Boaters Safety – Practice Exam

What should you do with your float plan for a weekend water outing?

Mail it to your home address.
Stow it with the boat’s registration papers.
Fax it to the nearest U.S. Coast Guard station.
Leave it with a friend or relative.

Leave it with a friend or relative.

What should you do when approaching a low-head dam in a canoe or kayak?

Carry your craft around the dam.
Turn around and paddle backward over the dam.
Cross with your craft parallel to the dam face.
Shoot over the dam as fast as possible.

Carry your craft around the dam.

What is a leading cause of death for paddlers in small crafts such as canoes, kayaks, and rafts?

capsizing
improper clothing
boat leaks
starvation

capsizing

What should divers do for their own safety?

dive alone to avoid other boaters
tie two boats together
remain close to the diver-down flag
avoid displaying the diver-down flag

remain close to the diver-down flag

What should you do with a rag that has been used to wipe up spilled gasoline?

Place it in the bilge.
Hang it over the gunwale.
Put it in the cockpit to air dry.
Dispose of it on shore.

Dispose of it on shore.

What should you do before and while fueling your boat?

Turn OFF the engine. CLOSE all windows, doors, and openings.
Turn ON the engine. CLOSE all windows, doors, and openings.
Turn ON the ventilation system and the engine. CLOSE all windows, doors, and openings.
Turn ON the ventilation system. Keep all windows, doors, and openings cracked.

Turn OFF the engine. CLOSE all windows, doors, and openings.

What should you look out for when launching a sailboat with a raised mast?

launch ramp erosion
location of the sun
overhead wires
immersion depth of trailer

overhead wires

Two powerboats are about to cross paths. What should the boat on the starboard (right) do?

Speed up to cross in front of the other boat.
Speed up and turn toward the other boat.
Maintain course and speed, but stay alert.
Shoot a flare and sound a danger signal on a horn or whistle.

Maintain course and speed, but stay alert.

A sailboat and a PWC are meeting head-on. Which one is the stand-on vessel?

sailboat
PWC
neither
both

sailboat

One boat is overtaking another. Which boat should stand on?

the boat being overtaken
the boat creating the most wake
the faster boat
the larger boat

the boat being overtaken

What do two short blasts of a horn mean?

I disagree with your plans.
I intend to pass you on my starboard (right) side.
I am stopping at the next dock.
My flashlight needs batteries.

I intend to pass you on my starboard (right) side.

What is one possible meaning of a single prolonged blast of a horn?

I am passing an information marker.
I am coming around a blind bend.
I am creating a large wake.
I am filling my gas tank.

I am coming around a blind bend.

You see a white marker with black vertical stripes. What should you do?

Do not pass between the marker and the shore.
Keep the marker on your port (left) side.
Use the marker as a mooring buoy if you wish to tie up.
Prepare for bad weather.

Do not pass between the marker and the shore.

Which symbol on a regulatory marker is used to warn of a rock or other underwater hazard?

green square
orange diamond
aqua circle
yellow crossed diamond

orange diamond

Which symbol on a regulatory marker is used to mark a swimming area?

green square
yellow circle
orange crossed diamond
aqua diamond

orange crossed diamond

You see a white marker with an orange crossed diamond and black lettering. What does this marker tell you?

mooring area
keep out
PWCs only
good fishing area

keep out

How does the effect of alcohol while boating compare to its effect while on land?

The effect is increased while boating.
The effect is increased while on land.
The effect is slightly greater while on land.
Alcohol does not affect you while boating or on land.

The effect is increased while boating.

What should you do to reduce the risk of capsizing or swamping your boat in rough water?

Anchor from the stern.
Keep most of the weight close to the motor.
Turn at controlled speeds.
Sit on the gunwale.

Turn at controlled speeds.

What should you do immediately if a boat motor catches fire?

Signal for help.
Shut off the fuel supply.
Abandon the boat.
Grab a fire extinguisher.

Shut off the fuel supply.

When boating, you see a blue and white International Code Flag A (or Alfa flag). How far away must you stay from the displayed flag?

at least 25 feet
at least 85 feet
at least 140 feet
at least 200 feet

at least 200 feet