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.


100: Which of the following statements concerning the buoys on the Mississippi River is TRUE?


221: At 1815, your position is LAT 37°01.0'N, LONG 75°42.7'W. If there is no current, what is the course per standard magnetic compass to arrive at a point 0.3 mile due north of North Chesapeake Entrance Lighted Whistle Buoy "NCA" (LL#375)?


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


251: You alter course from your 0045 position to head for Mattituck Breakwater Light "MI". If the visibility is 10 miles and you make good 9 knots, at what time will you lose sight of Saybrook Breakwater Light?

    Y a. 0100
    N b. 0123
    N c. 0131
    N d. The light is visible all the way to Mattituck Inlet

265: At 0740, you take the following Radar Ranges:

Branford Reef Light @ 2.5 nm
New Haven Light @ 3.9 nm

What is your position?

    Y a. LAT 41°12.4'N, LONG 72°51.5'W
    N b. LAT 41°12.6'N, LONG 72°51.8'W
    N c. LAT 41°12.7'N, LONG 72°51.9'W
    N d. LAT 41°12.2'N, LONG 72°52.0'W

369: At 0812, you obtain the following radar information:


Cape Henry Light bearing 284°true @ 3.8 nm

What is your 0812 position?

    N a. LAT 36°53.7'N, LONG 75°56.0'W
    N b. LAT 36°53.8'N, LONG 75°56.1'W
    Y c. LAT 36°54.6'N, LONG 75°55.8'W
    N d. LAT 36°55.2'N, LONG 75°55.4'W

521: The coastline between Point Judith and Watch Hill is __________.

    N a. steep with rocky bluffs
    Y b. sandy and broken by rocky points
    N c. low and marshy
    N d. heavily forested

601: At 1210 zone time, on 1 December , you depart Seattle, LAT 47°36.0'N, LONG 122°22.0'W (ZD +8). You are bound for Guam, LAT 13°27.0'N, LONG 144°37.0'E, and you estimate your speed of advance at 20 knots. The distance is 4,948 miles. What is your estimated zone time of arrival at Guam?

    N a. 1734, 11 December
    N b. 1934, 11 December
    N c. 0334, 12 December
    Y d. 1334, 12 December

603: At 0915 zone time, on 7 November , you depart Seattle, LAT 47°36.0'N, LONG 122°22.0'W (ZD +8). You are bound for Kobe, LAT 34°40.0'N, LONG 135°12.0'E, and you estimate your speed of advance at 18.5 knots. The distance is 4,527 miles. What is your estimated zone time of arrival at Kobe?

    N a. 1257, 17 November
    Y b. 0657, 18 November
    N c. 1857, 18 November
    N d. 0657, 19 November

612: At 0530 zone time, on 20 December , you depart Cape Town (ZD -1). You are bound for New York (ZD +5), and you estimate your speed of advance at 25 knots. The distance is 6,762 miles. What is your estimated zone time of arrival at New York?

    N a. 1200, 31 December
    N b. 1100, 31 December
    N c. 0700, 31 December
    Y d. 0600, 31 December

682: 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?

    N a. 60.0 feet
    Y b. 63.1 feet
    N c. 67.2 feet
    N d. 122.0 feet

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

1086: On 15 July , your vessel is enroute from Portland, OR, to Singapore, Malaysia. You are steering course 243°T and making a speed of 16 knots. Your 1845 zone time DR is LAT 27°42.0'N, LONG 167°02.0'E. You observed 3 celestial bodies. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 1945 running fix. NP-0016

    Y a. LAT 27°31.1'N, LONG 166°43.0'E
    N b. LAT 27°38.5'N, LONG 166°45.1'E
    N c. LAT 27°45.3'N, LONG 166°32.2'E
    N d. LAT 28°18.1'N, LONG 166°39.8'E

1090: At 0450 zone time, on 25 June , your DR position is LAT 21°26.0'N, LONG 160°24.5'W. You are steering course 100°T at a speed of 10 knots. You observed 3 celestial bodies. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 0514 running fix. NP-0020

    N a. LAT 21°27.0'N, LONG 160°17.0'W
    Y b. LAT 21°25.0'N, LONG 160°18.0'W
    N c. LAT 21°22.0'N, LONG 160°17.0'W
    N d. LAT 21°20.0'N, LONG 160°15.5'W

1092: On 3 April , your vessel's 1400 ZT DR position is LAT 20°08.0'N, LONG 147°45.0'W. You are steering course 023°T at 18.0 knots. You observed 3 celestial bodies. Determine the latitude and longitude of your 1900 running fix. NP-0022

    N a. LAT 21°39.8'N, LONG 146°59.7'W
    Y b. LAT 21°40.0'N, LONG 147°03.2'W
    N c. LAT 21°41.8'N, LONG 147°05.5'W
    N d. LAT 21°41.8'N, LONG 147°01.5'W

1143: Which town is located at mile 663.5 AHP?

    N a. Friers Point
    Y b. Helena
    N c. St. Francis
    N d. Rodney

1145: 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?

    N a. 75.4 feet
    N b. 66.4 feet
    N c. 53.8 feet
    Y d. 46.4 feet

1265: On 22 November , your 1400 ZT DR position is LAT 22°16.0'N, LONG 136°37.0'E. You are on course 038°T at a speed of 22 knots. What will be the zone time of sunset at your vessel?

    Y a. 1705
    N b. 1710
    N c. 1714
    N d. 1718

1365: You estimate the current as 2.5 mph. What is the speed over the ground?

    N a. 11.0 mph
    N b. 8.0 mph
    Y c. 6.0 mph
    N d. 5.5 mph

1667: On Sunday, 8 November, your ship is enroute from Texas City, TX, to Portland, ME. At 0632 ZT, you fix your position at LAT 27°06'N, LONG 90°36'W. When the lower limb of the Sun was two-thirds of a diameter above the visible horizon, the Sun bore 105° per standard magnetic compass. At this time the chronometer read 12h 39m 20s and is 3m 20s slow. If the variation is 3°E, determine the deviation of the standard compass.

    Y a. 0.8°E
    N b. 0.8°W
    N c. 3.8°E
    N d. 3.8°W

1739: The Delta-Friar Point revetment on the LMR extends from mile __________.

    N a. 645.6 - 641.4 RDB
    N b. 652.8 - 649.6 RDB
    N c. 648.5 - 645.5 LDB
    Y d. 657.3 - 652.2 LDB

1742: The highest point on your towboat is 32 feet above the
water, and the Helena Gage reads +6.6 feet. What is the vertical clearance when you pass under the A-span of the Helena Highway Bridge?

    Y a. 80.8 feet
    N b. 73.1 feet
    N c. 68.0 feet
    N d. 56.1 feet

1833: What are the dimensions of the Port Allen Lock at Baton Rouge, LA?

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

1881: On 13 September , your 1830 ZT DR position was LAT 23°03'S, LONG 105°16'E, when you observed a faint unidentifiable star through a hole in the clouds. The star bore 148.0°T at a sextant altitude (hs) of 32°24.3'. The chronometer read 11h 24m 39s and is 05m 08s slow. The index error is 1.0' off the arc, and the height of eye is 52 feet. What star did you observe?

    N a. Beta Gruis
    Y b. Alpha Tucanae
    N c. Beta Aquarii
    N d. Alpha Indi

1959: The charts show two dashed lines crossing the river just south of St. Catherine Bar Light. What does this indicate?

    N a. Overhead power lines
    N b. Louisiana-Mississippi ferry crossings
    N c. Two railroad trestles
    Y d. Two submerged oil pipelines

2203: You have orders to drop off the empties at the fleeting area at Cairo Point and add five loaded tank barges to your tow. If you are turning for 9 mph and estimate the current at 1.5 mph, what is your ETA at Cairo?

    N a. 2210, 22 June
    N b. 1741, 22 June
    Y c. 1423, 22 June
    N d. 1031, 22 June

2209: 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

2240: At 1542 ZT, on 23 October , in DR position LAT 37° 28.5'N, LONG 156° 17.3'E, you observe an amplitude of the Moon. The center of the Moon is on the visible horizon and bears 282.5°psc. The variation is 0.0°. What is the deviation?

    Y a. 2.2°E
    N b. 2.2°W
    N c. 1.2°E
    N d. 1.2°W

2282: You observe the lower limb of the Sun at a sextant altitude (hs) of 42°44.0' on 22 June . The index error is 0.8' off the arc. The height of eye is 70 feet (21.3 meters). What is the observed altitude (Ho)?

    N a. 42°19.8'
    N b. 42°21.7'
    Y c. 42°51.7'
    N d. 42°54.2'

2535: What is the mile point of Hickman, KY Gage?

    N a. 846.4 AHP
    N b. 889.0 AHP
    Y c. 922.0 AHP
    N d. 937.2 AHP

2656: You are steering 257°T, and a light is picked up dead ahead at a distance of 13.3 miles at 2016. You change course to pass the light 4 miles off abeam to starboard. If you are making 18.5 knots, what is your ETA at the position 4 miles off the light?

    Y a. 2057
    N b. 2100
    N c. 2103
    N d. 2113

2710: What does the circle with black and white quadrants across from Morgan Point Landing (769.0 miles AHP) represent?

    Y a. Gage reading
    N b. Day Beacon
    N c. Light Tower
    N d. Speed zone

3306: You have steamed 264 miles and consumed 22.0 tons of fuel. If you maintain the same speed, how many tons of fuel will you consume while steaming 521 miles?

    N a. 31.7 tons
    N b. 38.6 tons
    Y c. 43.4 tons
    N d. 85.7 tons

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

10504: At 1354 your GPS indicates a position of LAT 37°00.0'N, LONG 75°45.8'W. You are on course 088° per standard magnetic compass at a speed of 9.5 knots. At 1500 your GPS indicates your position as LAT 37°01.6'N, LONG 75°31.7'W. What were the set and drift?

    N a. 273°T at 0.8 knot
    N b. 241°T at 1.1 knots
    N c. 061°T at 1.3 knots
    Y d. 092°T at 0.9 knot

10508: 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 37°00.5'N, LONG 75°37.0'W. What was the set and drift?

    N a. 010° at 0.5 knot
    N b. 017° at 1.0 knot
    N c. 020° at 0.4 knot
    Y d. 032° at 0.9 knot

11104: What is the time of the first PM (Daylight Savings Time) maximum ebb current at Plum Gut on 10 August 1983?

    N a. 1231
    N b. 1249
    N c. 1340
    Y d. 1445

11400: At 1035 your GPS position of LAT 41°05.3'N, LONG 72°33.7'W. At 1103 your position is LAT 41°09.0'N, LONG 72°40.0'W. What was your speed made good?

    N a. 6.1 knots
    N b. 9.5 knots
    Y c. 13.0 knots
    N d. 14.8 knots

11702: You are eastbound in the Thimble Shoal Channel. What is the true heading to steer if the engines are turning for 9.5 knots, the current is 110°T at 1.2 knots, and a southerly wind causes 3° of leeway?

    Y a. 111°
    N b. 108°
    N c. 105°
    N d. 100°

12602: You are on course 087° per standard magnetic compass (psc) when you take the following bearings: Falkner Island Light - 022.0°psc Horton Point Light - 111.5°psc Mt. Sinai Breakwater Light - 254.0°psc What is your position?

    N a. LAT 41°13.6'N, LONG 72°46.6'W
    N b. LAT 41°10.5'N, LONG 72°40.5'W
    N c. LAT 41°07.0'N, LONG 72°44.5'W
    Y d. LAT 41°06.8'N, LONG 72°40.7'W

13404: Your vessel has become disabled and is dead in the water. Your GPS position is LAT 41°12.1'N, LONG 72°43.5'W. You decide to anchor at this position. Under normal conditions, how much anchor chain should you expect to put out?

    N a. 80 to 190 feet
    N b. 190 to 240 feet
    Y c. 245 to 343 feet
    N d. 345 to 420 feet

13505: What soundings are indicated by a blue tint on this chart?

    N a. 30 fathoms or more
    Y b. 30 feet or less
    N c. 30 feet or more
    N d. 30 fathoms or less

15345: You are making good a course of 060°T at a speed of 13.5 knots. At 1855 Block Island North Light bears 086°T; at 1910 Block Island North Light bears 108°T; and at 1930 the same light bears 184°T. Which statement is TRUE about your 1930 running fix position?

    Y a. You are on the edge of a cable area.
    N b. The bottom is mud, sand, and clay.
    N c. The wavy magenta lines to the north through east of your position are designated lobstering areas.
    N d. You are inside the 120 fathom curve

15622: What are the dimensions of the Old River Lock on the Lower Old River (304 AHP)?

    Y a. 1190 x 75 feet
    N b. 1195 x 75 feet
    N c. 1195 x 84 feet
    N d. 1202 x 84 feet

15627: What is the vertical clearance of the Natchez Highway Bridge (westbound) when the river level is the same as the Low Water Reference Plane (6.1 ft)?

    N a. 102.2 ft
    N b. 108.3 ft
    Y c. 119.4 ft
    N d. 125.6 ft

15630: The area between Island 67 Upper Light (mile 623.1 AHP) and Sunflower Cut-off Foot Light (mile 624.8 AHP) is known as a __________.

    N a. transit
    N b. chute
    Y c. crossing
    N d. slough

15761: From point "A", you lay out an intended track line to a point where Block Island North Light bears 180°T at 2.9 miles (Point "B"). What is the length of this leg of the voyage?

    N a. 20.4 miles
    N b. 23.7 miles
    Y c. 24.4 miles
    N d. 25.3 miles

15969: What is the height above water of New Point Comfort Spit Light "2"?

    N a. 6 feet (1.8 meters)
    N b. 15 feet (4.6 meters)
    Y c. 18 feet (5.5 meters)
    N d. 24 feet (7.3 meters)

16246: From your 2259 fix, you alter course to 250°T. At 2300 Cape Henry Light bears 250°T. At 2326 Cape Henry Light bears 252°T. Which statement is TRUE?

    N a. You are being set to the right.
    N b. The bearing change should be expected as you transit the inbound lane.
    Y c. You should alter course to starboard.
    N d. You should slow to reduce the effect of the current.

16563: From your 1850 fix, you come left to a course of 280°T,
while maintaining a speed of 10 knots. Which combination of available Loran-C lines would be best for position determination?

    Y a. 9960-Y and 9960-W
    N b. 9960-X and 9960-Y
    N c. 9960-W and 9960-X
    N d. All 3 combinations are equal.

16612: At 0112, what is the approximate depth under the keel?

    Y a. 38 feet (11.5 meters)
    N b. 47 feet (14.2 meters)
    N c. 51 feet (15.5 meters)
    N d. 57 feet (17.3 meters)

16719: You are bound for New London. Where will you cross the demarcation line and be governed by the Inland Rules of the Road?

    N a. You are already governed by the Inland Rules.
    Y b. In the Race
    N c. Above the Thames River Bridge
    N d. You will not be governed by the Inland Rules.