Louisiana Boater Safety Exam
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Bow - ✔✔Front of a vessel
Stern - ✔✔Rear of a bessel
Starboard - ✔✔Right side of a vessel
Port - ✔✔Left side of a vessel
Hull - ✔✔Body of a vessel; basic structure or shell
Gunwale - ✔✔Upper edge of vessel's side (generally pronounced "gunnel")
Cleat - ✔✔Metal fitting on which a rope can be fastened
Propeller - ✔✔Rotates and powers a boat forward or backward
Sidelights (combination lights) - ✔✔- Red and Green
- they are visible to another vessel approaching from the side or head-on
All around white light - ✔✔this light may be used to combine a masthead light
and stern light into a single white light that can be seen by other vessels from
any direction. This light serves as an anchor light when sidelights are
extinguished.
Beam - ✔✔Maximum width of a vessel
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©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
,Freeboard - ✔✔Distance from water to lowest point of the boat where water
could come on board
Draft - ✔✔Depth of water needed to float a vessel
Keel - ✔✔Main centerline (backbone) of a vessel or the extension of hull that
increases stability in the water
Two types of Hulls - ✔✔displacement and planing
Displacement hull - ✔✔- move through the water by pushing the water aside
and are designed to cut through the water with very little propulsion
- boats limited to slower speeds
- large cruisers, sailboats
- smooth across water
Planning Hull - ✔✔- rise up and glide on top of the water when enough power is
supplied
- skim along at high speed, riding almost on top of the water rather than
pushing it aside
- small power-driven vessels, including personal watercraft (PWCs), and some
small sailboats
- rapid across water
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©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
, Personal Watercraft - ✔✔A small vessel that uses an inboard jet drive as its
primary source of propulsion, and is designed to be operated by a person or
persons sitting, standing, or kneeling on the vessel rather than inside the vessel
Planing Hulls Operate (3) - ✔✔Displacement Mode, Plowing Mode, Planing
Mode
Displacement Mode - ✔✔A planing hull, when operated at very slow speeds,
will cut through the water like a displacement hull.
Plowing Mode - ✔✔As speed increases, a planing hull will have a raised bow,
reducing the operator's vision and throwing a very large wake. Avoid
maintaining a speed that puts your boat in plowing mode.
Planing Mode - ✔✔when enough power is applied so that the hull glides on top
of the water. Different boats reach planing mode at different speeds.
Hull Shapes (4) - ✔✔Flat Bottom Hull, Deep Vee Hull, Round Bottom Hull
Flat Bottom Hull - ✔✔- This planing hull has a shallow draft, which is good for
fishing in small lakes and rivers.
- Rides roughly in choppy waters.
Deep Vee Hull - ✔✔- This planing hull gives a smoother ride than a flat bottom
hull in rough water.
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©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Bow - ✔✔Front of a vessel
Stern - ✔✔Rear of a bessel
Starboard - ✔✔Right side of a vessel
Port - ✔✔Left side of a vessel
Hull - ✔✔Body of a vessel; basic structure or shell
Gunwale - ✔✔Upper edge of vessel's side (generally pronounced "gunnel")
Cleat - ✔✔Metal fitting on which a rope can be fastened
Propeller - ✔✔Rotates and powers a boat forward or backward
Sidelights (combination lights) - ✔✔- Red and Green
- they are visible to another vessel approaching from the side or head-on
All around white light - ✔✔this light may be used to combine a masthead light
and stern light into a single white light that can be seen by other vessels from
any direction. This light serves as an anchor light when sidelights are
extinguished.
Beam - ✔✔Maximum width of a vessel
Page 1 of 20
©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
,Freeboard - ✔✔Distance from water to lowest point of the boat where water
could come on board
Draft - ✔✔Depth of water needed to float a vessel
Keel - ✔✔Main centerline (backbone) of a vessel or the extension of hull that
increases stability in the water
Two types of Hulls - ✔✔displacement and planing
Displacement hull - ✔✔- move through the water by pushing the water aside
and are designed to cut through the water with very little propulsion
- boats limited to slower speeds
- large cruisers, sailboats
- smooth across water
Planning Hull - ✔✔- rise up and glide on top of the water when enough power is
supplied
- skim along at high speed, riding almost on top of the water rather than
pushing it aside
- small power-driven vessels, including personal watercraft (PWCs), and some
small sailboats
- rapid across water
Page 2 of 20
©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
, Personal Watercraft - ✔✔A small vessel that uses an inboard jet drive as its
primary source of propulsion, and is designed to be operated by a person or
persons sitting, standing, or kneeling on the vessel rather than inside the vessel
Planing Hulls Operate (3) - ✔✔Displacement Mode, Plowing Mode, Planing
Mode
Displacement Mode - ✔✔A planing hull, when operated at very slow speeds,
will cut through the water like a displacement hull.
Plowing Mode - ✔✔As speed increases, a planing hull will have a raised bow,
reducing the operator's vision and throwing a very large wake. Avoid
maintaining a speed that puts your boat in plowing mode.
Planing Mode - ✔✔when enough power is applied so that the hull glides on top
of the water. Different boats reach planing mode at different speeds.
Hull Shapes (4) - ✔✔Flat Bottom Hull, Deep Vee Hull, Round Bottom Hull
Flat Bottom Hull - ✔✔- This planing hull has a shallow draft, which is good for
fishing in small lakes and rivers.
- Rides roughly in choppy waters.
Deep Vee Hull - ✔✔- This planing hull gives a smoother ride than a flat bottom
hull in rough water.
Page 3 of 20
©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
