Mate Offshore Supply Vessels, Revision & Practice Exams

Which document lists all the lifesaving equipment required for a vessel?

1. Certificate of Registry
2. International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea Certificate
3. American Bureau of Shipping Classification Certificate
4. Certificate of Inspection ✓

A floating vessel will behave as if all of its weight is acting downward through which point?

1. The center of gravity ✓
2. The metacenter
3. The center of buoyancy
4. The center of flotation

Which is TRUE of the term negative slip on a vessel?

1. The ship is moving slower than the theoretical propeller speed
2. The distance a vessel travels when all propulsion has been stopped
3. The distance a vessel travels in the same direction when rudder has been applied
4. The ship is moving faster than the theoretical propeller speed ✓

A situation has occurred where it becomes necessary for you to be towed. What action should be taken to prevent your vessel from yawing?

1. Shift weight to the center of the boat
2. Shift weight to the bow
3. Throw excess weight overboard
4. Shift weight to the stern ✓

Why: Shifting weight aft sets the stern deeper, increasing drag aft so the towed vessel trails straight behind the towline like a weathervane instead of sheering from side to side.

Which action should you take after sending a false distress alert on VHF?

1. Send a DSC cancellation message on Ch-70.
2. Make a voice announcement to cancel the alert on Ch-16. ✓
3. Make a voice announcement to cancel the alert on Ch-22A.
4. Make a voice announcement to cancel the alert on Ch-13.

Why: A false distress alert transmitted by VHF voice is canceled by an all-stations voice broadcast on Channel 16, the distress and calling channel where the alert was heard, identifying your vessel and canceling the alert.

How should latitude 54°18.9'N be written when preparing an AMVER report?

1. 0543N
2. 5419N ✓
3. 54.3N
4. 54°N

How are chart legends which indicate a conspicuous landmark printed?

1. In italics
2. With underlined letters
3. In boldfaced print
4. In capital letters ✓

What is the purpose of the "reference hand" on an aneroid barometer?

1. To adjust the barometer
2. To indicate any change in the reading of the barometer ✓
3. To provide a correction for height above sea level
4. To provide a correction for temperature changes

What happens to the intensity of a hurricane as it reaches higher latitudes and cooler waters?

1. Remains the same
2. Increases
3. Decreases ✓
4. None of the above

A List of Lights entry (L Fl) is a single flashing light which shows a long flash of not less than which duration?

1. 1.0 second duration
2. 1.5 seconds duration
3. 2.0 seconds duration ✓
4. 3.0 seconds duration

Why: A long flash (L Fl) is defined as a flash of not less than 2 seconds duration, distinguishing it from an ordinary flash, which is shorter.

Which type of weather could you expect soon after seeing "hook" or "comma" shaped cirrus clouds?

1. Rain with the approach of a warm front ✓
2. Continuing fog and rain
3. The formation of a tropical depression
4. Clearing with the approach of a cold front

When utilizing a Pacific Coast chart, which is the reference plane of soundings?

1. Mean low water springs
2. Mean lower low water ✓
3. Lowest normal low water
4. Mean lowest water

Which term is given to the mechanical lifting of air by the upslope slant of the terrain?

1. Vertical lifting
2. Convective lifting
3. Topographic lifting ✓
4. Advective lifting

Which defines the term relative humidity?

1. The ratio of the actual vapor content at the current temperature to the air's vapor holding capability ✓
2. The maximum vapor content the air is capable of holding
3. The relation of the moisture content of the air to barometric pressure
4. The maximum vapor content the air is capable of holding at 70 degrees

Your vessel is on course 150°T, speed 17 knots. The apparent wind is from 40° off the starboard bow, speed 15 knots. What is the speed of the true wind?

1. 9.0 knots
2. 10.2 knots
3. 11.0 knots ✓
4. 12.0 knots

When trying to sight a lighthouse you notice a glare from a town in the background. How does this affect the range at which the light may be sighted?

1. Increased if the light is red or green due to contrast with the glare
2. Considerably reduced and difficult to distinguish ✓
3. Unchanged
4. Increased slightly due to extra lighting

Radar makes the most accurate determination of the __________.

1. size of a target
2. shape of a target
3. distance to a target ✓
4. direction of a target

What does a barometer showing falling pressure indicate?

1. The approach of a high-pressure system
2. A low dew point
3. The approach of a low-pressure system ✓
4. A high dew point

Which correction(s) must be applied to an aneroid barometer?

1. Height error only
2. Instrument error and height error ✓
3. Instrument error and latitude correction
4. Instrument error only

Which weather element cannot be measured accurately while on board a moving vessel?

1. Visibility ✓
2. Wind direction
3. Temperature
4. Atmospheric pressure

Why: Estimating visibility requires reference objects at known distances, and at sea there are none, so it can only be roughly judged. Wind, temperature, and pressure are measured by instruments, with corrections for the vessel's motion.

ECDIS units incorporate Digital Chart Data that utilizes which formats?

1. Imposed viewing formats
2. Both vector and raster formats ✓
3. Vector formats only
4. Raster formats only

When the period of beam seas equals the natural rolling period of a vessel, what will most likely occur?

1. Excessive rolling ✓
2. Excessive yawing
3. Excessive pitching
4. No change should be evident

Which states the requirements for the access to a cargo pumproom in a tank vessel carrying grades C or D liquid cargo?

1. The pumproom access shall only be from enclosed areas free from sources of vapor ignition
2. The pumproom access shall be from within the vessel
3. The pumproom access shall be from areas equipped with power ventilation
4. The pumproom access shall be from the open deck ✓

Why: Regulations require pumproom access on these tankships to be from the open deck, so personnel never pass through enclosed spaces where cargo vapors could accumulate and escape or rescue is direct.

Flammable liquids should have what kind of label?

1. Skull and crossbones
2. White
3. Yellow
4. Red ✓

According to the Chemical Data Guide, the flash point for the grade B flammable liquid piperylene is __________.

1. -20°F ✓
2. 43°C
3. 108°F
4. not available

Which of the signals listed is required to be displayed at night while bunkering at a dock?

1. One red light over a white light
2. Two red lights
3. One red light ✓
4. One red light over a yellow light

Which is a precaution you should take before bunkering?

1. Plug the sounding pipes
2. Close the lids on the vents
3. Plug the vents
4. Plug the scuppers ✓

What should you do if you have transmitted a distress call a number of times on channel 16 and have received no reply?

1. Turn up the volume on the receiver before transmitting again.
2. Repeat the message using any other channel on which you might attract attention. ✓
3. Key the microphone several times before transmitting again.
4. Report the problem to the head electrician.

What is the weight of the liquid displaced by a vessel floating in sea water equal to?

1. The weight required to sink the vessel
2. The displaced volume
3. The reserve buoyancy
4. The total weight of the vessel ✓

How can you indicate that your vessel is in distress?

1. Displaying a large red flag
2. Displaying three black balls in a vertical line
3. Continuously sounding the fog whistle ✓
4. Sounding five or more short and rapid blasts on the whistle

You are at sea and have received a General Emergency message announcing the outbreak of war in Europe. You are directed to comply with the instructions in NGA (NIMA) PUB 117, Chapter Eight. Which statement is TRUE?

1. You should only enter a port in the danger zone during hours of darkness
2. You should attempt to coordinate with the Shipping Control Team ✓
3. When over 200 miles from a port in the danger zone, you should not darken ship
4. If on a coastwise voyage along the east coast of the U.S., you should put into the nearest port

Shell plating is __________.

1. synonymous with decking
2. a hatch cover
3. the galvanizing on steel
4. the outer plating of a vessel ✓

Two well-developed high-pressure areas may be separated by which item?

1. A ridge of low pressure
2. A hill of low pressure
3. A valley of low pressure
4. A trough of low pressure ✓

Why: An elongated extension of low pressure is called a trough, while an elongated high is a ridge. Two well-developed highs are therefore separated by a trough of low pressure between them.

A green buoy has a yellow triangle on it. What type of buoy is this?

1. It is a dual-purpose marker used where the ICW and other waterways coincide ✓
2. This is an information or regulatory buoy that has lateral significance
3. It is a buoy that was set in error and will be replaced with a red nun buoy
4. This buoy that is off-station and is marked to warn mariners of its wrong position

By convention, what color is the south pole of a magnet painted?

1. Red
2. White
3. Blue ✓
4. Black

The velocity of the apparent wind can be more than the true wind, and come from the same direction, if certain conditions are present. One condition is that the __________.

1. true wind must be from dead astern
2. true wind velocity must be faster than the ship's speed
3. ship's speed must be less than the true wind velocity
4. true wind must be from dead ahead ✓

You have replaced the chart paper in the course recorder. Which statement is TRUE?

1. Line the course pen up on 0-degree mark
2. Adjust the chart paper to indicate GMT ✓
3. Set the zone pen to the far right of the paper
4. Test the electrical gain to the thermograph pens