National SAR School
Basic
Navigation
Test
Directions:
The following test is comprised of various navigational knowledge
expected of each student prior to attending the National Search
and Rescue School’s “Maritime Coastal Search Planning” course.
ALL information for this test can be found in the Coast Guard’s
Boat Crew Seamanship Manual, COMDTINST M16114.5. It is up
to each student to become familiar with the enclosed information
prior to attending this course.
As you “click” through this power point presentation, write your
answers on a sheet of paper. When you’ve completed the test,
compare your results against the answers at the end of the
presentation.
Good luck!
Bearings (Basic Compass Rose):
Label each basic compass direction & degree displayed below:
#1
Question #:
#8
#2
#7
#3
#6
#4
#5
#9
How many degrees are in a compass rose?
Bearings (Advanced Compass Rose):
Label each compass bearing with the corresponding compass point.
( Exampe: 000º
__N__ )
#10 022.5 º _____
#18 292.5 º
_____
#11 157.5 º _____
#19 337.5 º
_____
#12 112.5 º _____
#20 180 º
_____
#13 225 º
_____
#21 135 º
_____
#14 090 º
_____
#22 067.5 º
_____
#15 315 º
_____
#23 045 º
_____
#16 202.5 º
_____
#24 247.5 º
_____
#17 270 º
_____
Bearings (Relative vs. True):
#25
Define “true” bearing.
#26
Define “relative” bearing.
#27
Define “variation”.
#28
A vessel transiting along a course of 090ºT observes a buoy
directly off his starboard side.
What is the “relative” bearing of the buoy?
What is the “true” bearing of the buoy?
#29
A vessel transiting along a course of 235ºT sights a sail
vessel directly ahead.
What is the “relative” bearing of the sail vessel?
Bearings (Relative vs. True):
#30
While standing due east, a mariner observed a flare bearing
325º relative to her.
What is the “true” bearing of the flare?
#31
A fishing vessel captain was piloting his boat on a course of
190ºT when he observed a boat fire directly to his left.
What “relative” bearing was the boat fire from the observer?
What “true” bearing was the boat fire from the observer?
#32
A vessel is on a heading of 110ºT. The lookout sights
another vessel 20º off the port-bow.
What is the “relative” bearing of the other vessel?
What is the “true” bearing of the other vessel?
Nautical Positioning (Latitude & Longitude):
#33
How many degrees Latitude exists north of the equator
and south of the equator?
#34
How many degrees Longitude exists?
#35
What degree Latitude is the equator?
#36
(True or False) The measurements of Latitude remain
constant as you move northward on the chart.
Why or Why not?
#37
Distance is measured on a chart along which scale…
(Latitude or Longitude)?
Nautical Positioning (Distance conversion):
#38
1 statute mile
=
__________ feet.
#39
1 nautical mile
=
__________ feet.
#40
1 degree of Latitude =
__________ NM(s).
#41
1 degree of Latitude =
__________ minute(s).
#42
1 minute of Latitude = __________ NM(s).
#43
1 minute of Latitude =
__________ seconds.
#44
1/10th of a degree
=
__________ minute(s).
#45
1/10th of a minute
=
__________ seconds.
#46
1/10th of a minute
=
__________ NM(s).
#47
1 fathom
= __________ feet.
Nautical Positioning (Latitude & Longitude):
43º 22’ 21” N, 067º 35’ 45” W
#48
What does the letter N represent?
#49
What does the symbol
#50
” represent?
What does the symbol º represent?
#51
Which coordinate represents Latitude?
#52
What does the symbol
#53
Why does the 067º display 3 digits while the 43º
displays only 2 digits?
’ represent?
“Click” once and record the Latitude & Longitude of each object…
10’
37°
50’
30’
Question numbers:
20’
10’
#54 Smiley face.
#55 Blue circle.
#56 Yellow sun.
065°
50’
#57 Lightning bolt.
#58 Red Triangle.
#59 Black square.
40’
Nautical Calculations:
#60
What does “speed over ground” mean?
#61
What is the formula for calculating a vessel’s speed?
#62
What is the formula for calculating a vessel’s transit time?
#63
What is the formula for calculating a vessel’s distance
traveled?
#64
If a vessel is transiting at a speed of 12 knots for 3.5
hours, how far would he basically have traveled?
Nautical Calculations:
#65
If a vessel is transiting at a speed of 17 knots, how long
will it take to reach his destination approximately 142
NM away?
#66
At 1200Q, a vessel has 55 NM left on it’s voyage. The
captain must enter the inlet at high tide which is at
1500Q. At what speed must he transit in order to reach
the inlet at high tide?
#67
A vessel completing a 32 NM voyage in 4 hours is
transiting at a speed of ______ KTs.
#68
A vessel transiting at a speed of 6.5 KTs should complete a
voyage of 32.5 NM in approximately ______ hours.
Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
North / 000º
North-east / 045º
East / 090º
South-east / 135º
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
360º (degrees stop at 359º and return to 000º)
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
North-north-east.
South-south-east.
East-south-east.
South-west.
East.
North-west.
South-south-west.
West.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
South / 180º
South-west / 225º
West / 270º
North-west / 315º
West-north-west.
North-north-west.
South.
South-east.
East-north-east.
North-east.
West-south-west.
25. “True” bearing is in reference to true north and remains constant regardless what direction
your vessel is heading.
26. “Relative” bearing is in reference to the bow of the vessel or direction a person is facing.
No matter which way the vessel or person is facing, forward will always be 000º relative.
Answers:
27. “Variation” is the difference between “true” north and “magnetic” north, and varies
depending on the position and distance away from “true” north. Each chart displays at
least one compass rose. (Depending on the “size” of the chart, it may display more than one
compass rose.) Each compass rose displays the amount of variation for the area around
that particular compass rose.
28. 090º relative.
180º true.
29. 000º relative.
30. 355º true.
31. 100º relative.
270º true.
32. 340º relative.
090º true.
33. 90 degrees latitude north and 90 degrees latitude south of the equator.
34. 360 degrees longitude.
Answers:
35. 00º latitude.
36. False. As you advance north on a mercator projection chart, the measured distances
between latitudes decrease.
37. Distance is measured along the Latitudes.
38. 5280 feet.
39. 6080 feet.
40. 1 NM.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
41.
42.
43.
60 minutes.
1 NM.
60 seconds.
44.
45.
46.
47.
6 minutes.
6 seconds.
1/10th NM.
6 feet
N represents Latitude “North”.
” represents seconds of a degree.
º represents degrees.
43º 22’ 21” N represents Latitude.
’ represents minutes of a degree.
53. The 067º displays three digits because there are at least 100 degrees East and 100 degrees
West along the prime meridean… therefore, 3 digits are displayed.
Answers:
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
37º N, 065º W (or) 37º 00’ N, 065º 00’ W
37º 02’ N, 065º 20’ W (or) 37º 00’ N, 065º 00’ W
37º 11’ 30” N, 065º 06’ 30” W (or) 37º 11.5’ N, 065º 06.5’ W
36º 48’ N, 065º 26’ W
37º 10’ N, 065º 14’ 30” W (or) 37º 10’ N, 065º 14.5’ W
36º 49’ N, 064º 52’ W
60. “Speed over ground” is the ACTUAL distance traveled from one geographic position to
another in a given time frame. Simply because a vessel is traveling at 5 knots for 2 hours,
doesn’t necessarily mean it will have gone 10 nautical miles. The total water current and
prevailing winds will affect its ACTUAL movement resulting in either a shorter or farther
distance traveled depending on the direction of the TWC and prevailing winds.
61. Speed
= Distance ÷ Time.
62. Time
= Distance ÷ Speed.
63. Distance = Speed x Time.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
12 KTS x 3.5 Hours = 42 NM.
142 NM ÷ 17 KTS = 8.35 Hours.
55 NM ÷ 3 Hours = 18.33 KTS.
32 KTS ÷ 4 Hours = 8 KTS.
32.5 NM ÷ 6.5 KTS = 5 Hours.