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.


96: As you approach Kate Aubrey Towhead Light (mile 789.5 AHP), your searchlight will show what type of marking at the light?


148: You are turning for 8.2 mph and estimate the current at 1.5 mph. What is you speed over the ground?


154: You see a buoy with red and green bands. This buoy marks __________.


170: You observe the lower limb of the Sun at a sextant altitude (hs) of 54°28.2' on 22 July . The index error is 1.5' off the arc. The height of eye is 56 feet (17.1 meters). What is the observed altitude (Ho)?

    N a. 54°30.9'
    N b. 54°36.2'
    Y c. 54°37.7'
    N d. 54°37.9'

190: On 2 January you observe the lower limb of the Sun at a sextant altitude (hs) of 35°50.4'. The index error is 0.8' on the arc. The height of eye is 24 feet (7.3 meters). What is the observed altitude (Ho)?

    N a. 35°50.3'
    N b. 35°54.7'
    Y c. 35°59.7'
    N d. 36°05.6'

212: If you were to head into Fishers Island Sound, which of the following charts would you switch to for better detail of Mystic and Mystic Harbor?

    N a. 13209
    N b. 13212
    Y c. 13214
    N d. 13215

397: Your vessel departs LAT 32°45'N, LONG 79°50'W, and is bound for LAT 34°21'S, LONG 18°29'E. Determine the distance by Mercator sailing.

    N a. 5,021 miles
    Y b. 6,884 miles
    N c. 6,954 miles
    N d. 7,002 miles

408: You depart LAT 37°36'N, LONG 123°00'W, and steam 2022 miles on course 241°T. What is the longitude of your arrival by Mercator sailing?

    N a. LONG 163°28.2'W
    N b. LONG 163°18.2'W
    Y c. LONG 156°51.7'W
    N d. LONG 154°18.3'W

443: At 1104, Watch Hill Point Light is in line with Stonington Outer Breakwater Light, the range to the south tip of Watch Hill Point is 2.6 miles and the range to the beach is 1.9 miles. You are steering to make good 075°T, speed 10.0 knots. At 1110, you change course to head for a position of LAT 41°05.0'N, LONG 71°50.0'W. What is the true course?

    N a. 193°
    Y b. 190°
    N c. 187°
    N d. 185°

477: The great circle distance from LAT 08°50.0'N, LONG 80°21.0'W to LAT 12°36.0'N, LONG 128°16.0'E is 8664 miles, and the initial course is 306.6°T. Determine the latitude of the vertex.

    Y a. 37°30.2'N
    N b. 37°39.6'N
    N c. 37°48.2'N
    N d. 37°53.6'N

523: At what time will you cross the 60 foot curve if you make good 12 knots?

    N a. 0544
    N b. 0541
    N c. 0534
    Y d. 0528

538: Determine the distance from LAT 23°24'S, LONG 13°54'E to LAT 23°24'S, LONG 42°48'W. by parallel sailing.

    N a. 3119.3 miles
    Y b. 3122.2 miles
    N c. 3124.5 miles
    N d. 3126.6 miles

670: You are on a voyage from Cape May (LAT 39°50'N, LONG 74°45'W) to the English Channel (LAT 49°00'N, LONG 05°00'W). What will NOT prohibit the use of a great circle track from departure to arrival? (Use gnomonic chart WOXZC5274.)

    N a. Newfoundland
    N b. Icebergs north of 48°N and west of 49°W
    N c. Islands approximately 50 miles south of Cape Cod
    Y d. The high latitude in which the vertex lies

684: At 1814, on 11 September, you pass under the Greenville Highway Bridge (mile 531.3 AHP). What speed must you average to arrive at Jimmy Hawken Light (mile 663.5 AHP) at 0930 the following day?

    N a. 9.7 mph
    Y b. 8.7 mph
    N c. 6.3 mph
    N d. 5.6 mph

1133: The Helena Gage reads 9.4 feet. The high point on your towboat is 42 feet above water. What is the vertical clearance when you pass under the Helena Highway Bridge?

    N a. 53.0 feet
    N b. 62.6 feet
    N c. 64.2 feet
    Y d. 68.0 feet

1142: At 1132, 24 May, you pass Natchez Beam Lt. (mile 364.8 AHP). What is your ETA off the Memphis Gage if you average 8.0 mph?

    N a. 2345, 25 May
    Y b. 0947, 26 May
    N c. 1525, 26 May
    N d. 2215, 26 May

1187: On 17 March , your 0800 zone time DR position is LAT 21°27.0'N, LONG 65°25.0'W. Your vessel is on course 105°T at a speed of 17.5 knots. What is the zone time of local apparent noon (LAN)?

    N a. 1210
    N b. 1218
    Y c. 1225
    N d. 1231

1233: What is the distance from Greenville, MS, to Tiptonville, TN on the Mississippi River System?

    N a. 95 miles
    N b. 136 miles
    Y c. 341 miles
    N d. 520 miles

1273: At 1544 zone time, on 5 October , your DR position is LAT 25°00'N, LONG 60°15'W. You are steering 270°T at a speed of 6.8 knots. What is the zone time of sunset?

    N a. 1728
    N b. 1737
    N c. 1741
    Y d. 1745

1366: On which river is New Providence, TN located?

    N a. Allegheny
    N b. Upper Mississippi
    N c. Ohio
    Y d. Cumberland

1547: At 0509, on 26 December, you pass under the Helena Highway Bridge (mile 661.7 AHP). What has been the average speed of the current since departing Memphis Harbor, McKellar Lake, if you have been making turns for 7.5 mph?

    N a. 5.6 mph
    Y b. 4.4 mph
    N c. 2.1 mph
    N d. 1.8 mph

1659: On 15 July , in DR position LAT 22°19.0'N, LONG 154°37.0'W, you observe an amplitude of the Sun. The Sun's center is on the visible horizon and bears 298°psc. The chronometer reads 04h 45m 19s and is 01m 56s slow.
Variation in the area is 7.5°W. What is the deviation of the standard magnetic compass?

    N a. 2.7°W
    Y b. 3.0°E
    N c. 3.6°W
    N d. 3.9°E

1660: On 23 June , in DR position LAT 21°39.0'S, LONG 106°28.0'W, you observe an amplitude of the Sun. The Sun's center is on the celestial horizon and bears 078°psc. The chronometer reads 02h 14m 39s and is 01m 43s slow. Variation in the area is 9°W. What is the deviation of the standard magnetic compass?

    N a. 2.8°E
    N b. 3.9°W
    Y c. 4.3°W
    N d. 4.6°E

1772: What is your ETA at the Fulton Gage?

    N a. 1405, 12 Sept
    N b. 1052, 12 Sept
    N c. 0828, 12 Sept
    Y d. 0204, 12 Sept

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

1839: What are the dimensions of the channel maintained from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, LA?

    N a. 30 feet x 300 feet
    N b. 40 feet x 300 feet
    N c. 30 feet x 500 feet
    Y d. 45 feet x 500 feet

2016: On 23 March , your 1600 ZT DR position is LAT 27°16.3'N, LONG 156°48.2'W. You are on course 063°T at a speed of 18.0 knots. Considering their magnitude, azimuth, and altitude, which group includes the three stars best suited for a fix at star time?

    N a. Arcturus, Regulus, Sirius
    N b. Procyon, Sirius, Capella
    Y c. Hamal, Rigel, Alphard
    N d. Betelgeuse, Dubhe, Regulus

2154: On 30 June , at 0630 zone time, morning stars were observed, and the vessel's position was determined to be LAT 25°15.0'S, LONG 175°36.0'E. Your vessel is steaming at 16.0 knots on a course of 302°T. A sextant observation of the Sun's lower limb is made at 1015 zone time. The chronometer reads 10h 14m 38s, and the sextant altitude is 32°07.9'. The index error is 4.5' on the arc, and the chronometer error is 01m 25s slow. Your height of eye on the bridge is 58.0 feet. What is the azimuth (Zn) of this sight using the assumed position?

    Y a. 035.3°T
    N b. 144.7°T
    N c. 186.5°T
    N d. 248.5°T

2158: On 26 May , your vessel's 1906 zone time position is LAT 27°16.0'N, LONG 24°37.0'W. At that time, a sextant observation of the planet Jupiter was made. The sextant altitude is 63°27.6', and the chronometer reads 09h 05m 16s. The index error is 5.2' on the arc, and the chronometer error is 01m 25s slow. Your height of eye is determined to be 52.6 feet. What is the (Zn) of this sight using the assumed position?

    N a. 011.3°T
    Y b. 168.7°T
    N c. 191.3°T
    N d. 348.7°T

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

2584: At 1930 you obtain two radar ranges: Hammonasset Point at 4.1 miles and the East side of Falkner Island at 7.6 miles. What is your position?

    N a. LAT 41°11.2'N, LONG 072°30.6'W
    Y b. LAT 41°11.7'N, LONG 072°29.2'W
    N c. LAT 41°11.8'N, LONG 072°29.6'W
    N d. LAT 41°11.9'N, LONG 072°29.2'W

2675: At 1423 you are on course 072 T° at 12.2 knots, when you sight a rock awash bearing 070°T at a range of 3.6 miles. If you change course at 1427, what course would you steer to leave the rock 1.0 mile abeam to port?

    N a. 049°
    N b. 054°
    N c. 086°
    Y d. 091°

2851: Your vessel is on a course of 297°T at 11 knots. At 0019 a light bears 274.5°T, and at 0048 the light bears 252°T.
At what time and at what distance off will your vessel be when abeam of the light?

    N a. 0102, 2.6 miles
    Y b. 0108, 3.7 miles
    N c. 0057, 4.6 miles
    N d. 0117, 5.0 miles

3276: While steaming at 15 knots, your vessel burns 326 bbls of fuel per day. What will be the rate of fuel consumption if you decrease speed to 12.2 knots?

    Y a. 175 bbls/day
    N b. 215 bbls/day
    N c. 277 bbls/day
    N d. 300 bbls/day

3290: While steaming at 15.5 knots, your vessel consumes 333 barrels of fuel oil per day. In order to reduce consumption to 176 barrels of fuel oil per day, what is the maximum speed the vessel can turn for?

    N a. 11.3 knots
    Y b. 12.5 knots
    N c. 13.6 knots
    N d. 14.8 knots

3293: Your vessel consumes 274 barrels of fuel per day at a speed of 17.5 knots. What will be the fuel consumption of your vessel at 13.5 knots?

    Y a. 126 bbls
    N b. 163 bbls
    N c. 211 bbls
    N d. 253 bbls

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

3604: You wish to make good a course of 258°T, allowing 4° leeway for northerly winds. The variation is 21°W. What should you steer per standard magnetic compass to make good 258°T?
DEVIATION TABLE
MAGNETIC HDG DEVIATION
285° 5°E
270° 3°E
255° 1°E
240° 1°W

    N a. 242°psc
    N b. 271°psc
    Y c. 278°psc
    N d. 288°psc

3636: You desire to make good a true course of 279°. The variation is 8°W, magnetic compass deviation is 3°E, and gyrocompass error is 1°E. A north-northwesterly wind produces 3° leeway. What is the course to steer per standard magnetic compass (psc) to make the true course good?

    N a. 281°psc
    N b. 284°psc
    Y c. 287°psc
    N d. 290°psc

10210: Your present position is LAT 41°07.4'N, LONG 72°44.0'W. Assuming that there is no set and drift, what course must you steer per standard magnetic compass (psc) to a position of LAT 41°08.5'N, LONG 72°28.8'W?

    N a. 073°psc
    N b. 084°psc
    N c. 091°psc
    Y d. 097°psc

15161: From your 1815 position, you want to make good course 263°
T. Your engines are turning RPMs for 12 knots. The current is 050°T at 1.9 knots. Adjusting your course for set and drift, at what time should you expect to enter the red sector of Cape Henry Light?

    N a. 1851
    N b. 1857
    Y c. 1904
    N d. 1911

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

15506: You are underway in the vicinity of Block Island and obtain the following lines of position:

Montauk Point Light 263°pgc
Block Island Southeast Light 026°pgc
Radar Bearing to Block Island Southwest Point 348°pgc

What is your position at the time of these sightings?

    N a. LAT 41°05.0'N, LONG 71°36.2'W
    N b. LAT 41°05.1'N, LONG 71°36.0'W
    Y c. LAT 41°05.3'N, LONG 71°35.8'W
    N d. LAT 41°05.4'N, LONG 71°35.5'W

15766: From your 0745 fix, you change course to pass 1.0 mile south of buoy "WH" and estimate your speed at 7 knots. If the visibility clears, what is the earliest time you can expect to see Block Island North Light tower?

    N a. The tower is in sight at 0745.
    N b. 0750
    Y c. 0806
    N d. 0838

15807: You are southeast of Saybrook Breakwater Light passing Saybrook Bar Lighted Bell Buoy "8". This buoy marks __________.

    Y a. shoal water
    N b. a tide rips area
    N c. the junction with the Connecticut River
    N d. a sunken wreck

15830: The black broken-line marking, across the river, that appears at mile 952.1 AHP represents a __________.

    Y a. utility crossing
    N b. railroad
    N c. submarine crossing
    N d. revetment

15838: At 2000 Hog Island Lighted Bell Buoy "12" bears 199° true and Buoy "GM" bears 249° true

Your position is __________.

    N a. 37°35.0'N, 75°32.2'W
    Y b. 37°23.5'N, 75°32.2'W
    N c. 37°03.5'N, 75°32.2'W
    N d. 37°03.5'N, 75°02.2'W

15867: You anticipate a maximum flood current north of Stratford Shoal. You will be set in which general direction?

    N a. Northerly
    N b. Easterly
    N c. Southerly
    Y d. Westerly

16010: The characteristic of Branford Reef Light is __________.

    N a. flashing red every 4 seconds
    N b. flashing red every 3 seconds
    Y c. flashing white every 6 seconds
    N d. flashing yellow every 4 seconds

16346: After passing through the Race, enroute to Bridgeport, CN,
and Race Rock Light is 2 miles astern you notice an equal interval flashing red light on the starboard side. This light is __________.

    N a. New London Airport Aerobeacon
    Y b. New London Harbor Light
    N c. New London Ledge Light
    N d. Bartlett Reef Light

16556: You are underway in the vicinity of Block Island and obtain the following lines of position:

Montauk Point Light 267°pgc
Block Island Southeast Light 030°pgc
Radar Bearing to Block Island
Southwest Point (tangent) 352°pgc

What is your position at the time of these sightings?

    N a. LAT 41°05.2'N, LONG 71°36.2'W
    Y b. LAT 41°05.3'N, LONG 71°35.8'W
    N c. LAT 41°05.4'N, LONG 71°36.0'W
    N d. LAT 41°05.4'N, LONG 71°35.9'W

16564: If your height of eye is 45 feet (13.7 meters), what is the approximate geographic range of Block Island North Light?

    N a. 7.8 nm
    N b. 8.9 nm
    N c. 13.0 nm
    Y d. 16.7 nm