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.


99: What is the mile point of the Rosedale Gage?


216: NOAA VHF-FM weather broadcasts from New London, CT are on __________.


230: At 2123, your position is LAT 37°20.0'N, LONG 76°03.0'W. What is your distance offshore of Savage Neck?


239: What do the dotted lines around Goose Island and Kimberly Reef represent?

    Y a. Depth contours
    N b. Breakers
    N c. Limiting danger
    N d. Tide rips

297: What course should you steer per standard magnetic compass in order to navigate down the center of York River Entrance Channel (ignore set and drift)?

    N a. 149°psc
    N b. 145°psc
    Y c. 141°psc
    N d. 139°psc

365: You sighted Trestle "A" in line at 0707 and are steering 108°T. At 0731, Cape Henry Light bears 136°T; Cape Charles Light bears 032.5°T; and Thimble Shoal Tunnel South Light bears 282°T. What was the speed made good between 0707 and 0731?

    N a. 9.4 knots
    N b. 9.2 knots
    Y c. 8.8 knots
    N d. 8.3 knots

434: As you enter the New Haven Outer Channel, you sight the outer range markers in line directly ahead. Your heading at this time is 347°psc. What is your compass deviation by observation?

    N a. 4.5°West
    N b. 3.5°West
    N c. 3.0°East
    Y d. 0.5°East

441: You get underway at 1030. The wind is out of the SSE and you estimate 3° leeway. What course should you steer per gyrocompass to make good a desired course of 075°T?

    Y a. 080°pgc
    N b. 078°pgc
    N c. 076°pgc
    N d. 074°pgc

462: Determine the great circle distance and initial course from LAT 12°45.2'N, LONG 124°20.1'E to LAT 33°48.8'N, LONG 120°07.0'W.

    Y a. 6185.9 miles, 050.3°T
    N b. 6231.3 miles, 309.7°T
    N c. 6248.0 miles, 048.3°T
    N d. 6382.0 miles, 311.7°T

485: Determine the great circle distance and initial course from LAT 08°53.0'N, LONG 79°31.0'W to LAT 33°51.5'S, LONG 151°13.0'E.

    N a. 7809 miles, 247.0°T
    N b. 7763 miles, 247.0°T
    Y c. 7635 miles, 233.9°T
    N d. 7618 miles, 230.3°T

498: As you head toward Great Salt Pond, visibility is unlimited. At what time will you lose sight of Montauk Pt. Light?

    N a. 0905
    N b. 0928
    N c. 0950
    Y d. It will remain visible to Great Salt Pond.

599: Which town is located at mile 663.5 AHP?

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

729: On 24 September , your 1841 zone time DR position is LONG 129°34.5'E. At that time you observe Polaris with a sextant altitude (hs) of 25°20.8'. The chronometer time of the sight is 09h 38m 12s, and the chronometer error is 03m 12s slow. The index error is 4.3' off the arc, and the height of eye is 52 feet (15.9 meters). What is your latitude by Polaris?

    N a. 24°28.1'N
    N b. 25°16.0'N
    Y c. 25°37.6'N
    N d. 25°42.3'N

811: On 1 July , your 0515 ZT fix gives you a position of LAT 24°36.0'S, LONG 151°42.0'W. Your vessel is on course 300°T, and your speed is 10.0 knots. Local apparent noon (LAN) occurs at 1215 ZT, at which time a meridian altitude of the Sun's lower limb is observed. The observed altitude (Ho) for this sight is 42°55.0'. What is the calculated latitude at LAN?

    N a. 24°03.6'S
    N b. 24°02.5'S
    Y c. 24°01.0'S
    N d. 24°00.0'S

982: On 15 August , your 0512 zone time position was LAT 29°18.0'N, LONG 57°24.0'W. Your vessel was steaming on course 262°T at a speed of 20.0 knots. An observation of the Sun's lower limb was made at 0824 ZT. The chronometer read 00h 22m 24s and was slow 01m 34s. The observed altitude (Ho) was 38°16.7'. LAN occurred at 1204 zone time.
The observed altitude (Ho) was 74°58.0'. What was the longitude of your 1204 zone time running fix?

    N a. LONG 59°52.0'W
    N b. LONG 59°54.0'W
    Y c. LONG 59°58.5'W
    N d. LONG 60°02.0'W

1000: On 18 May , your 1030 ZT DR position is LAT 18°30'N, LONG 62°31'W. You are on course 286°T, speed 24 knots. Determine your 1200 position using the following observations of the Sun.
ZONE TIME GHA DECLINATION Ho
1204 61°54.6' N 19°37.6' 88°39.7'
1210 63°24.6' N 19°37.7' 88°59.2'

    N a. LAT 18°33.6'N, LONG 62°54.3'W
    N b. LAT 18°35.2'N, LONG 62°49.7'W
    N c. LAT 18°38.7'N, LONG 62°59.2'W
    Y d. LAT 18°41.1'N, LONG 62°53.9'W

1282: On 1 November , your 1600 zone time DR position is LAT 27°48'S, LONG 91°26'E. Your vessel is on a course of 327°
T at a speed of 16 knots. What will be the zone time of sunset at your vessel?

    Y a. 1813
    N b. 1821
    N c. 1829
    N d. 1836

1423: You pass Ratcliff Light (mile 289.8) at 1650. What was your average speed since leaving Baton Rouge?

    N a. 7.3 mph
    Y b. 7.6 mph
    N c. 8.0 mph
    N d. 8.3 mph

1452: On 6 November , your 0752 zone time DR position is LAT 25°11.0'N, LONG 76°07.0'W. At that time, you observe the Sun bearing 119°psc. The chronometer reads 12h 53m 07s, and the chronometer error is 01m 19s fast. The variation is 3°W. What is the deviation of the standard magnetic compass?

    N a. 2.2°W
    N b. 3.8°W
    N c. 2.8°E
    Y d. 3.2°E

1481: On 24 May , your vessel's 1000 ZT position is LAT 25°36.0'N, LONG 118°39.5'W, when you take an azimuth of the Sun. Determine the gyro error using the azimuth information.
Chronometer time: 06h 21m 48s Chronometer error: fast 01m 36s Gyro bearing: 099.4°
Variation: 11.1°E

    N a. 0.3°W
    Y b. 1.3°W
    N c. 1.8°E
    N d. 2.4°E

1746: The Crooked River empties into which river?

    Y a. Missouri
    N b. Mississippi
    N c. Tennessee
    N d. Ohio

1749: Which light characteristics does Black Hawk Light (mile 318.3 AHP) have?

    N a. 1 red flash every 4 seconds
    N b. 1 green flash every 4 seconds
    Y c. 1 white flash every 4 seconds
    N d. 2 white flashes every 5 seconds

1838: What is the distance from Baton Rouge, LA, to St. Louis, MO, on the Mississippi River System?

    N a. 1038 miles
    Y b. 916 miles
    N c. 690 miles
    N d. 352 miles

1856: On 22 June , your 0424 ZT DR position is LAT 26°18.5'N,
LONG 124°18.2'W. You observe an unidentified star bearing 031°T at an observed altitude (Ho) of 49°26.0'. The chronometer reads 00h 23m 24s and is 01m 32s slow. What star did you observe?

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

2049: What is the length of the trip?

    N a. 405.8 miles
    Y b. 904.0 miles
    N c. 1002.0 miles
    N d. 1136.8 miles

2087: At your current speed of 21 knots you only have enough fuel remaining to travel 404 miles. You must travel 731 miles to reach your destination. What should you reduce your speed (knots) to in order to reach your destination?

    N a. 18.9
    N b. 17.8
    N c. 16.7
    Y d. 15.6

2126: At 2350 on 23 June, you are at mile 610.5 AHP when you see about a mile ahead lights on the water near the left bank. What might you see when you come abreast of these lights?

    N a. Privately maintained buoys at a yacht club
    N b. Government buoys marking the Hurricane Point dikes
    Y c. Barges moored at the Dennis Landing Terminal
    N d. A pipeline discharging dredge spoil

2663: You are on course 035°T, speed 18.3 knots. At 0719 you see a buoy bearing 036°T at a range of 4.1. If you change course at 0725 to leave the buoy abeam to port at 1.0 mile,
at what time will the buoy be abeam?

    N a. 0740
    N b. 0738
    N c. 0735
    Y d. 0732

2681: Your vessel is on course 312°pgc and you sight a lighthouse dead ahead at a range of 10 miles. The gyro error is 3°E. What course would you steer to leave the lighthouse 1.5 miles abeam to starboard?

    N a. 309°pgc
    Y b. 304°pgc
    N c. 309°T
    N d. 304°T

2699: You are underway on course 137°T at a speed of 16.2 knots. You sight a rock bearing 134°T at a radar range of 4.6 miles at 1508. If you change course at 1514, what is the course to steer to leave the rock abeam to port at 1.5 miles?

    Y a. 162°T
    N b. 158°T
    N c. 154°T
    N d. 151°T

3062: The propeller on your vessel has a pitch of 22.8 feet. From 0800, 18 April, to 1020, 19 April, you steamed an observed distance of 403.6 miles. If your average RPM was 74, what was the slip?

    N a. +7.0%
    N b. -7.0%
    Y c. +8.0%
    N d. -8.0%

3064: The propeller of a vessel has a pitch of 19.0 feet. If the vessel traveled 183.5 miles (observed distance) in 24 hours at an average of 44 RPM, what was the slip?

    Y a. +7.4%
    N b. -7.4%
    N c. +11.6%
    N d. -11.6%

3091: If the pitch of the propeller is 25.1 feet, and the revolutions per day are 91,591, calculate the day's run allowing 7% positive slip.

    Y a. 351.6 miles
    N b. 378.1 miles
    N c. 390.0 miles
    N d. 404.6 miles

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

10105: What is the course psc from Chesapeake Light to North Chesapeake Entrance Buoy NCA?

    N a. 313°psc
    N b. 317°psc
    Y c. 321°psc
    N d. 325°psc

11506: At 1014 you depart the entrance to Lake Montauk with Light "1" close aboard. Your course is 066° per standard magnetic compass, and the speed is 8.6 knots. At 1238 your position is LAT 41°20.0'N, LONG 71°40.0'W. What is the speed made good?

    Y a. 8.2 knots
    N b. 8.6 knots
    N c. 8.9 knots
    N d. 9.2 knots

13708: A note on the chart indicates that currents in excess of how many knots can be expected in the vicinity of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel?

    Y a. 3.00 knots
    N b. 2.20 knots
    N c. 1.75 knots
    N d. 1.50 knots

14304: What is a characteristic of light No. "41" on the Columbia River above Bonneville Lock?

    N a. The light shows an isophase characteristic.
    N b. The light is 3 meters above the water.
    Y c. The light is equipped with a radar reflector.
    N d. The light is red in color.

14401: You are underway and steaming in an easterly direction on the Columbia River. Your vessel is positioned in the middle half of Cape Horn Channel and is abeam of Cape Horn Light. What should your fathometer read at this position, if the staff gauge at Portland reads 0 feet?

    N a. 16 feet
    N b. 18 feet
    Y c. 22 feet
    N d. 24 feet

15025: What is the mile point of the Arkansas City Gage?

    Y a. 554.1 AHP
    N b. 556.8 AHP
    N c. 560.0 AHP
    N d. 562.8 AHP

15045: From your 0841 position, you are steering a course of 241°
true to the northeasterly inbound channel entrance, your speed is now 15 knots. What is your ETA abeam of buoy "NCA" (LL#375)?

    N a. 0850
    Y b. 0855
    N c. 0901
    N d. 0911

15514: 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 give the best cross for position determining?

    Y a. 9960-Y and 9960-W
    N b. 9960-X and 9960-Y
    N c. 9960-W and 9960-X
    N d. All are equally good.

15828: At 0305 on 18 April, you pass under the Greenville Bridge (mile 531.3 AHP). What was your average speed since departing Amoco Pipeline Co. Docks (mile 253.6 AHP)?

    N a. 6.2 mph
    N b. 6.5 mph
    Y c. 6.8 mph
    N d. 7.2 mph

15940: At 1934 Little Gull Island Light bears 277°T and Race Rock Light bears 000°T. Which were the set and drift between 1910 and 1934?

    N a. 321°T, 2.2 knots
    N b. 321°T, 0.9 knots
    Y c. 331°T, 2.2 knots
    N d. 331°T, 0.9 knots

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

16042: At 1022 when you complete the evacuation, you get underway on course 098°T and order turns for 14.5 knots. You take the following round of bearings at that time:
Stratford Point Light - 260° per gyrocompass
New Haven Light - 326° per gyrocompass
SW Ledge Light - 358° per gyrocompass

Determine your ETA and distance off when abeam of Falkner Island Light, if there are no set and drift?

    N a. 1102, 3.0 miles
    Y b. 1108, 3.3 miles
    N c. 1114, 3.1 miles
    N d. 1118, 3.3 miles

16064: At 2015, your vessel is at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel midway between buoys "13" and "14". If the height of tide is -1 foot (-.3 meter). What is the approximate depth under the keel?

    N a. 51 feet (15.5 meters)
    Y b. 45 feet (13.6 meters)
    N c. 40 feet (12.1 meters)
    N d. 35 feet (10.6 meters)

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.

16518: At 0845, Montauk Pt. Light is bearing 205°T at a radar distance of 6.6 miles. What is your speed made good from your 0815 position?

    Y a. 8.2knots
    N b. 9.2 knots
    N c. 10.0 knots
    N d. 10.5 knots

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