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.

88: What is the vertical clearance between the highest point of your towboat, if it is 58 feet above the water, and if the Natchez Gage reads 28.13 feet when passing under the Natchez Upper Highway Bridge?
183: At 1920, the buoy off your starboard bow is __________.
196: What course per standard magnetic compass is (psc) the same as 247°pgc?
204: From your 1800 position you steer a course of 350°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. 029°T, 1.4 knot
    N b. 029°T, 0.7 knots
    N c. 209°T, 0.7 knot
    N d. 209°T, 1.4 knots
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
213: From your 1915 position, you come left and set a course for Gardiners Point. At 1930, your position is LAT 41°12.7'N, LONG 71°56.8'W. What type of bottom is charted at this position? 

    N a. Blue mud, gritty shells
    N b. Buried mussels, gritty shells
    N c. Bumpy muck with grainy surface
    Y d. Blue mud, gray sand
298: You have just passed York River Entrance Channel Lighted Buoys "13" and "14". The chart shows a light approximately 1.0 mile off your port beam with a light characteristic "Fl 6 sec". What is the name of this light? 

    Y a. York Spit Light
    N b. New Point Comfort Shoal Light
    N c. Mobjack Bay Entrance Light
    N d. York River Entrance Channel Light "1"
411: A vessel steams 3312 miles on course 282°T from LAT 34°24'S, LONG 18°18'E. What is the latitude and longitude of the point of arrival by Mercator sailing? 

    N a. LAT 22°39'S, LONG 43°17'W
    N b. LAT 22°42'S, LONG 43°14'W
    N c. LAT 22°47'S, LONG 43°10'W
    Y d. LAT 22°55'S, LONG 43°05'W
413: A vessel steams 1106 miles on course 249°T from LAT 13°30.0'N, LONG 144°30.3'E. What is the latitude and longitude of the point of arrival by Mercator sailing? 

    N a. LAT 07°01.0'N, LONG 127°02.0'E
    Y b. LAT 06°54.0'N, LONG 127°08.0'E
    N c. LAT 06°50.0'N, LONG 127°13.0'E
    N d. LAT 06°46.0'N, LONG 127°17.0'E
510: You observe the star Deneb at a sextant altitude (hs) of 48°34.8' on 16 December . The index error is 4.0' off the arc. The height of eye is 58 feet. What is the observed altitude (Ho)? 

    N a. 48°02.9'
    Y b. 48°30.5'
    N c. 48°31.4'
    N d. 48°46.5'
516: You sight Bartlett Reef Light in line with New London Harbor Light bearing 043°pgc. You are heading 088°pgc and 098.5° per standard magnetic compass at the time of the observation. Which statement is TRUE? 

    N a. The true heading at the observation was 090°.
    N b. The gyro error is 2°E.
    N c. The magnetic compass error is 9.5°W.
    Y d. The deviation is 1.5°E by observation.
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
617: Your vessel will sail from a position in LAT 8°51.0'N, LONG 81°31.0'W to a position at LAT 33°51.5'S, LONG 151°13.0'E. The distance by great circle is 7,635 miles, and you estimate an average speed of 15.0 knots. What is your estimated zone time of arrival if you depart at 1510 ZT, on 23 July? 

    Y a. 1110, 14 August
    N b. 0110, 14 August
    N c. 1110, 13 August
    N d. 1510, 13 August
657: You are planning a voyage by great circle from the mouth of the Delaware River (LAT 38°40'N, LONG 75°00'W) to Lisbon, Portugal. Which statement is TRUE? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5274.) 

    Y a. You will reach the northernmost latitude of the voyage in  the vicinity of LONG 42°30'W.
    N b. The Northern Hemisphere vertex lies to the east of Lisbon.
    N c. You must plot a composite sailing to remain south of icebergs reported north of 44°N.
    N d. The distance is measured in 60-mile segments using the length of the degree of latitude crossed by the track line.
688: What is the distance from the Amoco Docks at Baton Rouge, LA, to Pittsburgh, PA? 

    N a. 727.9 miles
    N b. 981.5 miles
    N c. 1575.3 miles
    Y d. 1681.7 miles
808: On 28 July , your 0800 zone time fix gives you a position of LAT 25°16.0'N, LONG 71°19.0'W. Your vessel is on course 026°T, and your speed is 17.5 knots. Local apparent noon (LAN) occurs at 1149 zone time, at which time a meridian altitude of the Sun's lower limb is observed. The observed altitude (Ho) for this sight is 82°28.7'. What is the calculated latitude at LAN? 

    N a. 26°21.9'N
    N b. 26°23.4'N
    Y c. 26°25.0'N
    N d. 26°27.7'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
1076: On 25 Mar , your 0500 ZT DR position is LAT 28°14.0'S, LONG 93°17.0'E. You are on course 291°T at a speed of 16.0 knots. You observed 3 celestial bodies. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 0550 running fix. NP-0006

    Y a. LAT 28°15.9'S, LONG 92°56.9'E
    N b. LAT 28°19.3'S, LONG 92°59.0'E
    N c. LAT 28°06.4'S, LONG 93°02.5'E
    N d. LAT 27°53.2'S, LONG 93°17.6'E
1280: On 27 March , your 0330 zone time DR position is LAT 23°32'N, LONG 154°47'E. Your vessel is on a course of 105°T at a speed of 20 knots. What will be the zone time of sunrise at your vessel? 

    Y a. 0534
    N b. 0557
    N c. 0612
    N d. 0624
1339: At 1300, 5 January, the river will be temporarily closed to navigation for six hours at mile 531.3 AHP due to repairs to a bridge. What minimum speed over the ground must you make from Natchez Gage in order not to be delayed? 

    N a. 5.7 mph
    Y b. 6.0 mph
    N c. 6.8 mph
    N d. 7.3 mph
1342: What is the vertical clearance between the highest point of your towboat, if it is 45 feet above the water, and if the Natchez Gage reads 23.4 feet when passing under the Natchez-Vidalia Westbound Highway Bridge? 

    N a. 67.5 feet
    Y b. 57.1 feet
    N c. 52.2 feet
    N d. 45.2 feet
1805: What is the vertical clearance between the highest point of your towboat, if it is 48 feet above the water, and if the Natchez Gage reads 20.1 feet when passing under the Natchez Upper Highway Bridge? 

    N a. 35.9 feet
    N b. 43.2 feet
    N c. 49.3 feet
    Y d. 57.9 feet
1842: What town is located at mile 389.8 AHP? 

    N a. Whitehall
    N b. Belmont
    N c. St. James
    Y d. Rodney
1914: On 14 January , your 0550 DR position is LAT 25°26.0'N, LONG 38°16.0'W. You observe an unidentified star bearing 192°T at an observed altitude (Ho) of 06°15.2'. The chronometer reads 08h 48m 51s, and is 01m 22s slow. What star did you observe? 

    N a. Gienah
    N b. Kochab
    Y c. Gacrux
    N d. Eltanin
2003: On 20 June , your 1742 zone time DR position is LAT 24°55.0'S, LONG 8°19.6'E. Considering their magnitude, azimuth, and altitude, which three stars are best suited for a fix at star time? 

    Y a. Regulus, Canopus, Antares
    N b. Spica, Arcturus, Alioth
    N c. Arcturus, Achernar, Pollux
    N d. Avior, Sabik, Fomalhaut
2050: From Baton Rouge to Cairo, what is the maintained minimum channel depth during low water? 

    Y a. 9 feet
    N b. 12 feet
    N c. 15 feet
    N d. 30 feet
2103: On 24 August , in DR position LAT 26°49.4'N, LONG 146°19.4'E, you observe an amplitude of the Sun. The Sun's center is on the celestial horizon and bears 084°psc. The chronometer reads 07h 55m 06s and is 01m 11s fast. Variation in the area is 15°W. What is the deviation of the magnetic compass? 

    N a. 8.0°E
    Y b. 8.3°E
    N c. 8.5°E
    N d. 8.7°E
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
2210: The low water reference plane (LWRP) for Bayou Sara is 5.25 feet. If the Bayou Sara Gage reads -0.5 feet, what is the water level in relation to the low water reference plane? 

    N a. 4.75 feet above the plane
    N b. 5.75 feet above the plane
    Y c. 5.75 feet below the plane
    N d. 4.75 feet below the plane
2424: As you approach mile 225 AHP, you notice on the map a brown broken-lined rectangular shaped area along the bank. This indicates __________. 

    N a. weirs
    N b. a revetment
    Y c. a fleeting area
    N d. utility crossing
2872: Your vessel is on a course of 272°T at 15 knots. At 2113 a light bears 245.5°T, and at 2120 the light bears 227°T.
At what time and at what distance off will your vessel be when abeam of the light? 

    N a. 2124, 1.3 miles
    Y b. 2127, 1.8 miles
    N c. 2131, 2.3 miles
    N d. 2135, 2.7 miles
2911: What is indicated by the two light gray shaded areas that cross the river above False River Lt. (mile 251.0 AHP)? 

    N a. Ferry crossings
    Y b. Utility crossings
    N c. Aerial cable crossings
    N d. Bridge construction
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
3251: You have steamed 916 miles at 13 knots, and consumed 166 tons of fuel. If you have 203 tons of usable fuel remaining, how far can you steam at 14 knots? 

    N a. 757 miles
    N b. 841 miles
    Y c. 966 miles
    N d. 1108 miles
3766: Your vessel is proceeding down 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 229°T, and variation is 6°W. If the heading of your vessel at the time of the sighting is 232° per standard magnetic compass, what is the deviation? 

    Y a. 3°E
    N b. 9°E
    N c. 3°W
    N d. 9°W
10202: Your present position is LAT 41°05.5'N, LONG 72°38.0'W. Assuming that there is no set and drift, what course must you steer per standard magnetic compass (psc) to arrive at a position midway between New Haven Harbor Channel buoys #1 and #2? 

    N a. 137°psc
    N b. 309°psc
    Y c. 315°psc
    N d. 319°psc
10202: Your present position is LAT 41°05.5'N, LONG 72°38.0'W. Assuming that there is no set and drift, what course must you steer per standard magnetic compass (psc) to arrive at a position midway between New Haven Harbor Channel buoys #1 and #2? 

    N a. 137°psc
    N b. 309°psc
    Y c. 315°psc
    N d. 319°psc
11100: Block Island is __________. 

    N a. surrounded by wide sandy beaches
    N b. a low, marshy island
    Y c. hilly with elevations to 200 feet (60.5 m)
    N d. a national bird sanctuary
14303: What is the height above the water of light No. 84 on the Columbia River below Bonneville lock & dam? 

    N a. 10 feet
    Y b. 14 feet
    N c. 18 feet
    N d. 24 feet
14601: Where would you look for information on the restricted areas shown on the chart immediately above and below the spillway at The Dalles Lock & Dam ? 

    N a. Light List - Vol II
    Y b. Coast Pilot 7 - Chapter 2
    N c. Notice to Mariners
    N d. Sailing directions
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
15219: From your 2118 position, you steer a course of 288°T at an engine speed of 7.0 knots. At 2120 visibility is suddenly reduced to 2 miles. At what time can you expect to see Old Point Comfort Light? 

    N a. 2136
    N b. 2143
    N c. 2202
    Y d. 2228
15239: At 1000 buoy "PI" is abeam to starboard a distance of 0.5 mile. From this position, with a set of 295° and a drift of 1.6 knots, what course must you steer to arrive at a point with Buoy "TE" one mile abeam to starboard? 

    Y a. 247°T
    N b. 249°T
    N c. 251°T
    N d. 253°T
15312: You arrive at the rendezvous point, secure the tow, and head back southward. At 1200, you take the following bearings:

Cape Charles Light bearing 240.5° true
Sand Shoal Inlet South Light bearing 289° true

What is your 1200 position? 

    N a. LAT 37°10.5'N, LONG 75°33.0'W
    N b. LAT 37°12.0'N, LONG 75°35.0'W
    Y c. LAT 37°15.0'N, LONG 75°37.5'W
    N d. LAT 37°19.0'N, LONG 75°40.5'W
15670: Which chart should you use to enter Great Salt Pond? 

    N a. 13204
    N b. 13205
    N c. 13207
    Y d. 13217
16016: At 0430, you change course and speed to make good 090°T at 10 knots. At 0433, you slow due to an engineering casualty and estimate you are making good 5.5 knots. At what time will Branford Reef Light bear 000°T? 

    N a. 0601
    Y b. 0609
    N c. 0620
    N d. 0624
16138: At 1930 Race Rock Light bears 111°T, and Little Gull Island Light bears 172°T. Which of the following is your position at 1930? 

    N a. LAT 41°15.6'N, LONG 72°09.6'W
    N b. LAT 41°16.1'N, LONG 72°08.3'W
    N c. LAT 41°15.3'N, LONG 72°12.9'W
    Y d. LAT 41°15.8'N, LONG 72°07.1'W
16212: What is the course per standard magnetic compass between points "A" and "B"? 

    N a. 094.5°
    N b. 095.5°
    Y c. 098.5°
    N d. 099.5°
16216: 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. 0750
    Y b. 0807
    N c. 0838
    N d. 0845
16245: At 2259 Cape Henry Light bears 250°T, Chesapeake Light bears 122°T, and North Chesapeake Entrance Lighted Whistle Buoy "NCA" has a radar range of 1.8 miles. Which statement is TRUE? 

    N a. The course made good is 226°T.
    N b. You are in the red sector of Cape Henry Light.
    N c. You are in a submerged submarine transit lane.
    Y d. Chesapeake Light is 7.6 miles off.
16468: When Cape Henry Light is abeam, what is the approximate distance to Yorktown? 

    N a. 58 miles
    N b. 55 miles
    N c. 42 miles
    Y d. 34 miles
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
20107: You are steaming at 19 knots and burning 440 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? 

    N a. 18.2
    N b. 14.8
    Y c. 12.9
    N d. 11.1