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.


142: As you approach West Memphis Lt. (mile 727.4 AHP) you notice on the map a dashed line crossing the river. This line indicates a __________.


184: At 1930, your position is LAT 37°16.7'N, LONG 75°37.7'W. The depth of water is approximately __________.


234: Which structure should you look for while trying to locate Southwest Ledge Light?


239: What do the dotted lines around Goose Island and Kimberly Reef represent?

    Y a. Depth contours
    N b. Breakers
    N c. Limiting danger
    N d. Tide rips

271: At 0844, the range to the north end of Falkner Island is 2.0 miles and the left tangent bearing is 102°T. What is the approximate charted depth of the water?

    Y a. 29 ft (8.8 meters)
    N b. 22 ft (6.7 meters)
    N c. 19 ft (5.8 meters)
    N d. 14 ft (4.2 meters)

339: The coastline by Cape Henry is best described as __________.

    N a. rocky with pine scrubs
    N b. low wetlands
    Y c. sandy hills about eighty feet high
    N d. low and thinly wooded with many beach houses

452: Determine the great circle distance and initial course from LAT 35°17.6'N, LONG 144°23.0'E to LAT 47°36.0'N, LONG 124°22.0'W.

    N a. 3946 miles, 312°T
    Y b. 3931 miles, 048°T
    N c. 3881 miles, 042°T
    N d. 3718 miles, 318°T

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

595: You are passing the Bayou Sara Gage which reads 3.9 feet. The low water reference plane (LWRP) at Bayou Sara is 5.25 feet. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

    N a. The river level is above the Low Water Reference Plane.
    N b. Red Store Landing Revetment is ahead on your starboard side
    N c. This gage reading is at a lower elevation than the same reading on the Gage at Head of Passes.
    Y d. None of the above.

660: You are planning a voyage between Portland, LAT 46°05'N, LONG 124°00'W, and Korea via LAT 44°00'N, LONG 155°00'E. Which statement is TRUE? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5270)

    N a. You can sail a great circle track between the two points.
    N b. The vertex of the great circle track is north of the Aleutian Islands.
    N c. Distance is measured in 60-mile segments using the length of a degree of latitude at the mid-latitude.
    Y d. You can steam on course 270°T, at latitude 52°N, between longitudes 149°W and 160°W in a composite sailing.

674: What are the dimensions of the Port Allen Lock at Baton Rouge, LA?

    N a. 75 feet x 1188 feet
    Y b. 84 feet x 1188 feet
    N c. 84 feet x 1180 feet
    N d. 75 feet x 1180 feet

993: Your 0745 ZT, 15 July , position is LAT 29°04.0'N, LONG 71°17.5'W. You are on course 165°T, and your speed is 8.0 knots. You observed 3 morning sun lines. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 1130 running fix? NP-0003

    Y a. LAT 28°35.0'N, LONG 71°08.5'W
    N b. LAT 28°39.8'N, LONG 71°04.0'W
    N c. LAT 28°40.5'N, LONG 71°13.0'W
    N d. LAT 28°43.3'N, LONG 71°02.5'W

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

1104: On 19 November , your 0200 zone time DR position is LAT 20°29.0'N, LONG 150°21.3'E. You are on course 136°T at a speed of 18 knots. You observed 3 celestial bodies. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 0600 running fix. NP-0033

    N a. LAT 19°30.1'N, LONG 151°06.0'E
    N b. LAT 19°31.7'N, LONG 151°04.9'E
    Y c. LAT 19°33.0'N, LONG 151°10.0'E
    N d. LAT 19°35.8'N, LONG 151°13.6'E

1211: It is 15 July and you are keeping +7 zone time. You are on course 095°, speed 16 knots. Your 0800 DR position is LAT 25°39.4'N, LONG 129°46.2'W. What is the time of the second estimate of LAN by ship's clocks?

    N a. 13h 40m 17s
    Y b. 13h 38m 26s
    N c. 12h 42m 20s
    N d. 12h 38m 20s

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

1543: As you pass under the Natchez-Vidalia Dual Bridge, the gage on the bridge reads -3.6 feet. If the highest point on your vessel is 62 ft. above the water, what is your vertical clearance?

    N a. 60.0 feet
    N b. 63.6 feet
    Y c. 67.6 feet
    N d. 122.0 feet

1687: What are the light characteristics of Greenwood Light (mile 288.6 AHP).

    N a. Fixed red light
    N b. 1 red flash every 4 seconds
    Y c. 2 red flashes every 5 seconds
    N d. 2 white flashes every 4 seconds

1775: At 1412 you increase speed to make good 10.2 mph. At 1506 you have a daymark on your port beam. Which daymark is this?

    N a. Bessie Daymark
    Y b. Nolan Light
    N c. Everetts Light
    N d. Marr Towhead Light

1780: At 1523 ZT, on 14 June , in DR position LAT 31°58'S, LONG 48°42'W you observe an amplitude of the Moon. The center of the Moon is on the visible horizon and bears 118.0°psc. The variation is 10°W. What is the deviation?

    N a. 2.5°W
    Y b. 2.1°W
    N c. 1.7°W
    N d. 1.7°E

2113: From your 0130 position, you change course to adjust for set and drift, and you later obtain the following bearings:


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

What is the latitude and longitude of your 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
    N c. LAT 41°01.6'N, LONG 72°40.0'W
    Y d. LAT 41°02.0'N, LONG 72°39.5'W

2245: You are entering the channel at buoy 29 and turning for 9 knots. An easterly 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 middle leg of York Spit Channel?

    N a. 162°T
    Y b. 165°T
    N c. 168°T
    N d. 171°T

2371: Which of the following statements are TRUE?

    N a. Oil well structures are listed in the Light List.
    N b. All aids to navigation with lights have lateral significance.
    Y c. On the Western Rivers, crossing marks may exhibit white lights.
    N d. None of the above.

2582: From your 1750 GPS position at LAT 41°15.6'N, LONG 072°11.5'W, you plot a course of 255°T at 8.5 kts. At what time would you see Falkner Island Light, if visibility is 10 miles?

    N a. 1819
    Y b. 1850
    N c. 1910
    N d. 1917

2590: You have maneuvered for traffic and at 2215 you obtain the following radar information:

Middle Ground Light bearing 287° pgc @ 6.65 nm


What course must you steer to arrive at buoy "PJ", passing 0.5 nm off "Mt Misery Shoal"?

    N a. 237° psc
    N b. 257° psc
    Y c. 261° psc
    N d. 265° psc

2658: You are steering 202°T, and a light is picked up dead ahead at a distance of 14.6 miles at 2234. You change course to pass the light 5 miles off abeam to starboard. If you are making 21 knots, what is your ETA at the position 5 miles off the light?

    N a. 2310
    Y b. 2313
    N c. 2316
    N d. 2319

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

2887: Your vessel is steering 283°T at 10 knots. At 0538 a light bears 350°T, and at 0552 the same light bears 002°T. What will be your distance off abeam?

    N a. 9.6 miles
    Y b. 10.3 miles
    N c. 10.7 miles
    N d. 11.3 miles

2889: While underway you sight a light 11° on your port bow at a distance of 12 miles. Assuming you make good your course, what will be your distance off the light when abeam?

    Y a. 2.3 miles
    N b. 3.1 miles
    N c. 3.9 miles
    N d. 4.5 miles

3082: The speed of advance necessary to arrive in port at a designated time is 15.8 knots. The pitch of the propeller is 20.75 feet. You estimate 5% positive slip. How many RPM must you turn to make the necessary speed?

    N a. 73.5
    N b. 76.2
    N c. 79.9
    Y d. 81.2

3250: You are taking a time tick using the 1200 signal from Valparaiso, Chile. You hear a series of 1 second dashes followed by a 9 second silent period, then a long 1.3 second dash. At the beginning of the long dash, your comparing watch reads 12h 00m 18s. When compared to the chronometer, the comparing watch reads 12h 01m 23s, and the chronometer reads 11h 59m 35s. What is the chronometer error?

    N a. 0m 18s fast
    N b. 1m 05s fast
    N c. 0m 25s slow
    Y d. 1m 30s slow

3289: While steaming at 17.0 knots, your vessel consumes 382 barrels of fuel oil per day. In order to reduce consumption to 223 barrels of fuel oil per day, what is the maximum speed the vessel can turn for?

    N a. 9.9 knots
    N b. 11.8 knots
    N c. 13.0 knots
    Y d. 14.2 knots

3298: Your vessel consumes 216 barrels of fuel per day at a speed of 15.0 knots. What will be the fuel consumption of your vessel at 17.5 knots?

    N a. 232 bbls
    N b. 252 bbls
    N c. 294 bbls
    Y d. 343 bbls

3300: You have steamed 156 miles and consumed 19 tons of fuel. If you maintain the same speed, how many tons of fuel will you consume while steaming 273 miles?

    N a. 23.6 tons
    N b. 27.9 tons
    Y c. 33.3 tons
    N d. 37.2 tons

3653: The true course between two points is 106°. Your gyrocompass has an error of 2°E and you make an allowance of 2° leeway for a south wind. What gyro course should be steered to make the true course good?

    N a. 102°pgc
    N b. 104°pgc
    Y c. 106°pgc
    N d. 108°pgc

3753: Your vessel is proceeding up a channel, and you see a pair of range lights that are in line dead ahead. The chart indicates that the direction of this pair of lights is 343°T, and the variation is 5° west. If the heading of your vessel at the time of the sighting is 344° per standard magnetic compass, what is the correct deviation?

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

6144: What are the dimensions of the Old River Lock on the Lower Old River (mile 304 AHP)?

    Y a. 1190 X 75 feet
    N b. 1185 X 84 feet
    N c. 1190 X 84 feet
    N d. 1185 X 75 feet

10303: Determine the course per standard magnetic compass from 0.2 mile south of Race Rock Light (LAT 41°14.6'N, LONG 72°02.8'W) to the entrance of the channel to Lake Montauk (west of Montauk Point).

    N a. 137.0°psc
    N b. 152.0°psc
    N c. 165.5°psc
    Y d. 168.5°psc

10505: At 0919 your position is LAT 37°00.0'N, LONG 75°30.0'W. You are on course 270°T at 8.7 knots. At 1000 your position is LAT 36°59.5'N, LONG 75°37.0'W. What was the current?

    N a. 137° at 0.6 knot
    Y b. 150° at 1.0 knot
    N c. 331° at 0.7 knot
    N d. 347° at 0.7 knot

10507: At 0919 your position is LAT 37°00.0'N, LONG 75°30.0'W. You are on course 270°T at 10.5 knots. At 1020 your position is LAT 36°59.5'N, LONG 75°44.9'W. What was the current?

    N a. 026° at 0.7 knot
    N b. 046° at 1.0 knot
    N c. 226° at 0.8 knot
    Y d. 246° at 1.4 knots

12100: You sight Wolf Trap Light in line with New Point Comfort Spit Light "2" bearing 040° per standard magnetic compass. You are on course 319° per standard magnetic compass. Based on this, you __________.

    Y a. know the compass error is 8°W
    N b. should apply 3°Easterly deviation to the bearing
    N c. know the deviation table is incorrect
    N d. should suspect the compass may be affected by a local magnetic disturbance

14200: What is the length of the city wharf at The Dalles on the Columbia River?

    N a. 20 feet
    Y b. over 1000 feet
    N c. 800 feet
    N d. 600 feet

14501: You are proceeding in an easterly direction on the Columbia River. The pool level of the Bonneville Reservoir stands at 65 feet above MSL. If the highest point on your vessel is 54 feet above the water, what will be the vertical clearance as you pass under the overhead power cables at mile 186.2?

    N a. 94 feet
    N b. 101 feet
    Y c. 108 feet
    N d. 117 feet

15238: At 0930 you obtain a position from the following information: Race Rock Light bears 110°T at a range of 1.4 miles, and Goshen Point bears 330°T at a range of 3.3 miles. What are your present latitude and longitude?

    N a. 41°16.0'N, 72°09.5'W
    Y b. 41°15.1'N, 72°04.6'W
    N c. 41°17.4'N, 72°06.0'W
    N d. 41°14.6'N, 72°03.0'W

15246: From your 1845 position, you desire to leave Stratford Shoal Middle Ground Light 1.0 mile off your starboard beam at 1900. Which course and speed would you order if you allow for a 2.0 knot current with a set of 180°T?

    N a. 205°T at 9.2 knots
    N b. 208°T at 11.4 knots
    Y c. 215°T at 9.2 knots
    N d. 225°T at 11.5 knots

15514: From your 1850 fix, you come left to a course of 280°T,
while maintaining a speed of 10 knots. Which of the following combinations of available Loran-C lines would give the best cross for position determining?

    Y a. 9960-Y and 9960-W
    N b. 9960-X and 9960-Y
    N c. 9960-W and 9960-X
    N d. All are equally good.

15743: At 2155 Montauk Point Light bears 249°T, Watch Hill Point Light bears 335°T, and Block Island North Light bears 045°
T. At this time, you wish to change course to 288°T. The current has a set of 355°T and a drift of 2.0 knots. If your vessel is turning RPM's for 9 knots, what course must you steer in order to make your desired course good?

    Y a. 276°T
    N b. 280°T
    N c. 284°T
    N d. 288°T

15810: 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

15938: At 1910 you obtain the following bearings:

Bartlett Reef Light 268°T
Race Rock Light 147°T
Little Gull Island Light 198°T

Which of the following is your position at 1910?

    N a. LAT 41°17.4'N, LONG 72°05.6'W
    N b. LAT 41°17.0'N, LONG 72°07.1'W
    Y c. LAT 41°16.6'N, LONG 72°04.6'W
    N d. LAT 41°16.2'N, LONG 72°06.4'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