red diamond
1168: Which company does NOT have a marine facility in Rosedale harbor (mile 585 AHP)? 

    Y a. T.L. James
    N b. Rosedale-Boliver County Port Commission
    N c. Cives Steel Company
    N d. Sanders Elevator Corp
1217: It is 31 October , and you are keeping zone time -12. You are on course 095°T, speed 24 knots. Your 0730 DR position is LAT 29°20.0'N, LONG 178°54.0'E. What is the time of the second estimate of LAN by ship's clocks? 

    N a. 11h 24m 19s
    Y b. 11h 40m 55s
    N c. 12h 12m 16s
    N d. 12h 40m 02s
1340: At 1300, 5 January, the river will be temporarily closed to navigation for six hours at mile 531.3 AHP due to repairs to a bridge. What minimum speed over the ground must you make from Natchez Gage in order not to be delayed? 

    N a. 5.7 mph
    Y b. 6.0 mph
    N c. 6.8 mph
    N d. 7.3 mph
1343: At 1019, on 10 March, you pass under the Greenville Bridge (mile 531.3 AHP). What was your average speed since departing River Cement Co. Dock? 

    Y a. 7.2 mph
    N b. 6.8 mph
    N c. 6.5 mph
    N d. 6.2 mph
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
1677: On 23 August , at 0604 ZT, in DR position LAT 16°42.3'S, LONG 28°19.3'W, you observed an amplitude of the Sun. The lower limb was a little above the horizon, and the Sun bore 076.0°pgc. At the time of the observation, the helmsman reported that he was heading 143°pgc and 167°
per standard magnetic compass. The variation in the area was 23°W. What were the gyro error and deviation for that heading? 

    N a. 1°W  GE,  2°W  DEV
    N b. 1°E  GE,  1°E  DEV
    N c. 2°W  GE,  1°E  DEV
    Y d. 2°E  GE,  1°E  DEV
1779: At 2237 ZT, on 14 July , in DR position LAT 33°57'N, LONG 150°32'W you observe an amplitude of Saturn. The planet is about one Sun's diameter above the visible horizon and bears 258.6°psc. The variation is 14°E. What is the deviation? 

    Y a. 2.0°W
    N b. 1.0°W
    N c. 0.0°
    N d. 1.0°E
1801: What is the distance from the Amoco Docks at Baton Rouge, LA, to the new mouth of the White River? 

    N a. 981.5 miles
    N b. 953.5 miles
    Y c. 345.3 miles
    N d. 700.2 miles
1834: Which type of daymark would you see on the Belle Island Corner Lt. at mile 458.6 AHP? 

    N a. Green diamond
    N b. Green  square
    Y c. Red  diamond
    N d. Red  triangle
1855: On 22 July , your 0442 ZT DR position is LAT 26°35.6'N, LONG 22°16.7'W. You observe an unidentified star bearing 112°T, at an observed altitude (Ho) of 44°16.0'. The chronometer reads 05h 39m 03s and is 03m 14s slow. What star did you observe? 

    N a. Hamal
    N b. Rigel
    Y c. Menkar
    N d. Acamar
1885: On 26 November , your 0535 DR position is LAT 27°18.9'S, LONG 30°18.4'E. You observe an unidentified planet bearing 037°T at an observed altitude (Ho) of 50°06.4'. The chronometer reads 03h 33m 16s and is 01m 48s slow. What planet did you observe? 

    N a. Saturn
    N b. Jupiter
    Y c. Mars
    N d. Venus
1895: On 22 June , your 0424 DR position is LAT 26°18.5'N, LONG 124°18.2'W. You observe an unidentified star bearing 195°T at an observed altitude (Ho) of 03°30.7'. The chronometer reads 00h 23m 24s, and is 01m 32s slow. What star did you observe? 

    Y a. Peacock
    N b. Schedar
    N c. Ankaa
    N d. Alioth
1901: On 22 April , your 1852 DR position is LAT 23°54.5'N, LONG 117°36.8'W. You observe an unidentified star bearing 248°T at an observed altitude (Ho) of 25°00.9'. The chronometer reads 02h 54m 53s, and is 02m 51s fast. What star did you observe? 

    Y a. Rigel
    N b. Betelgeuse
    N c. Gienah
    N d. Arcturus
1949: The circle with black and white quadrants located at mile 435.6 AHP is a __________. 

    N a. Daymark
    N b. Electrical Tower
    Y c. River Gage
    N d. Information Board
2101: On 2 January , your 1759 zone time DR position is LONG 45°17.6'W. At that time you observe Polaris with a sextant altitude (hs) of 24°16.5'. The chronometer time of the sight is 08h 57m 10s, and the chronometer error is 02m 16s slow. The index error is 3.5' on the arc, and the height of eye is 42.5 feet. What is your latitude by Polaris? 

    N a. 22°50.2'N
    Y b. 23°18.8N
    N c. 23°30.2N
    N d. 24°07.3'N
2159: On 25 May , your vessel's 1858 zone time position is LAT 21°05.0'N, LONG 143°27.0'E. At that time a sextant observation of the planet Venus was made. The sextant altitude is 12°53.4' and the chronometer reads 08h 59m 15s. The index error is 4.5' off the arc, and the chronometer error is 01m 25s fast. Your height of eye is determined to be 55.0 feet. What is the azimuth (Zn) of the sight using the assumed position? 

    N a. 069.6°T
    N b. 110.4°T
    N c. 249.6°T
    Y d. 290.4°T
2283: You observe the lower limb of the Sun at a sextant altitude (hs) of 22°58.6' on 16 June . The index error is 2.0' off the arc. The height of eye is 61 feet. What is the observed altitude (Ho)? 

    Y a. 23°06.7'
    N b. 23°09.9'
    N c. 23°15.4'
    N d. 23°22.2'
3258: You have steamed 525 miles at 16.0 knots, and consumed 105 tons of fuel. If you have 308 tons of usable fuel remaining, how far can you steam at 19 knots? 

    N a. 920 miles
    Y b. 1092 miles
    N c. 1297 miles
    N d. 2172 miles
3310: You have steamed 216 miles and consumed 19.0 tons of fuel. If you maintain the same speed, how many tons of fuel will you consume while steaming 315 miles? 

    Y a. 27.7 tons
    N b. 32.3 tons
    N c. 36.9 tons
    N d. 40.4 tons
3462: You are underway on course 160°T at 10 knots. The current is 210°T at 0.9 knots. What is the course made good? 

    N a. 156°T
    N b. 160°T
    Y c. 164°T
    N d. 169°T
12205: Your vessel is steady on a heading of 160° per standard magnetic compass when you sight Southwest Ledge Light and New Haven Outer Channel Range Rear Light in line dead astern. What is the deviation of the compass based on this observation? 

    Y a. 2°E
    N b. 2°W
    N c. 5°E
    N d. 5°W
12506: You are on course 203° per standard magnetic compass when you take the following bearings: New Point Comfort Spit Light 2 267°psc Horn Harbor Entrance Light HH 304°psc Wolf Trap Light 006°psc What is the position of the fix? 

    N a. LAT 37°18.9'N, LONG 76°10.4'W
    Y b. LAT 37°18.8'N, LONG 76°10.8'W
    N c. LAT 37°18.7'N, LONG 76°11.1'W
    N d. LAT 37°18.5'N, LONG 76°10.7'W
13210: At 0943, your position is LAT 41°14.8'N, LONG 71°54.3'W. You are turning for 12.2 knots. What is your ETA at the entrance to Great Salt Pond on Block Island? 

    Y a. 1054
    N b. 1048
    N c. 1040
    N d. 1032
13400: You are going to anchor at Gardiners Bay in LAT 41°04.5'N, LONG 72°13.0'W. What type of bottom should you expect? 

    N a. Streaked mud
    N b. Sand
    N c. Hard rocks
    Y d. Soft mud
13404: Your vessel has become disabled and is dead in the water. Your GPS position is LAT 41°12.1'N, LONG 72°43.5'W. You decide to anchor at this position. Under normal conditions, how much anchor chain should you expect to put out? 

    N a. 80 to 190 feet
    N b. 190 to 240 feet
    Y c. 245 to 343 feet
    N d. 345 to 420 feet
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
15056: You are in New Haven Outer Channel and sight the range markers in line directly over the stern. Your heading at the time is 168° per standard magnetic compass. What is the magnetic compass error? 

    Y a. 15°W
    N b. 1°W
    N c. 1°E
    N d. 0°
15139: At what time would you expect to be abeam of Buoy "MP"? 

    N a. 2240
    N b. 2244
    Y c. 2248
    N d. 2252
15170: From your 2123 position, you are approximately 42 miles from Crisfield, MD. If you are making good a speed of 11 knots, at what time should you arrive at Crisfield, MD? 

    N a. 2359
    N b. 0037
    Y c. 0112
    N d. 0149
15440: Your ETA at Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel between trestles B + C is 2300. If your engine speed is 9.8 knots,
what will be your approximate speed over the ground, at that time, allowing for the predicted current? 

    N a. 7.0 knots
    N b. 8.2 knots
    N c. 11.4 knots
    Y d. 12.5 knots
15539: At 2127 you are on course 076°T. What is your ETA at a position where Twenty Eight Foot Shoal Lighted Bell Buoy "TE" is abeam to port? 

    N a. 2316
    N b. 2324
    Y c. 2332
    N d. 2345
15911: What publication contains information on the navigational hazards in the vicinity of Falkner Island? 

    N a. The navigational regulations in Title 46 Code of Federal Regulations
    N b. Inland Navigation Rules
    N c. U.S. Coast Guard Light List
    Y d. U.S. Coast Pilot
16044: At 1038 Branford Reef Light bears 019°pgc, Falkner Island Light bears 075°pgc, and the radar range to Branford Reef Light is 3.0 miles. Which statement is TRUE of your 1038 position? 

    N a. You are required by regulation to change course to avoid steaming through the dumping ground.
    N b. You are making more speed over the ground, since your 1022 fix, than indicated by your engine RPM.
    N c. You are abeam of Townshend Ledge
    Y d. Your fathometer reads about 25 feet.
16115: You sighted Trestle "A" in line at 0707 and are steering 108°T. At 0731, Cape Henry Light bears 136°T; Cape Charles Light bears 032.5°T; and Thimble Shoal Tunnel South Light bears 282°T. What was the speed made good between 0707 and 0731? 

    N a. 8.3 knots
    Y b. 8.8 knots
    N c. 9.2 knots
    N d. 9.4 knots
16239: From your 2045 position, you set a course to pass 1.5 miles due east of the charted position of Hog Island Lighted Bell Buoy "12". The known set and drift in the area are 068°T at 3 knots. What is the course to steer, with no change in engine speed, to make good your desired course? 

    Y a. 200°T
    N b. 203°T
    N c. 206°T
    N d. 209°T
16307: Which statement regarding the wreck 0.2 mile south of buoys "1" and "2" at the entrance to New London Harbor is TRUE? 

    N a. The wreck presents a danger to all vessels with drafts in excess of 30 feet (9.1 meters).
    N b. The wreck is visible above the sounding datum between the months of March and June.
    Y c. The wreck is shown on the chart, but its actual existence is doubtful.
    N d. The wreck was cleared by wire drag in 1982 and will not appear on future charts.
16312: Assuming no current, at what time can you expect to be abeam of Townshend Ledge Lighted Buoy? 

    N a. 0859
    N b. 0902
    N c. 0905
    Y d. 0910
16440: What course per gyrocompass would you need to steer from the anchorage to York Spit Channel buoy "29"? 

    Y a. 172°  pgc
    N b. 175°  pgc
    N c. 178°  pgc
    N d. 181°  pgc