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.

156: What are the dimensions of the Old River Lock?
188: At 2020, what is the course to steer to enter the inbound lane of North Chesapeake Entrance traffic separation scheme if a northwesterly wind causes 3° of leeway?
314: At 1430, your position is LAT 37°12.8'N, LONG 76°17.7'W. At this time, you come left and steer 045°T. This course will lead you through a channel bordered by yellow buoys. The dashed magenta lines between the buoys mark __________.
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
450: If you want to put into Point Judith Harbor of Refuge, what chart should you use? 

    Y a. 13219
    N b. 13217
    N c. 13209
    N d. 13205
475: The great circle distance from LAT 35°08.0'S, LONG 19°26.0'E to LAT 33°16.0'S, LONG 115°36.0'E is 4559 miles and the initial course is 121°T. Determine the latitude of the vertex. 

    N a. 44°29.1'S
    Y b. 45°30.9'S
    N c. 46°18.2'S
    N d. 43°41.8'S
630: You are on a voyage from Corpus Christi, TX, to Fort de France, Martinique. The distance from pilot to pilot is 2190 miles (2521 statute miles). The speed of advance is 15.0 knots. You estimate a layover in Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands, of 16.0 hours. If you take departure at 0654 (ZD +6), 27 November, what is your ETA (ZD +4) at Fort de France? 

    N a. 2054, 3 December
    N b. 2254, 3 December
    Y c. 0254, 4 December
    N d. 2054, 4 December
632: The Memphis Gage reads 18.4 feet. The high point of your towboat is 48 feet above water. What is the vertical clearance as you pass under the Memphis Highway Bridge? 

    Y a. 46.4 feet
    N b. 53.8 feet
    N c. 66.4 feet
    N d. 75.4 feet
736: On 6 March , your 1854 zone time DR position is LAT 23°51.5'N, LONG 73°14.0'W. At that time you observe Polaris with a sextant altitude (hs) of 24°16.5'. The chronometer time of the sight is 11h 52m 40s, and the chronometer error is 01m 56s slow. The index error is 5.0' on the arc, and the height of eye is 43.5 feet (13.3 meters.) What is your latitude by Polaris? 

    N a. 23°29.5'N
    Y b. 23°36.3'N
    N c. 23°49.9'N
    N d. 24°02.9'N
1228: As you pass under the Natchez-Vidalia Dual Bridge, the gage on the bridge reads 8.9 ft. If the highest point on your vessel is 54 ft. above the water, what is your vertical clearance? 

    Y a. 63.1 feet
    N b. 65.3 feet
    N c. 67.2 feet
    N d. 122.0 feet
1293: What is indicated by the two light gray shaded areas that cross the river above False River Lt. (mile 251.0 AHP)? 

    Y a. Utility crossings
    N b. Ferry crossings
    N c. Aerial cable crossings
    N d. Bridge construction
1304: 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? 

    N a. 1919 on 15 May
    N b. 2344 on 15 May
    N c. 1113 on 16 May
    Y d. 1757 on 16 May
1465: On 22 April , your 0344 zone time DR position is LAT 21°16.0'N, LONG 107°32.0'W. At that time, you observe Spica bearing 236°psc. The chronometer reads 10h 45m 16s,
and the chronometer error is 00m 25s fast. The variation is 7.5°E. What is the deviation of the standard compass? 

    N a. 1.1°W
    Y b. 5.2°E
    N c. 5.2°W
    N d. 6.1°W
1736: What are the color and shape of Joseph Henry Daymark at mile 445.2 AHP? 

    N a. Red - Triangle
    N b. Green - Square
    N c. Green - Triangle
    Y d. Red - Diaomond
1768: The Natchez Gage reads 14.5 feet. The high point on your towboat is 47 feet above the water. What is the vertical clearance as you pass under the Natchez - Vidalia Highway Bridge? 

    N a. 58.0 feet
    Y b. 64.5 feet
    N c. 72.5 feet
    N d. 78.6 feet
1783: At 2048 ZT, on 13 October , in DR position LAT 44°02.8'S, LONG 146°58.3'E, you observe an amplitude of Venus. The planet is about one Sun's diameter above the visible horizon and bears 222.2°psc. The variation is 15°E. What is the deviation? 

    N a. 0.0°
    N b. 1.1°E
    Y c. 1.0°W
    N d. 1.5°W
1803: As you approach Shreves cut-off you see Red River Landing Gage (mile 302.4 AHP) which reads 4.2 feet. The Low Water Reference Plane (LWRP) is 10.6 feet. Which of the following statements is TRUE? 

    N a. This reading is 6.4 feet above the Low Water Reference Plane.
    N b. A vessel drawing 8 ft would be able to pass over the sill at Old River Lock
    Y c. This reading is 6.4 feet below the Low Water Reference Plane.
    N d. A vessel drawing 7 ft. would be able to pass through the locks at Lower Old River.
1909: On 22 March , your 1834 DR position is LAT 26°13.5'S, LONG 108°36.5'W. You observe an unidentified star bearing 294°T at an observed altitude (Ho) of 33°02.7'. The chronometer reads 01h 32m 37s, and is 01m 50s slow. What star did you observe? 

    N a. Regulus
    Y b. Menkar
    N c. Rigel
    N d. Alphard
2028: You are turning for 10 mph and passing Hog Point, LA. (mile 297.5 AHP). Angola reports that the current at Red River Landing is 4.5 mph. Which statement is TRUE? 

    N a. The main channel lies on the south side of the island you see ahead.
    N b. You are making 14.5 mph over the ground.
    Y c. An underwater stone dike has been constructed 0.5 miles upstream of Miles Bar Towhead.
    N d. You would expect to find the more favorable current near the broken red line in the river.
2094: At your current speed of 20 knots you only have enough fuel remaining to travel 218 miles. You must travel 395 miles to reach your destination. What should you reduce your speed (knots) to in order to reach your destination? 

    N a. 17.4
    N b. 16.2
    Y c. 14.9
    N d. 13.7
2114: At 0209, your position is LAT 41°01.8'N, LONG 72°40.8'W.
What course should you steer per standard magnetic compass to make good 278° magnetic? (assume no set and drift) 

    N a. 262.0°psc
    N b. 265.0°psc
    Y c. 275.5°psc
    N d. 280.5°psc
2116: At 0300, your position is LAT 41°01.7'N, LONG 72°55.1'W. From this position you steer a course of 289° per standard magnetic compass at an engine speed of 10.0 knots. At what time can you first expect to see Stratford Shoal Middle Ground Light if the luminous range is 8.0 miles? 

    Y a. 0303
    N b. 0309
    N c. 0312
    N d. 0318
2169: At 0600 ZT, on 24 July , your DR position is LAT 22°37'N, LONG 32°45'W. You are steering 185°T at a speed of 20.0 knots. Determine the computed altitude (Hc) and azimuth (Zn) for an observation of the Sun's lower limb taken at 1030 ZT. At this time the chronometer reads 00h 30m 16s and is 0m 31s slow. 

    N a. Hc 64°27.5'  Zn 092.3°
    N b. Hc 64°30.8'  Zn 090.1°
    Y c. Hc 64°41.7'  Zn 087.8°
    N d. Hc 64°44.2'  Zn 094.7°
2668: Your vessel is on a course of 255°T, at 14 knots. At 2116 a lighthouse is sighted dead ahead at a distance of 11 miles. You change course at this time to pass the lighthouse 3 miles abeam to port. What will be your ETA at this position off the lighthouse? 

    N a. 2149
    Y b. 2201
    N c. 2212
    N d. 2228
2866: Your vessel is on a course of 311°T at 21 knots. At 1957 a light bears 337.5°T, and at 2018 the light bears 356°T. At what time and at what distance off will your vessel be when abeam of the light? 

    N a. 2027, 5.2 miles
    N b. 2033, 6.8 miles
    Y c. 2039, 7.4 miles
    N d. 2043, 10.3 miles
3110: You are turning 78 RPM, with a propeller pitch of 21 feet, and an estimated slip of -7%. What is the speed of advance? 

    N a. 14.9 knots
    N b. 15.7 knots
    Y c. 17.3 knots
    N d. 17.8 knots
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
3611: The track line on the chart is 274°T. Variation is 4°E, and deviation is 2°E. The gyro error is 1.5°E. What course would be steered by gyrocompass to make good the desired course? 

    N a. 280.5°pgc
    N b. 278.0°pgc
    N c. 275.5°pgc
    Y d. 272.5°pgc
3613: You are steering a magnetic compass course of 075°. The variation for the area is 10°W, and the compass deviation is 5°E. What is the true course you are steering? 

    N a. 060°T
    Y b. 070°T
    N c. 080°T
    N d. 090°T
10302: Determine the course per standard magnetic compass from Cerberus Shoal Buoy 9 (LAT 41°10.4'N, LONG 71°57.1'W) to a position 0.2 mile south of Race Rock Light (LAT 41°14.6'N, LONG 72°02.8'W). 

    Y a. 326.5°psc
    N b. 324.0°psc
    N c. 298.5°psc
    N d. 296.0°psc
11107: What is the time (Daylight Savings Time) of the first high tide on 1 July 1983 at Great Salt Pond on Block Island? 

    Y a. 0027
    N b. 0448
    N c. 1158
    N d. 1203
11109: What is the velocity of the maximum ebb current approximately 1.1 miles ENE of Little Gull Island in the afternoon of 25 April 1983? 

    Y a. 5.5 knots
    N b. 4.7 knots
    N c. 4.2 knots
    N d. 1.3 knots
11706: Your position is LAT 37°00.0'N, LONG 75°30.0'W. What is the course to steer per standard magnetic compass to arrive at LAT 36°59.0'N, LONG 75°48.5'W, if you are turning for 8.7 knots, the current is 039°T at 1.3 knots, and a northwesterly wind is causing 3° of leeway? 

    N a. 264.0°
    N b. 267.5°
    N c. 270.0°
    Y d. 273.0°
13709: Anchorage regulations for this area may be obtained from __________. 

    Y a. Office of the Commander 5th Coast Guard District
    N b. Commanding General, Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
    N c. Virginia - Maryland Pilots Association
    N d. Chesapeake Bay Port Authority, Hampton, VA
13809: Which chart, of the same scale, continues eastward from this chart? 

    Y a. 13205
    N b. 13212
    N c. 13214
    N d. 13216
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
15209: At 1800, Tue Marshes Light bears 264.5°pgc, York Spit Swash Channel Light "3" bears 007°pgc. Your position is __________. 

    N a. LAT 37°15.5'N,  LONG 76°19.8'W
    N b. LAT 37°15.2'N,  LONG 76°20.3'W
    N c. LAT 37°15.0'N,  LONG 76°20.0'W
    Y d. LAT 37°14.5'N,  LONG 76°20.1'W
15266: At 1210, you are in position LAT 41°14.3'N, LONG 72°16.5'W. What is the charted depth of water? 

    N a. 97 feet (29.4 meters)
    Y b. 108 feet (32.7 meters)
    N c. 119 feet (36.1 meters)
    N d. 125 feet (37.9 meters)
15564: What was the current between 0520 and 0600? 

    N a. 178° at 0.8 knot
    N b. 178° at 1.2 knot
    N c. 358° at 0.8 knot
    Y d. 358° at 1.2 knots
15568: At 0520, you are on course 243°pgc at 12 knots. What is the course per standard magnetic compass? 

    N a. 262°psc
    Y b. 258°psc
    N c. 233°psc
    N d. 227°psc
15740: At 2000 Montauk Point Light bears 010°T. At 2030 Montauk Point Light bears 348°T. Assuming that you are making good your course of 046°T and a speed of 9 knots, what is your 2030 running fix position? 

    N a. LAT 40°53.9'N,  LONG 71°51.3'W
    Y b. LAT 40°54.2'N,  LONG 71°50.2'W
    N c. LAT 40°55.9'N,  LONG 71°49.0'W
    N d. LAT 40°56.7'N,  LONG 71°48.1'W
15815: From your 0130 position, you take the following radar ranges:

Mattituck Inlet Light @ 4.6 nm
Falkner Island Light @ 10.75


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
    N c. LAT 41°01.6'N,  LONG 72°40.0'W
    Y d. LAT 41°02.0'N,  LONG 72°39.5'W
15860: At 0100, your position is LAT 41°05.3 N, LONG 72°29.2 W. You head for the position one mile north of Mattituck Inlet Light and turn to make good 9.0 knots. If the visibility is about 2 miles, at what approximate time will you sight the light? 

    N a. The light is visible at 0100
    N b. 0109
    Y c. 0120
    N d. 0128
15862: At 0125, you change course to make good 280°T. What is the course per standard magnetic compass? 

    N a. 290°psc
    Y b. 292°psc
    N c. 294°psc
    N d. 296°psc
15864: At 0200, you take the following bearingss:

Mattituck Inlet Light bearing 125°pgc
Falkner Island Light bearing 355°pgc

What is the position of your 0200 fix? 

    Y a. LAT 41°03.9'N, LONG 72°38.9'W
    N b. LAT 41°03.8'N, LONG 72°39.1'W
    N c. LAT 41°03.7'N, LONG 72°38.5'W
    N d. LAT 41°03.5'N, LONG 72°38.8'W
16006: You are on course 082°T, and the engines are turning for 8 knots. At 0352, you take the following bearings:

Stratford Point Light 016°pgc
Stratford Shoal (Middle Ground) Light 137°pgc

What is your 0352 position? 

    N a. LAT 41°05.0'N, LONG 73°08.0'W
    Y b. LAT 41°05.2'N, LONG 73°07.8'W
    N c. LAT 41°05.3'N, LONG 73°07.5'W
    N d. LAT 41°05.4'N, LONG 73°07.7'W
16369: As you pass between Trestle B and Trestle C of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge - Tunnel, you sight along Trestle C when it is in line. The gyro bearing is 051°. What is the gyro error by observation? 

    N a. 4°E
    N b. 2°E
    N c. 0°
    Y d. 2°W
16467: Weather broadcasts for the Norfolk area are broadcast on which frequency? 

    N a. 162.30 MHz
    N b. 162.35 MHz
    N c. 162.50 MHz
    Y d. 162.55 MHz
16513: At 0748, you change course to 160°T. What loran reading can you follow to remain on this course? 

    Y a. 9960-W-14651.0
    N b. 9960-W-14660.0
    N c. 9960-Y-43852.0
    N d. 9960-Y-43943.8
16559: At 1800, your position is LAT 41°06.5'N, LONG 71°43.5'W. How should the buoy which bears 030°T from your position at a range of approximately 0.5 mile be painted? 

    N a. Horizontally banded, red over green, with a red buoyancy chamber
    Y b. Horizontally banded, green over red, with a green buoyancy chamber
    N c. Vertically striped, red and green
    N d. Solid red with green letters "BIS"
16715: From your 0600 position, what is the course per gyrocompass to leave Watch Hill Light abeam to starboard at 2.0 miles if a southerly wind is producing 3° of leeway? 

    Y a. 252°pgc
    N b. 256°pgc
    N c. 258°pgc
    N d. 262°pgc