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.

33: What is the total length of the trip?
106: You are steaming at 22 knots and burning 319 barrels of fuel per day. You must decrease your consumption to 137 barrels per day. What must you reduce your speed to in order to burn this amount of fuel?
176: What is your 2118 position?
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 __________. 

    N a. 75°38.9'W
    N b. 75°39.1'W
    Y c. 75°40.5'W
    N d. 75°41.4'W
197: 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? 

    Y a. 014°
    N b. 017°
    N c. 280°
    N d. 332°
234: Which structure should you look for while trying to locate Southwest Ledge Light? 

    Y a. White octagonal house on a cylindrical pier
    N b. White conical tower with a brown band midway of height
    N c. Conical tower, upper half white, lower half brown
    N d. Black skeleton tower on a granite dwelling
419: At 0900, you take the following radar ranges:

Watch Hill Point 5.4 miles
Block Island Grace Point 8.3 miles

Which statement about this fix is TRUE? 

    N a. You are to the left of the track line.
    N b. The bottom in the area is sand and gravel.
    N c. You are governed by the Inland Rules.
    Y d. The fix is indeterminate.
446: At 1345, you depart from a position 1 mile due east of Montauk Point Light and set course for Block Island Southeast Light at 9 knots. At 1430, your position is:

Latitude 41° 06.3' North
Longitude 071° 41.9' West

What was the current encountered since 1345? 

    N a. Set 015°, drift 0.5 knot
    N b. Set 195°, drift 0.7 knot
    N c. Set 015°, drift 0.7 knot
    Y d. Set 195°, drift 0.5 knot
492: At 0748, you change course to 160°T. What loran reading can you follow to remain on this course? 

    N a. 9960-W-14660.0
    Y b. 9960-W-14651.0
    N c. 9960-Y-43943.8
    N d. 9960-Y-43852.0
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
534: You depart LAT 52°01'N, LONG 176°09'E, for LAT 52°01'N, LONG 178°46'W. What are the course and distance by parallel sailing? 

    N a. 090°T, 95 miles
    Y b. 090°T, 188 miles
    N c. 270°T, 95 miles
    N d. 270°T, 188 miles
557: The south shore of Long Island Sound near your position is __________. 

    N a. high with numerous cliffs
    Y b. fringed with rock shoals
    N c. backed by marshes and wooded uplands
    N d. low and marshy
678: Using gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5270, determine which of the following statements about a voyage from Valdez, AK, to Hilo, HI, is TRUE. 

    Y a. A great circle track is not significantly shorter than a rhumb line track.
    N b. You will cross the Northern Hemisphere vertex where the track line crosses LAT 45°N.
    N c. Distance is measured by using the length of a degree of longitude at the mid-latitude line.
    N d. When plotted on a Mercator chart, the track line will be convex to San Francisco.
737: On 29 July , your 1930 zone time DR position is LONG 164°26.0'E. At that time you observe Polaris with a sextant altitude (hs) of 23°46.8'. The chronometer time of the sight is 08h 32m 18s, and the chronometer error is 02m 26s fast. The index error is 2.7' on the arc, and the height of eye is 56.0 feet. What is your latitude by Polaris? 

    N a. 24°01.9'N
    Y b. 24°19.5'N
    N c. 24°31.7'N
    N d. 25°19.6'N
752: On 5 May , at 1953 zone time, you take a sextant observation of Polaris. Your vessel's DR position is LAT 29°30.0'N, LONG 66°25.7'W, and your sextant reads 29°07.2'. Your chronometer reads 11h 51m 45s, and your chronometer error is 01m 36s slow. Your height of eye is 56 feet, and the index error for your sextant is 1.5' on the arc. What is the latitude of your vessel from your observation of Polaris? 

    N a. 29°14.3'N
    Y b. 29°23.6'N
    N c. 29°32.3'N
    N d. 29°38.8'N
810: On 13 October , your 0515 zone time (ZT) fix gives you a position of LAT 26°53.0'N, LONG 90°05.0'W. Your vessel is on course 068°T, and your speed is 7.8 knots. Local apparent noon (LAN) occurs at 1145 zone time, at which time a meridian altitude of the Sun's lower limb is observed. The observed altitude (Ho) for this sight is 54°51.5'. What is the calculated latitude at LAN? 

    Y a. 27°12.6'N
    N b. 27°14.1'N
    N c. 27°15.7'N
    N d. 27°16.2'N
987: On 17 January , your 0730 zone time fix gives you a position of LAT 22°26.0'S, LONG 152°17.0'E. Your vessel is steaming on a course of 116°T at a speed of 17 knots. An observation of the Sun's lower limb is made at 1015 zone time. The chronometer reads 00h 13m 23s, and the chronometer error is 01m 49s slow. The observed altitude (Ho) is 66°02.1'. LAN occurs at 1152 zone time and a meridian altitude of the Sun's lower limb is made. The observed altitude (Ho) is 87°54.2'. Determine the vessel's 1200 zone time position. 

    Y a. LAT 22°53.8'S, LONG 153°25.6'E
    N b. LAT 22°53.8'S, LONG 153°28.8'E
    N c. LAT 22°56.3'S, LONG 153°25.6'E
    N d. LAT 22°56.3'S, LONG 153°28.8'E
1003: On 15 November , your 1030 ZT DR position is LAT 17°25'S, LONG 42°12'W. You are on course 059°T, speed 22 knots. Determine your 1200 position using the following observations of the Sun.

ZONE TIME GHA DECLINATION Ho
1128 40°50.4' S 18°33.6' 88°18.4'
1133 42°05.4' S 18°33.6' 88°37.7' 

    N a. LAT 17°00.0'S, LONG 41°45.8'W
    N b. LAT 17°02.1'S, LONG 41°48.4'W
    Y c. LAT 17°06.8'S, LONG 41°44.3'W
    N d. LAT 17°08.9'S, LONG 41°40.4'W
1181: On 4 January , your 0800 zone time DR position is LAT 25°25.0 S, LONG 16°09.0'W. Your vessel is on course 290°T at a speed of 13.5 knots. What is the zone time of local apparent noon (LAN)? 

    N a. 1157
    N b. 1205
    N c. 1209
    Y d. 1213
1197: On 16 November , your 0800 ZT DR position is LAT 25°11.0'N, LONG 117°41.0'W. Your vessel is on a course of 252°T at a speed of 14.5 knots. What is the ZT of local apparent noon (LAN)? 

    N a. 1135
    Y b. 1139
    N c. 1143
    N d. 1146
1206: Your 0900 DR position is LAT 23°16'N, LONG 146°12'E. Your vessel is on a course of 286°T, at a speed of 14.5 knots. Determine the zone time of LAN on 14 March . 

    N a. 1151
    N b. 1209
    N c. 1223
    Y d. 1228
1291: As you pass Solitude Lt. (mile 249.0 AHP) which dayboard would you see? 

    Y a. Green diamond
    N b. Green square
    N c. Red triangle
    N d. Red diamond
1454: On 4 October , your 0734 zone time DR position is LAT 24°11.0'N, LONG 162°34.0'E. At that time, you observe the Sun bearing 105.5°psc. The chronometer reads 08h 36m 11s, and the chronometer error is 01m 46s fast. The variation is 7°W. What is the deviation of the standard compass? 

    N a. 1.2°W
    N b. 1.9°E
    N c. 5.3°W
    Y d. 5.8°E
1484: On 7 December , your vessel's 0835 zone time DR position is LAT 28°30.0'N, LONG 125°39.3'W, when an azimuth of the Sun is observed. The chronometer time of the sight is 04h 34m 48s, and the Sun is bearing 113° per standard magnetic compass. The chronometer error is 01m 24s slow, and the variation in the area is 13.0°E. What is the deviation of the standard magnetic compass? 

    N a. 0.7°E
    N b. 1.0°W
    Y c. 2.3°E
    N d. 3.0°W
1767: What is the vertical clearance of the Natchez-Vidalia Highway Bridge when the Natchez-Vidalia Highway Bridge Gage reads 23.4 feet? 

    Y a. 102.6 ft
    N b. 108.3 ft
    N c. 119.5 ft
    N d. 125.6 ft
1781: At 1524 ZT, on 14 June , in DR position LAT 30°51'N, LONG 30° 02'W, you observe an amplitude of the Moon. The center of the Moon is on the visible horizon and bears 103.9°pgc. The variation is 10°W. What is the gyro error? 

    N a. 1.8°W
    N b. 2.4°E
    N c. 2.2°E
    Y d. 2.0°E
1807: As you approach Hole in the Wall Light (mile 373.4 AHP),
what type of daymark would you see on the light structure? 

    Y a. Green square
    N b. Green diamond
    N c. Red diamond
    N d. Red square
2108: You alter course from your 0045 position to head for a point 0.5 mile north of Mattituck Breakwater Light "MI". If the visibility is 10 miles and you make good 9 knots, at approximately what time will you lose sight of Saybrook Breakwater Light? 

    N a. You have already lost sight at 0045
    Y b. 0055
    N c. 0120
    N d. The light is visible all the way to Mattituck Inlet
2217: The highest point on your towboat is 67 feet above the water, and the Helena Gage reads +22.3 feet. What is the vertical clearance when you pass under the A-span of the Helena Highway Bridge? 

    N a. 74.7 feet
    N b. 52.4 feet
    N c. 49.8 feet
    Y d. 30.1 feet
2281: You observe the lower limb of the Sun at a sextant altitude (hs) of 62°22.2' on 6 June . The index error is 1.2' on the arc. The height of eye is 28 feet (8.5 meters). What is the observed altitude (Ho)? 

    N a. 62°24.8'
    N b. 62°26.9'
    Y c. 62°31.4'
    N d. 62°36.7'
2340: You have steamed 775 miles at 17 knots, and consumed 145 tons of fuel. If you have to steam 977 miles to complete the voyage, how many tons of fuel will be consumed while steaming at 18 knots? 

    Y a. 204 tons
    N b. 181 tons
    N c. 163 tons
    N d. 129 tons
2660: You are steering 287°T, and a light is picked up dead ahead at a distance of 19.4 miles at 0419. You change course to pass the light 4 miles off abeam to starboard. If you are making 13 knots, what is your ETA at the position 4 miles off the light? 

    N a. 0541
    N b. 0544
    Y c. 0547
    N d. 0550
2694: While on a course of 152°T, a light bears 9° on the port bow at a distance of 11.6 miles. What course should you steer to pass 3 miles abeam of the light leaving it to port? 

    N a. 153°
    Y b. 158°
    N c. 163°
    N d. 167°
2888: Your vessel is underway on a course of 323.5°T at a speed of 16 knots. At 1945° a light bears 350°T. At 2010 the light bears 008.5°T. What will be your distance off when abeam of the light? 

    N a. 3.3 miles
    N b. 4.8 miles
    Y c. 6.7 miles
    N d. 8.7 miles
3074: If the speed necessary for reaching port at a designated time is 19.2 knots and the pitch of the propeller is 22.7 feet, how many revolutions per minute will the shaft have to turn, assuming a 4% positive slip? 

    N a. 82
    Y b. 89
    N c. 96
    N d. 103
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
3318: While steaming at 12 knots, your vessel burns 45 tons of fuel per day. What will be the rate of fuel consumption if you decrease speed to 11.5 knots? 

    N a. 31 tons/day
    N b. 36 tons/day
    Y c. 40 tons/day
    N d. 43 tons/day
4005: 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 magnetic compass heading of 022°.
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. 1.5°E
    N b. 0.5°E
    Y c. 0.0°
    N d. 0.5°W
10201: Your present position is LAT 41°05.5'N, LONG 72°38.0'W. Assuming that there are no set and drift, what course must you steer per standard magnetic compass (psc) to arrive at a position 0.5 mile due south of New Haven Lighted whistle Buoy NH? 

    N a. 315.5°psc
    Y b. 310.5°psc
    N c. 290.5°psc
    N d. 284.5°psc
10706: At 0726 you depart Lake Montauk with light 1 close aboard and set course 310.5° per standard magnetic compass at 7.6 knots. At 0812 your GPS position is LAT 41°08.1'N, LONG 72°03.7'W. What is the current? 

    N a. 151°T at 1.0 knot
    N b. 164°T at 0.7 knot
    Y c. 334°T at 1.4 knot
    N d. 321°T at 0.8 knot
11406: At 2021 your position is LAT 41°09.7'N, LONG 72°59.8'W. At 2057 your position is LAT 41°00.5'N, LONG 72°49.5'W. What are your true course and speed made good? 

    Y a. 140° at 20 knots
    N b. 145° at 18 knots
    N c. 316° at 19 knots
    N d. 320° at 17 knots
11507: At 1014 you depart the entrance to Lake Montauk with light "1" close aboard. Your course is 066° per standard magnetic compass, and the speed is 8.6 knots. At 1222 your position is LAT 41°20.0'N, LONG 71°40.0'W. What is the speed made good? 

    N a. 8.4 knots
    N b. 8.6 knots
    Y c. 9.2 knots
    N d. 9.6 knots
15015: At 2100, Cape Charles Light bears 321°pgc, and Cape Henry Light bears 247°pgc. Your latitude is __________. 

    N a. 37°00.0'N
    N b. 36°59.7'N
    Y c. 36°59.4'N
    N d. 36°59.1'N
15120: If you have 17.3 miles to reach your destination from your 2000 position and want to be there at 2230, what speed should you make good? 

    N a. 5.7 knots
    N b. 6.1 knots
    N c. 6.5 knots
    Y d. 6.9 knots
15216: Which of the following concerning Thimble Shoal Channel is TRUE? 

    N a. Only deep-draft passenger ships and large naval vessels may use the main channel.
    N b. The channel is 14.5 miles in length.
    Y c. A tow drawing 20 feet is excluded from the main channel.
    N d. Thimble Shoal Channel is in international waters.
15259: At 0830, you obtain the following radar information::

Branford Reef Light bearing 259° true @ 4.35 nm


What is your vessel's position? 

    N a. LAT 41°12.1'N, LONG 73°53.8'W
    N b. LAT 40°12.2'N, LONG 73°54.4'W
    N c. LAT 41°12.3'N, LONG 72°53.6'W
    Y d. LAT 41°12.4'N, LONG 72°54.0'W
15413: From your 1915 fix you come right and steer a course of 200°T. At 2000, your position is LAT 37°05.5'N, LONG 76°07.0'W. Your intention is to pass through Chesapeake Channel. If there are no set and drift, what course would you steer per standard magnetic compass to make good a course of 145°T? 

    N a. 134°
    N b. 139°
    N c. 151°
    Y d. 156°
15443: As you enter Chesapeake Bay, visibility improves. At 2235 you are between Chesapeake Channel Buoys "5" and "6" in the 41 foot dredged section of Chesapeake Channel. At that time, you change course to pass between buoys "9" and "10". If buoys "11" and "12" are extinguished, your best leading light to keep you in deep water in the Chesapeake Channel, as you approach the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel, would be __________. 

    N a. fixed red light on trestle "C"
    Y b. fixed green light on trestle "B"
    N c. fixed red light on trestle "B"
    N d. Thimble Shoal Light
15739: Your 1900 position is LAT 40°45.5'N, LONG 72°03.0'W. Your course is 046°T, and your engines are turning RPM's for 9 knots. At your 1939 DR position, what is the expected relative bearing of Montauk Point Light on the port bow? 

    N a. 024° relative
    Y b. 028° relative
    N c. 032° relative
    N d. 036° relative
15958: Your 1752 position is __________. 

    N a. less than 0.2 mile to the west of York Spit Channel
    N b. less than 0.2 mile to the east of York Spit Channel
    Y c. more than 0.2 mile to the west of York Spit Channel
    N d. more than 0.2 mile to the east of York Spit Channel
16007: If the visibility is 11 miles, what is the earliest time you can expect to see New Haven Light? 

    N a. The light is visible at 0352.
    N b. 0414
    Y c. 0443
    N d. You will not sight the light.
16007: If the visibility is 11 miles, what is the earliest time you can expect to see New Haven Light? 

    N a. The light is visible at 0352.
    N b. 0414
    Y c. 0443
    N d. You will not sight the light.
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
16707: Point Judith Harbor of Refuge __________. 

    N a. is used mostly by towing vessels
    N b. has a maximum depth of 14 feet at MHW
    N c. is easily accessible in heavy southerly seas
    Y d. is entered through the East Gap or the West Gap
16838: At 0800 you obtain the following Loran-C readings:

9960-X-27101
9960-Y-41612
9960-Z-58737

What is your vessel's position? 

    N a. LAT 37°20.9'N, LONG 75°29.5'W
    Y b. LAT 37°21.0'N, LONG 75°32.0'W
    N c. LAT 37°19.8'N, LONG 75°30.6'W
    N d. LAT 37°20.8'N, LONG 75°31.2'W