Coast Guard Master of Towing Vessels
Practice Examination 100 Questions
And Correct Answers (Verified Answers)
Plus Rationales 2026 Q&A | Instant
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1. What is the primary function of a towing winch on a tug?
A. Provide emergency propulsion
B. Store fuel for ballast
C. Control towing tension and pay-out
D. Act as a mooring windlass
Rationale: The towing winch maintains safe towline tension and controls
payout/retrieval.
2. The point where a towing bridle meets at a single connection to the
towline is called:
A. Mushroom
B. Apex
,C. Padeye
D. Bight
Rationale: The apex is where the bridle legs join before connecting to the
towline.
3. When operating in restricted visibility, the towing vessel must:
A. Turn off towing lights
B. Sound fog signals at prescribed intervals
C. Increase speed
D. Stop engines
Rationale: Fog signals are required to alert other vessels of your status and
direction.
4. A towing vessel is required to have charts that are:
A. Hand-drawn
B. Corrected to the latest notices
C. More than 10 years old
D. Laminated
Rationale: Charts must be updated to ensure safe navigation.
5. What is the immediate action when a towline parts?
A. Increase speed
B. Ignore it
C. Reduce power and assess drift and hazards
D. Deploy life rafts
,Rationale: Stopping strain and maintaining control prevents further risk to
vessel and tow.
6. The towing light prescribed by the Rules of the Road is:
A. White over white
B. Red over white
C. Yellow over white
D. Green over red
Rationale: Towing astern requires a yellow light above the stern light
(white).
7. A tug pushing ahead on a barge is classified as:
A. A vessel not under command
B. A composite unit
C. A sailing vessel
D. A trawler
Rationale: Rigidly connected tug-and-barge units form a composite vessel.
8. Stability of a towing vessel increases with:
A. High center of gravity
B. Low center of gravity
C. Reduced ballast
D. Removing bilge keels
Rationale: Lowering the center of gravity improves righting moments.
9. The primary method to control yaw in towing astern is:
, A. Using shorter towlines
B. Increasing tow speed
C. Adjusting towline length
D. Adding more crew
Rationale: Changing scope alters the tow’s natural period and reduces
yaw.
10. The purpose of the backing line in a face-wire arrangement is to:
A. Support the towline
B. Measure speed
C. Limit thrust load on the face wires
D. Secure the anchor
Rationale: Backing lines prevent overload on primary push wires.
11. EPIRBs transmit on:
A. VHF channel 16
B. 2 MHz
C. 406 MHz
D. 88 MHz
Rationale: 406 MHz is the COSPAS-SARSAT emergency frequency.
12. The function of a fairlead is to:
A. Store spare wire
B. Guide and protect towlines from abrasion
C. Increase propulsion
Practice Examination 100 Questions
And Correct Answers (Verified Answers)
Plus Rationales 2026 Q&A | Instant
Download Pdf
1. What is the primary function of a towing winch on a tug?
A. Provide emergency propulsion
B. Store fuel for ballast
C. Control towing tension and pay-out
D. Act as a mooring windlass
Rationale: The towing winch maintains safe towline tension and controls
payout/retrieval.
2. The point where a towing bridle meets at a single connection to the
towline is called:
A. Mushroom
B. Apex
,C. Padeye
D. Bight
Rationale: The apex is where the bridle legs join before connecting to the
towline.
3. When operating in restricted visibility, the towing vessel must:
A. Turn off towing lights
B. Sound fog signals at prescribed intervals
C. Increase speed
D. Stop engines
Rationale: Fog signals are required to alert other vessels of your status and
direction.
4. A towing vessel is required to have charts that are:
A. Hand-drawn
B. Corrected to the latest notices
C. More than 10 years old
D. Laminated
Rationale: Charts must be updated to ensure safe navigation.
5. What is the immediate action when a towline parts?
A. Increase speed
B. Ignore it
C. Reduce power and assess drift and hazards
D. Deploy life rafts
,Rationale: Stopping strain and maintaining control prevents further risk to
vessel and tow.
6. The towing light prescribed by the Rules of the Road is:
A. White over white
B. Red over white
C. Yellow over white
D. Green over red
Rationale: Towing astern requires a yellow light above the stern light
(white).
7. A tug pushing ahead on a barge is classified as:
A. A vessel not under command
B. A composite unit
C. A sailing vessel
D. A trawler
Rationale: Rigidly connected tug-and-barge units form a composite vessel.
8. Stability of a towing vessel increases with:
A. High center of gravity
B. Low center of gravity
C. Reduced ballast
D. Removing bilge keels
Rationale: Lowering the center of gravity improves righting moments.
9. The primary method to control yaw in towing astern is:
, A. Using shorter towlines
B. Increasing tow speed
C. Adjusting towline length
D. Adding more crew
Rationale: Changing scope alters the tow’s natural period and reduces
yaw.
10. The purpose of the backing line in a face-wire arrangement is to:
A. Support the towline
B. Measure speed
C. Limit thrust load on the face wires
D. Secure the anchor
Rationale: Backing lines prevent overload on primary push wires.
11. EPIRBs transmit on:
A. VHF channel 16
B. 2 MHz
C. 406 MHz
D. 88 MHz
Rationale: 406 MHz is the COSPAS-SARSAT emergency frequency.
12. The function of a fairlead is to:
A. Store spare wire
B. Guide and protect towlines from abrasion
C. Increase propulsion
