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.


208: 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 be best for position determination?


268: What publication contains information on the navigational hazards in the vicinity of Falkner Island?


315: From your 1430 fix, you order turns for 8 knots. You steer 045°T and experience no set and drift. At what time would you expect to have New Point Comfort Spit Light "4" abeam?


326: Your 0200 position is LAT 37°23.5'N, LONG 76°09.2'W. Your speed is 8 knots, and your course is 095°T. Which statement is TRUE?

    N a. The depth of the water in your vicinity is about 38 to 40 fathoms (69.1 meters to 72.7 meters).
    N b. The closest major aid to navigation is New Point Comfort.
    Y c. You are less than a mile from a sunken wreck which could interfere with your tow.
    N d. You will pass through a disposal area on your present course.

342: If the visibility is 11 miles, what is the earliest time you can expect to see New Haven Light?

    N a. The light is visible at 0352.
    Y b. 0443
    N c. 0414
    N d. You will not sight the light.

372: If you change course at 0610, what is the course to steer to a point where Little Gull Island Light bears 180°T at 0.7 mile (Point "A")?

    N a. 084°pgc
    Y b. 080°pgc
    N c. 076°pgc
    N d. 072°pgc

380: A vessel at LAT 21°18.5'N, LONG 157°52.2'W, heads for a destination at LAT 8°53.0'N, LONG 79°31.0'W. Determine the true course and distance by Mercator sailing.

    N a. 081°T, 4617.5 miles
    N b. 081°T, 4915.8 miles
    Y c. 099°T, 4617.5 miles
    N d. 099°T, 4915.8 miles

406: You depart LAT 49°45.0'N, LONG 06°35.0'W, and steam 3599 miles on course 246.5°T. What is the longitude of your arrival by Mercator sailing?

    N a. LONG 76°36.2'W
    Y b. LONG 77°02.8'W
    N c. LONG 78°14.0'W
    N d. LONG 78°22.6'W

416: A vessel at LAT 18°54'N, LONG 73°00'E, heads for a destination at LAT 13°12'N, LONG 54°00'E. Determine the true course and distance by Mercator sailing.

    N a. 247°T, 1161 miles
    N b. 250°T, 1172 miles
    Y c. 253°T, 1154 miles
    N d. 256°T, 1136 miles

420: At 0930, your position is LAT 41°16.5'N, LONG 71°41.4'W, and you are turning for 7 knots. Allowing 3° leeway for southerly winds and estimating the current as 035° at 0.3 knot, what is the course to steer (pgc) to point "B"?

    Y a. 096°pgc
    N b. 094°pgc
    N c. 091°pgc
    N d. 089°pgc

599: Which town is located at mile 663.5 AHP?

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

654: In planning a North Pacific voyage, you wish to steam the minimum distance from LAT 48°30'N, LONG 124°45'W to LAT 44°00'N, LONG 150°00'E, while remaining south of 51°N latitude. Which track meets these requirements? (Use gnomonic tracking chart WOXZC 5270)

    N a. A Mercator sailing from departure to the mid-longitude at 51°N, thence great circle to arrival
    N b. A great circle between departure and arrival with parallel sailing between the longitudes where the great circle intersects 51°N
    N c. A great circle tangent to 51°N from departure to the mid-longitude then a great circle to arrival
    Y d. A great circle from departure to LAT 51°N, LONG 148°W, parallel sailing to LAT 51°N, LONG 171°W, then a great circle to arrival

685: What company does NOT have a marine facility along the river bank in Madison Parish (mile 457.0 AHP)?

    N a. Complex Chemical Co.
    N b. Delta Southern Railroads
    Y c. Baxter Wilson Steam
    N d. Farm Chemical

737: On 29 July , your 1930 zone time DR position is LONG 164°26.0'E. At that time you observe Polaris with a sextant altitude (hs) of 23°46.8'. The chronometer time of the sight is 08h 32m 18s, and the chronometer error is 02m 26s fast. The index error is 2.7' on the arc, and the height of eye is 56.0 feet. What is your latitude by Polaris?

    N a. 24°01.9'N
    Y b. 24°19.5'N
    N c. 24°31.7'N
    N d. 25°19.6'N

998: On 23 May , your 0628 zone time position was LAT 28°18.0'S, LONG 102°42.0'E. Your vessel was steaming on course 040°T at a speed of 20.0 knots. An observation of the Sun's lower limb was made at 0758 ZT. The chronometer read 01h 02m 06s and was fast 04m 04s. The observed altitude (Ho) was 13°16.7'. LAN occurred at 1201 zone time. The observed altitude (Ho) was 42°32.0'. What was the longitude of your 1201 zone time running fix?

    N a. 103°57.9'E
    N b. 104°00.4'E
    Y c. 104°03.5'E
    N d. 104°06.3'E

1141: Which daymark will you see as you approach Natchez Beam Lt. (mile 364.8 AHP)?

    Y a. Red triangle
    N b. White square
    N c. Green square
    N d. Red diamond

1150: The highest point on your towboat is 48 feet above the water, and the Memphis Gage reads +7.5 feet. What is the vertical clearance when you pass under the Hernando Desoto Bridge in Memphis?

    Y a. 53.2 feet
    N b. 58.1 feet
    N c. 68.2 feet
    N d. 96.3 feet

1308: At Filter Point Light (mile 475 AHP) there are 2 close straight dashed lines on the map passing through the black dots. What do these lines represent?

    N a. Submerged oil pipelines
    N b. Submerged gas pipelines
    N c. Submerged telephone cables
    Y d. Aerial power cables

1770: What are the light characteriditcs of the Bunge Corporation Terminal Lights (2) at mile 570.6 AHP?

    N a. a group flashing white light every five seconds
    N b. a flashing green light every 4 seconds
    Y c. a flashing green light every 6 seconds
    N d. a flashing red light every 4 seconds

1888: On 8 April , your evening DR position is LAT 22°16.0'N, LONG 157°58.3'W. You observe an unidentified star bearing 238°T at an observed altitude (Ho) of 50°02.7'. The chronometer reads 05h 09m 57s, and is 01m 23s slow. What star did you observe?

    N a. Betelgeuse
    N b. Aldebaran
    Y c. Alnilam
    N d. Bellatrix

1897: On 22 June , your 0424 DR position is LAT 26°18.5'N, LONG 124°18.2'W. You observe an unidentified star bearing 249°T at an observed altitude (Ho) of 52°50.7'. The chronometer reads 00h 23m 24s, and is 01m 32s slow. What star did you observe?

    N a. Peacock
    N b. Schedar
    N c. Ankaa
    Y d. Altair

1956: At 1923, you increase speed to make good 9.2 mph. What is the first gage you will pass after your speed change?

    N a. Cottonwood Point
    Y b. Caruthersville
    N c. Fulton
    N d. New Madrid

2104: What type of bottom is found at Long Sand Shoal?

    N a. Rocky
    N b. Muddy
    N c. Sandy
    Y d. Hard

2159: On 25 May , your vessel's 1858 zone time position is LAT 21°05.0'N, LONG 143°27.0'E. At that time a sextant observation of the planet Venus was made. The sextant altitude is 12°53.4' and the chronometer reads 08h 59m 15s. The index error is 4.5' off the arc, and the chronometer error is 01m 25s fast. Your height of eye is determined to be 55.0 feet. What is the azimuth (Zn) of the sight using the assumed position?

    N a. 069.6°T
    N b. 110.4°T
    N c. 249.6°T
    Y d. 290.4°T

2457: You have steamed 369 miles at 16 knots and burning 326 barrels of fuel per day. You must decrease your consumption to 212 barrels per day with 271 miles left in your voyage. What must you reduce your speed (kts) to in order to burn this amount of fuel?

    N a. 11.1
    N b. 12.9
    N c. 13.6
    Y d. 15.1

2595: At 0145 you take on the pilot and are inbound Port Jefferson. The ship's heading is 147°pgc when lined up on the Port Jefferson range. What is your gyro error?

    Y a. 1° W
    N b. 1° E
    N c. 2° E
    N d. 0°

2709: If the highest point of your towboat is 54 feet above the water and the Natchez Gage reads 24.8 feet, what will be your vertical clearance when passing under the Natchez-Vidalia westbound Highway Bridge?

    N a. 35.9 feet
    Y b. 47.2 feet
    N c. 49.6 feet
    N d. 57.5 feet

2856: Your vessel is on a course of 034°T at 17 knots. At 0551 a light bears 056.5°T, and at 0623 the light bears 079°T. At what time and at what distance off will your vessel be when abeam of the light?

    N a. 0636, 5.9 miles
    N b. 0646, 5.9 miles
    N c. 0636, 6.4 miles
    Y d. 0646, 6.4 miles

3111: You are turning 100 RPM, with propeller pitch of 25 feet, and an estimated negative slip of 5%. What is the speed of advance?

    N a. 23.4 knots
    N b. 24.7 knots
    Y c. 25.9 knots
    N d. 26.3 knots

3275: You have steamed 989 miles at 16.5 knots, and consumed 215 tons of fuel. If you have 345 tons of usable fuel remaining, how far can you steam at 13 knots?

    N a. 1025 miles
    N b. 1993 miles
    Y c. 2557 miles
    N d. 3245 miles

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

3296: Your vessel consumes 199 barrels of fuel per day at a speed of 14.5 knots. What will be the fuel consumption of your vessel at 10.0 knots?

    Y a. 65 bbls
    N b. 95 bbls
    N c. 137 bbls
    N d. 148 bbls

3601: You are steering 142°pgc to make good your desired course. The gyro error is 1°E . The variation is 8°W. What should you steer by standard magnetic compass to make good the desired course?
DEVIATION TABLE MAGNETIC HEADING DEV.
120° 4°E 135° 2°E 150° 0°

    N a. 133°psc
    N b. 146°psc
    N c. 148°psc
    Y d. 151°psc

4000: You swung ship and compared the magnetic compass against the gyro compass to find deviation. Gyro error is 2°E. The variation is 8°W. Find the deviation on a magnetic compass heading of 057°.
HEADING HEADING HEADING
PSC PGC PSC PGC PSC PGC
358.5° - 350° 122.5° - 110° 239.5° - 230°
030.5° - 020° 152.0° - 140° 269.0° - 260°
061.5° - 050° 181.0° - 170° 298.0° - 290°
092.0° - 080° 210.0° - 200° 327.5° - 320°

    N a. 1.0°E
    N b. 1.5°E
    Y c. 1.5°W
    N d. 0.5°W

13309: What type of bottom can be expected at the northern end of York Spit Channel?

    N a. Hard clay
    N b. Fine gray sand
    N c. Soft black mud
    Y d. Mud and sand

15139: At what time would you expect to be abeam of Buoy "MP"?

    N a. 2240
    N b. 2244
    Y c. 2248
    N d. 2252

15319: The coastline by Cape Henry is best described as __________.

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

15609: From your 1715 fix, you steer 214°T at 12 knots. At 1800,
you take the following bearings:

Cape Charles Light bearing 296° true
Cape Henry light bearing 242° true

Your 1800 position is __________.

    Y a. LAT 37°02.9'N, LONG 75°43.1'W
    N b. LAT 37°02.9'N, LONG 75°43.9'W
    N c. LAT 37°03.0'N, LONG 75°43.3'W
    N d. LAT 37°03.1'N, LONG 75°42.8'W

15645: You round Montauk Point and steer to make good 206°T. Speed is increased to 13.0 knots. The current, if any, is unknown. The visibility has improved and is estimated to be 5 miles. At 2144 Montauk Point Light bears 273°T. At 2202 the same light bears 320°T. Which statement concerning your 2202 running fix is TRUE?

    N a. You are inside the lobster pot area.
    Y b. The fathometer reads about 12 fathoms.
    N c. You are inside of the 90 foot curve.
    N d. You are outside the boundary of the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone.

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

16009: The maximum ebb current at a location 4.3 miles south of Stratford Point will occur at 0413. The predicted current will be 1.0 knot at 075°. What will be your course made good if you steer 082°T at 8 knots?

    Y a. 081°T
    N b. 083°T
    N c. 085°T
    N d. 087°T

16013: At 0430, you take the following bearings:

Stratford Point Light bearing 307° pgc
Middle Ground Light bearing 239° pgc

What is your 0430 position?

    N a. LAT 41°08.9'N, LONG 73°00.0'W
    N b. LAT 41°05.0'N, LONG 73°01.1'W
    N c. LAT 41°05.5'N, LONG 72°59.7'W
    Y d. LAT 41°05.8'N, LONG 73°00.8'W

16061: 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?

    N a. Mobjack Bay Entrance Light
    Y b. York Spit Light
    N c. New Point Comfort Light
    N d. York River Entrance Channel Light "1"

16069: From your 2118 position, you steer a course of 288°T at an engine speed of 7.0 knots. Visibility is 2 miles. Height of eye is 12 feet (3.7 meters). At what time can you expect to see Old Point Comfort Light?

    N a. The light is visible at 2118
    N b. 2139
    N c. 2201
    Y d. 2232

16144: From your 2027 position you change course to 106°T, while maintaining an engine speed of 18 knots. Your ETA at a position where Block Island Sound South Entrance Obstruction Lighted Buoy "BIS" is abeam is __________.

    N a. 2039
    N b. 2043
    N c. 2047
    Y d. 2050

16616: At 0130, your position is LAT 41°09.3'N, LONG 72°46.9'W when you change course to 086°T. If you make good 086°T,
what is the closest point of approach to Twenty-Eight Foot Shoal Lighted Buoy?

    N a. 0.7 mile
    Y b. 0.9 mile
    N c. 1.1 miles
    N d. 1.2 miles

16843: At what time will you enter the inbound traffic lane with Buoy "NCA" (LL #375) bearing 180°T at 0.3 mile?

    N a. 1003
    Y b. 0957
    N c. 0951
    N d. 0948