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.

179: In order to check your compasses, you sight North Dumpling Island Light in line with Latimer Reef Light bearing 077°pgc. The helmsman was steering 307°pgc and 320° per standard magnetic compass at the time. Which statement is TRUE?
196: What course per standard magnetic compass is (psc) the same as 247°pgc?
223: At 1920, Cape Henry Light bears 225°pgc, and Chesapeake Channel Tunnel North Light bears 288°pgc. If your heading is 268°T, what is the relative bearing of Chesapeake Light?
230: At 2123, your position is LAT 37°20.0'N, LONG 76°03.0'W. What is your distance offshore of Savage Neck? 

    Y a. 1.7 miles
    N b. 2.6 miles
    N c. 3.4 miles
    N d. 4.6 miles
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
372: If you change course at 0610, what is the course to steer to a point where Little Gull Island Light bears 180°T at 0.7 mile (Point "A")? 

    N a. 084°pgc
    Y b. 080°pgc
    N c. 076°pgc
    N d. 072°pgc
445: You can follow what loran reading between your two positions? 

    N a. There is no loran reading to follow.
    N b. 9960-Y-43958
    Y c. 9960-X-25982
    N d. 9960-W-14655
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
537: Determine the distance from LAT 19°54.0'N, LONG 166°36.0'E to LAT 19°54.0'N, LONG 157°54.0'W. by parallel sailing. 

    N a. 2204.6 miles
    N b. 2006.9 miles
    Y c. 2002.8 miles
    N d. 1990.6 miles
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
668: A great circle track would be most advantageous when compared to the rhumb line track on which route? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC5274) 

    N a. Cayenne (LAT 4°40'N, LONG 52°15'W) to Sao Tome (LAT 0°00', LONG 6°45'E)
    Y b. Palm Beach, FL, to the English Channel
    N c. Natal, Brazil, to Reykjavik, Iceland
    N d. Recife, Brazil, to Monrovia
706: The solid lines extending into the channel at mile 948 AHP are __________. 

    N a. revetments
    Y b. dikes
    N c. spoil areas
    N d. Westvaco Service Facilities
747: On 14 March , at 1845 ZT, you take a sextant observation of Polaris. Your DR position is LAT 29°10'N, LONG 154°30'W, and your sextant reads 29°53.5'. Your chronometer reads 04h 42m 36s, and the chronometer error is 02m 24s slow. Your height of eye is 24 feet, and the index error is 1.3' off the arc. Determine the latitude by Polaris. 

    N a. 29°11.7'N
    N b. 29°15.5'N
    N c. 29°18.0'N
    Y d. 29°21.3'N
748: On 7 May , you observe Polaris for latitude at 0303 ZT. Your DR position is LAT 56°35.4'N, LONG 05°38.9'W. The sextant altitude is 56°11.1'. The height of eye is 36', and the index error is 3.3' off the arc. What is the latitude at the time of the sight? 

    N a. 56°24.6'N
    N b. 56°32.6'N
    N c. 56°35.0'N
    Y d. 56°38.7'N
818: On 30 December , in DR position LAT 28°24.0'S, LONG 32°15.0'W, you take an ex-meridian observation of the Sun's lower limb. The chronometer time of the sight is 02h 09m 16s, and the chronometer error is 00m 00s. The sextant altitude (hs) is 84°03.3'. The index error is 3.5' off the arc, and your height of eye is 62.0 feet. What is the latitude at meridian transit? 

    N a. LAT 28°50.6'S
    Y b. LAT 28°51.9'S
    N c. LAT 28°54.2'S
    N d. LAT 28°56.6'S
994: At 0600 zone time, on 16 March , your DR position is LAT 20°10.0'N, LONG 81°30.0'W. You are steering course 300°T. The speed over the ground is 10 knots. You observed 3 morning sun lines. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 1130 running fix? NP-0004

    N a. LAT 20°28.5'N, LONG 82°12.6'W
    N b. LAT 20°32.0'N, LONG 82°16.4'W
    Y c. LAT 20°39.0'N, LONG 82°22.9'W
    N d. LAT 20°42.5'N, LONG 82°26.2'W
1237: 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
1237: 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
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
1297: At 0645, on the 17th of April, you pass Hole in the Wall Lt. (mile 373.4 AHP). What has been your average speed since departing the Exxon Refinery? 

    N a. 8.8 mph
    N b. 7.3 mph
    N c. 6.8 mph
    Y d. 6.3 mph
1474: On 14 January , your 0746 zone time DR position is LAT 26°37.0'N, LONG 153°19.0'W. At that time, you observe the Sun bearing 123°psc. The chronometer reads 05h 49m 16s, and the chronometer error is 02m 29s fast. The variation is 3°W. What is the deviation of the standard magnetic compass? 

    Y a. 1.4°W
    N b. 1.6°E
    N c. 3.4°E
    N d. 4.4°W
1491: On 5 February , your 2320 ZT position is LAT 52°28'N, LONG 23°48'W. You observe Polaris bearing 000.2°pgc. At the time of the observation the helmsman noted that he was heading 224°pgc and 244°psc. The variation is 20°W. What is the deviation for that heading? 

    N a. 0.0°
    Y b. 1.5°W
    N c. 3.0°W
    N d. 4.5°W
1689: What daymark will you see as you approach Warnicott Bar Lt. (mile 351.3 AHP)? 

    N a. Red diamond
    N b. Red triangle
    Y c. Green square
    N d. White square
1721: What is the total length of the trip? 

    Y a. 850.6 miles
    N b. 894.8miles
    N c. 922.5 miles
    N d. 946.5 miles
1746: The Crooked River empties into which river? 

    Y a. Missouri
    N b. Mississippi
    N c. Tennessee
    N d. Ohio
1811: Where would you find out which buoys, if any, are in place at Concordia Bar crossing (mile 596.0 AHP)? 

    Y a. Notice to Mariners
    N b. Bulletin board at the Rosedale Gage
    N c. Waterways Journal
    N d. None of the above
1870: 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 313°T at a sextant altitude (hs) of 14°56.3'. 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? 

    Y a. Menkalinan
    N b. Mirzam
    N c. Theta Aurigae
    N d. Alnitak
1886: On 8 April , your evening DR position is LAT 22°16'N, LONG 157°58.3'W. You observe an unidentified star bearing 246°T at an observed altitude (Ho) of 58°45.5'. The chronometer reads 05h 09m 57s, and is 01m 23s slow. What star did you observe? 

    Y a. Betelgeuse
    N b. Aldebaran
    N c. Alnilam
    N d. Bellatrix
2013: On 28 October , morning twilight will occur around 0524 ZT in LAT 25°25.0'N, LONG 32°33.3'W. Considering their magnitude and location, which group will be the three stars best suited to observe for a star fix at star time? 

    N a. Sirius, Hamal, Denebola
    N b. Sirius, Denebola, Dubhe
    Y c. Sirius, Capella, Denebola
    N d. Sirius, Mirfak, Hamal
2100: From your 2118 position, you are steering 288°T at an engine speed of 7.0 knots. If visibility is suddenly reduced to 2 miles, at what time can you expect Old Point Comfort Light to become visible again? 

    N a. The light is visible at 2118.
    N b. 2155
    N c. 2220
    Y d. 2232
2322: At 1032 on 24 June, you pass Carolina Landing Light (mile 508.8 AHP). What has been the average current since 2350, 23 June, if you have been making turns for 9.0 mph? 

    Y a. 0.5 mph
    N b. 1.5 mph
    N c. 5.7 mph
    N d. 8.5 mph
2884: Your vessel is steering 238°T at 11 knots. At 2304 a light bears 176°T, and at 2323 the same light bears 155°T. What will be your distance off abeam? 

    N a. 7.5 miles
    N b. 8.0 miles
    Y c. 8.5 miles
    N d. 9.0 miles
2906: You are steaming on a course of 211°T at 17 knots. At 0417 a light bears 184°T, and at 0428 the same light bears 168°T. What is the distance off the light at 0428? 

    N a. 3.4 miles
    N b. 4.6 miles
    Y c. 5.1 miles
    N d. 5.6 miles
2912: Your vessel is on a course of 079°T at 11 knots. At 0152 a light bears 105.5°T, and at 0209 the light bears 124°T.
At what time and at what distance off will your vessel be when abeam of the light? 

    N a. 0219, 2.3 miles
    Y b. 0226, 3.1 miles
    N c. 0233, 3.9 miles
    N d. 0242, 4.7 miles
3054: The propeller on a vessel has a diameter of 22.8 feet and a pitch of 19.3 feet. What would be the apparent slip if the vessel cruised 287 miles in a 24 hour day (observed distance) at an average RPM of 67? 

    N a. -6.3%
    Y b. +6.3%
    N c. -24.0%
    N d. +24.0%
3266: Your vessel has consumed 1087 bbls of fuel after steaming 2210 miles at a speed of 10.75 kts. What is the maximum speed you can steam for the last 1000 miles of the voyage on the remaining 725 bbls, if you estimate 3% of the fuel is not usable? 

    N a. 11.43 knots
    N b. 11.76 knots
    Y c. 12.84 knots
    N d. 15.33 knots
3267: Your vessel arrives in port with sufficient fuel to steam 726 miles at 16 knots. If you are unable to take on bunkers, at what speed must you proceed to reach your next port, 873 miles distant? 

    Y a. 14.6 knots
    N b. 15.1 knots
    N c. 16.3 knots
    N d. 16.8 knots
3311: You have steamed 162 miles and consumed 14.0 tons of fuel. If you maintain the same speed, how many tons of fuel will you consume while steaming 285 miles? 

    Y a. 24.6 tons
    N b. 34.7 tons
    N c. 43.3 tons
    N d. 54.8 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
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
3469: You are underway on course 315°T at 14 knots. The current is 135°T at 1.9 knots. What is the speed being made good? 

    Y a. 12.1 knots
    N b. 13.5 knots
    N c. 14.0 knots
    N d. 15.9 knots
3772: Your ship is entering port from sea, and you sight a pair of range lights. When in line, they bear 315° per standard magnetic compass. The chart shows that the range bearing is 312°T, and that variation is 6°W. What is the deviation of your compass at the time of the sighting? 

    Y a. 3°E
    N b. 3°W
    N c. 9°E
    N d. 9°W
4012: 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 210°.
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. 0.0°
    N b. 0.5°W
    N c. 0.5°E
    N d. 1.0°E
10600: At 1620 your GPS indicates a position of LAT 41°09.0'N, LONG 72°40.0'W. You are on course 134° per standard magnetic compass at a speed of 10 knots. At 1700 your GPS indicates your position as LAT 41°05.3'N, LONG 72°33.7'W. What were the set and drift? 

    N a. 067°T at 1.7 knots
    N b. 078°T at 1.1 knots
    N c. 243°T at 1.0 knot
    Y d. 249°T at 1.6 knots
11001: What time will high water occur at Saybrook Jetty on the morning of 29 October 1983? 

    N a. 0145
    N b. 0255
    Y c. 0405
    N d. 0920
11811: What is the true course to steer between Horton Pt. Light and a position 2 miles due south of Branford Reef Light, if the set and drift of the current are 40°T at 1.5 knots, and an easterly wind will cause 3° of leeway? Your engines are making turns for 12 knots. 

    N a. 277°T
    N b. 283°T
    Y c. 287°T
    N d. 291°T
15046: As you pass through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel,
you take a bearing of 047°pgc along trestle C when it is in line. The helmsman reports the vessel's heading as 316°
pgc and 329°psc. What is the deviation on that heading? 

    N a. 3°E
    N b. 1°E
    Y c. 1°W
    N d. 9°W
15107: 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 __________. 

    Y a. north northwest
    N b. south southwest
    N c. east southeast
    N d. east
15544: At 2310 your position is LAT 41°05.5'N, LONG 72°33.7'W and you change course to make good 068°T. A radar speed check using Twenty Eight Foot Shoal Buoy indicates your speed over the ground is 13.6 knots. At 2325 Horton Point Light bears 129°T. At 2341 the same light bears 194°T. What is the position of your 2341 running fix? 

    N a. LAT 41°07.9'N, LONG 72°25.9'W
    N b. LAT 41°08.3'N, LONG 72°25.8'W
    Y c. LAT 41°08.5'N, LONG 72°25.6'W
    N d. LAT 41°08.8'N, LONG 72°25.2'W
15841: At 2030 you take the following bearings:

Sand Shoal Inlet South Light - 275°T
Cape Charles Light - 235°T



The set and drift from 2000 to 2030 are __________. 

    N a. 088° at 0.7 knot
    N b. 088° at 1.4 knots
    N c. 268° at 0.7 knot
    Y d. 268° at 1.4 knots
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.
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
16109: You are turning for 9 knots, a westerly wind is causing 3° of leeway, and the current is 320°T at 1.2 knots. What true course should you steer to remain in the northern leg of York Spit Channel? 

    N a. 191°T
    Y b. 194°T
    N c. 197°T
    N d. 203°T