````
DECK
OPERATIONAL
COMPETENCE #
1
PLAN AND CONDUCT A PASSAGE
AND DETERMINE POSITION
1. What is the position obtained by applying only your vessel's course and speed to a known
position?
A. Applied position
B. Dead-reckoning
C. Fix
D. Probable position
Ans: B
2. Where can the data relating to the direction and velocity of rotary tidal currents be found?
A. Tidal Current Tables
B. Tide Tables
C. Mariner's Guide
D. Nautical Almanac
Ans: A
3. The dividing meridian between zone descriptions +4 and +5 is .
A. 75° 00’ E
B. 60° 30’ W
C. 60° 00’ E
D. 67° 30’ W
Ans: D
4. What do you call the altitude after applying the Dip and index error?
A. Sextant altitude
B. Computed altitude
C. Apparent altitude
D. Observed Altitude
Ans: C
5. When relieving the helm, the new helmsman should know the .
A. Maximum rudder angle previously used
B. Gyro error
C. Variation
D. Course per magnetic steering compass
Ans: D
6. On an echo sounder, which of these is used to draw a line on the paper to mark a specific time
of an occurrence?
A. Event marker
B. Range switch
C. Unt selector switch
D. Timing device
Ans: A
7. Your ship is steaming at night with the gyro-pilot engaged when you notice that the vessel's
course is slowly changing to the right. What action should you take FIRST?
A. call the Master
B. shift steering to the emergency steering station
C. switch to hand steering
D. notify the engineroom
Ans: C
8. What is the speed of sound in the water?
A. 1.5 kilometers per second
B. 0.8 kilometer per second
C. 1.1 kilometers per second
D. 1.3 kilometers per second
Ans: A
9. This Chart covers a large area
A. Large scale chart
B. Small scale chart
C. Coastal chart
D. General chart
Ans: B
10. While voyage planning and navigating, a mariner must refer to both texts and tables. Tables
includes the following EXCEPT:
A. Light Lists
B. Sight Reduction
C. Almanac
D. Sailing Directions
Ans: D
11. The compass rose on a nautical chart indicates both variation and .
A. precession
B. Compass error
C. Annual rate of variation change
D. Deviation
Ans: C
12. How many degrees north or south of the Tropic of Cancer is the Arctic Circle?
A. 23° 27’ South
B. 23° 27’ North
C. 44° 06’ South
D. 44° 06’ North
Ans: D
13. When the water salinity increases, what happens to the speed of sound?
A. It increases.
B. It decreases.
C. It fluctuates.
D. It remains the same.
Ans: A
14. What is the position obtained by applying estimated current and wind to your vessel's course
and speed?
A. Fixed position
B. Estimated position
C. Dead-reckoning position
D. Assumed position
Ans: A
15. The shortest distance between any two points on earth defines a .
A. Mercator
B. Great circle
C. Rhumb line
D. Small cirle
Ans: B
16. A Mercator Chart is a
A. Rectangular projection
B. Cylindrical projection
C. Polyconic projection
D. Simple conic projection
Ans: B
17. Which of these is an echo sounder transducer type?
A. Magnetostriction
B. Diesel-electric
C. Piezo-hydraulic
D. Blue-diode
Ans: A
18. In the IALA Buoyage System, what is the color of an East Cardinal Mark?
A. Black band with above and below yellow band
B. Black band above yellow band
C. Black band below yellow band
D. Black band above and below yellow band
Ans: D
19. The bending of a wave as it passes an obstruction is called .
A. refraction
B. attenuation
C. persistence
D. diffraction
Ans: D
20. Which of these may cause false echoes in an echo sounder?
A. Protruding rocks from the seabed
B. Turbulence from the interaction of tidal streams with solid particles in
suspension
C. Schools of big fish
D. Bioluminescent microorganisms in the water
Ans: B
21. The interval between the sun’s upper limb being in the horizon and its center being 12° below
is called:
A. Astronomical twilight
B. Observational twilight
C. Civil twilight
D. Nautical twilight
Ans: D
22. What publication contains ocean current information for voyage planning from Tokyo to San
Francisco?
A. Guide to port entry
B. Coast pilot
C. Sailing Directions
D. World port index
Ans: C
23. The angle between the grid and magnetic meridians is called grid variations or .
A. Deviation
B. Variation
C. Grivation
D. Declination
Ans: C
24. What is the frequency of the low frequency pulse of the echo sounder?
A. 24 kHz
B. 18 kHz
C. 27.5 kHz
D. 33.3 kHz
Ans: A
25. Which chart symbol indicates that the bottom is coral?
A. Cl
B. Sh
C. Co
D. R
Ans: C
26. Physical checks of gyro, azimuth circle and pelorus are the following EXCEPT:
A. synchronize gyro repeaters with master gyro
B. ensure azimuth circle and peloruses are in good condition
C. alignment of the compass north to the fore and aft line of the ship
D. alignment of peloruses with fore –and-aft line of the ship
Ans: D
27. When navigating using DGPS, you may expect your position to be accurate to within a radius
of meters.
A. 50 m
B. 100 m
C. 10 m
D. 20 m
Ans: C
28. Apparent altitude is sextant altitude corrected for .
A. inaccuracies in the reading and reference level
B. double-second difference
C. chronometer error and dip
D. difference in assumed latitude and actual latitude
Ans: A
29. What is an error in a gyrocompass caused by rapid changes in course, speed and latitude
causing deviation before the gyro can adjust itself?
A. Rapid error
B. Stream error
C. Parallax error
D. Error of collimation
Ans: B
30. What is the length of a nautical mile?
A. 1,850 meters
B. 5,280 meters
C. 1,760 yards
D. 6,076 feet
Ans: D
31. A navigational instrument used to indicate direction. It is designed to measure course and
bearing.
A. Azimuth circle
B. Sextant
C. Compass
D. Pelorus
Ans: C
32. The visibility of lights indicated in the charts is in nautical miles for
A. height of the observer's eye 15 feet above the water
B. Charted range of the light
C. Luminous range of the light
D. Geographic range of the light
Ans: B
33. Your vessel's heading is 330°pgc and 345°psc with a 2°E gyro error. What is the deviation on
this heading?
A. 0°
B. 3°W
C. 4°E
D. 7°W
Ans: B
34. When using GPS, you may expect your position to be accurate 95% of the time within a radius
of meters.
Ans: C
A.
2
0
m
B
.
1
0
m
C
.
1
0
0
m
D
.
5
0
m
35. Isogonic lines are lines on a chart indicating
A. Ponits of Zero variation
B. Points of equal variation
C. the Magnetic Latitude
D. Magnitic dip
Ans: B
36. Who is responsible for the voyage plan?
A. The owner
B. The person who has done the planning
C. The Master
D. The navigation officer
Ans: D
37. A barometric pressure reading of 29.92 inches of mercury is equivalent to .
A. 1013.25 millibars
B. 1012.35 millibars
C. 1015.25 millibars
D. 1010.35 millibars
Ans: A
38. The revision of a chart is printed on what area of the chart?
A. any clear area around the neat line
B. Lower left center
C. Top center
D. part of the title
Ans: B
39. Which statement about the Flinders bar on a magnetic compass is correct?
A. It corrects the semi-quadrantal error at intercardinal headings.
B. It compensates for the error caused by the vertical component of the earth's
magnetic field.
C. It reduces the deviation into half.
D. It allows the magnetic compass to move freely in the fluid.
Ans: B
40. A phase correction is applied to observations of:
A. The Moon
B. Stars
C. Planets
D. The sun
Ans: C
41. The standard Atmospheric pressure in millimeters of Mercury is:
A. 29.92
B. 23.25
C. 760
D. 1013.25
Ans: C
42. What is the nature of the beam transmitted by echo sounder?
A. Directional
B. Parabolic
C. Hyperbolic
D. Linear
Ans: A
43. The reaction of a gyro compas to an applied force is known as:
A. Earth rate
B. Gravity effect
C. Precession
D. Gyroscopic inertia
Ans: C
44. Automatic device for steering a vessel by means of control signals received from a gyro
compass is called .
A. gyro repeater
B. automatic pilot
C. gyroscopic steering
D. gyropilot
Ans: D
45. What is a phenomenon in which the axis of an object wobbles when torque is applied?
A. Gyroscopic inertia
B. Torque-induced precession
C. Wobble parallax
D. Equinoctial eccentricity
Ans: B
46. In a microbarograph, the pen should be checked and the inkwell filled .
A. each time the chart is changed
B. once per month
C. once per week
D. daily
Ans: A
47. What is correct UTC in this example? Approx. Pos: N49°51' W35°23', zone +2, Local Time
0900.
A. 11 00
B. 07 00
C. 23 00
D. 19 00
Ans: A
48. An amplitude of the Sun in high latitudes ?
A. is most accurate before sunrise
B. is most accurate after sunset
C. should only be observed when the Sun's lower limb is above the horizon
D. is most accurate when the Sun's center is observed on the visible horizon
Ans: D
49. A lighted buoy to be left to starboard, when entering a U.S. port from seaward, shall have a
.
A. red light
B. white light
C. green light
D. light characteristic of Morse (A)
Ans: A
50. The moon is said to be "waning" during the period from .
A. full moon to new moon
B. new moon to full moon
C. last quarter to first quarter
D. first quarter to last quarter
Ans: A
51. Cumulus clouds that have undergone vertical development and have become cumulonimbus
in form, indicate .
A. clearing weather
B. that a warm front has passed
C. probable thunderstorm activity
D. an approaching hurricane or typhoon
Ans: C
52. It is angular distance measured westerly from the observer's meridian to the hour circle
passing to the body
A. intercept
B. GHA
C. SHA
D. LHA
Ans: D
53. The lunar day is also known as the .
A. lunitidal interval
B. vulgar establishment of the port
C. nodal day
D. tidal day
Ans: D
54. In high latitudes, celestial observations can be made over a horizon covered with pack ice by
bringing the sun tangent to the ice and .
A. adding 30° of arc to the sight
B. using a dip correction based on the height of eye above the ice
C. doubling the semi diameter correction
D. using a dip correction from table 22 in Bowditch Vol. II
Ans: B
55. The date is the same all over the world at .
A. 0000 GMT
B. 1200 GMT
C. 0000 LMT for an observer at 90°E longitude
D. no time
Ans: B
56. A single barometric pressure reading of 28.60 indicates .
A. rapidly improving weather
B. deteriorating weather
C. a severe low pressure system
D. fair weather and calm
Ans: C
57. The recording fathometer produces a graphic record of the
A. bottom contour only up to depths of 100 fathoms
B. depths underneath the keel against a time base
C. contour of the bottom against a time base
D. depth of water against a distance base
Ans: B
58. It is in the yellow pages of the Nautical Almanac which is used for the interpolation of the
difference go GHA and declination
A. Increment corrections
B. Logarithmic table
C. Haversine table
D. Altitude correction table
Ans: A
59. The alternative sailing in lieu of Great Circle to limit the latitude of vertex.
A. Mercator sailing
B. Parallel Sailing
C. Great circle sailing
D. Composite sailing
Ans: D
60. In a river subject to tidal currents, the best time to dock a ship without the assistance of tugs is
.
A. at high water
B. when there is a following current
C. at slack water
D. at flood
Ans: C
61. At latitude 19 degrees 33'N, the rising sun was observed to have an amplitude of E 13 degrees
58.2'S. Find the declination of the sun.
A. 18 degrees 29'N
B. 13 degrees 09'S
C. 13 degrees 09'N
D. 18 degrees 29'S
Ans: B
62. The line joining the points of zenith and nadir.
A. Prime vertical
B. zenith distance
C. declination
D. quadrature
Ans: A
63. At evening stars, the first stars that should be observed are those with an azimuth in what
quadrant?
A. Southern
B. Western
C. Northern
D. Eastern
Ans: D
64. Isogonic lines are lines on a chart indicating .
A. points of equal variation
B. points of zero variation
C. the magnetic latitude
D. magnetic dip
Ans: A
65. A slow rise in the barometric pressure forecasts .
A. rainy weather for the next 48 hours
B. high seas
C. improving weather conditions
D. deteriorating weather conditions
Ans: C
