USCG Merchant Marine Deck Examination Reference Materials

The American Practical Navigator (Pub 9) – (File size 40.23 MB)

The American Practical Navigator (Pub 9) is a publication, which describes the modern principles of marine navigation and includes the formulas, tables, data and instructions required by navigators to perform the computations associated with dead reckoning, piloting, and celestial navigation. The publication also contains sections addressing the Practice of Navigation, Navigational Safety, Oceanography, Weather, and Electronic Navigation.

 

 

 

NIMA International Code of Signals (Pub. 102) – (File size 895.09 KB)

This book lists the signals to be employed by vessels at sea to communicate a variety of information relating to safety, distress, medical, and operational information. This publication became effective in 1969.

According to this code, each signal has a unique and complete meaning. The signals can be transmitted via Morse code light and sound, flag, radio telegraph and telephone, and semaphore. Since these methods of signaling are internationally recognized, differences in language between sender and receiver are immaterial; the message will be understood when decoded in the language of the receiver, regardless of the language of the sender.

The Notice to Mariners corrects Pub.

The Nautical Almanac (1981) – (File size 58.38 MB)

For celestial sight reduction, the navigator needs an  almanac for ephemeris data. The Nautical Almanac, produced jointly by H.M. Nautical Almanac Office and the U.S. Naval Observatory, is the most common almanac used for celestial navigation. It also contains information on sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset, as well as compact sight reduction tables. The Nautical Almanac is published annually.

 

 

Sight Reduction Tables Pub. 229 Volume 2 (File size 5.46 MB)

Without a calculator or computer programmed for sight reduction, the navigator needs sight reduction tables to solve the celestial triangle. Two different sets of tables are commonly used at sea.

 

 

 

 

Current Tables (Reprint from the 1983 Tide and Tidal Currents)

Coast Tidal Current Tables informs the reader on the expected behaviors of the oceans along the eastern coasts of North and South America, as well as the western coasts of Europe and Africa, and its waves through charts, graphs, and informative writing.

Topics include daily predicted times of slack water and predicted times and velocities of maximum current (flood and ebb), the speed of a current at times between slack water and maximum current, and the duration of weak current near the time of slack water. This book is published as one part in a set of four volumes listed below:

Tide Tables

Central and Western Pacific and Indian Ocean Tide Tables contains full daily predictions for 76 reference ports and differences and other constants for about 2,600 stations in North America, South America, and Greenland.

It also contains a table for obtaining the approximate height of the tide at any time, a table of local mean time of sunrise and sunset for every 5th day of the year for different latitudes, a table for the reduction of local mean time to standard time, a table of moonrise and moonset for 8 places, a table of the Greenwich mean time of the Moons phases, apogee, perigee, greatest north and south and zero declination, and the time of the solar equinoxes and solstices, and a glossary of terms.

Stability Data Referance Book

Some of the questions in the deck examination booklets require the use of trim and stability reference material to answer the question. All of the material necessary to these questions is contained in the appropriate Merchant Marine Deck Examination Reference Book.

If a question requires the use of trim or stability reference materials, it will be specifically stated in the stem of the question. For example, if the question in your examination booklet is, “The sailing drafts are: FWD 24′ -03″, AFT 25′-03” and the GM is 5.5 feet. Use the information in Section 1, the blue pages of the Stability Data Reference Book, to determine the available righting arm at 30 degrees inclination.”, you must use Section (the blue pages)of ‘Ihe Merchant Marine Deck Examination Reference Book, STABILITY DATA REFERENCE BOOK to answer the question.

The Merchant Deck Examination Reference Book, STABILITY DATA REFERENCE BOOK, has three (3) sections. Each section has its own index and is color coded as follows:

1. Selected Stability Curves                                             Blue Pages

2. Trim and Stability Book- S.S.American Mariner           White Pages 

3. Trim and Stability Book-  S.S.Northland                      Salmon Pages

 GUIDANCE MANUAL FOR LOADING  M.V. GRAND HAVEN

Some of the questions in the deck examination booklets require the use of vessel loading reference material to answer the question.  All of the material necessary to these questions is contained in the appropriate Merchant Marine Deck Examination Reference Book.

If a question requires the use of vessel loading reference materials, it will be specifically stated in the stem of the question. For example, if the question in your examination booklet is, “Your vessel’s existing draft is: FWD 24′-05”, AFT 25′-04.  Using the Guidance Manual for Loading M.V. Grand Haven, determine the new draft if 180 long tons are loaded in No.23 hatch.”, you must use The Merchant Marine Deck Examination Reference Book, GUIDANCE MANUAL FOR LOADING M.V. GRAND  HAVEN  to answer the question.

General Navigation Publications

The American Practical Navigator (Pub 9) – (File size 40.23 MB)

The American Practical Navigator (Pub 9) is a publication, which describes the modern principles of marine navigation and includes the formulas, tables, data and instructions required by navigators to perform the computations associated with dead reckoning, piloting, and celestial navigation. The publication also contains sections addressing the Practice of Navigation, Navigational Safety, Oceanography, Weather, and Electronic Navigation.

 

 

 

Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook – (File size 2.13 MB)

 

The U.S. CNew Rulesoast Guard publishes Navigation Rules for international and inland waters.

This publication, officially known as Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook, contains the Inland Navigation Rules enacted in December 1980 and effective on all inland waters of the United States including the Great Lakes, as well as the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea, enacted in 1972 (1972 COLREGS). Mariners should ensure that they have the updated issue.

 

 

Chart No. 1 – (File size 17.90 MB)

 

Chart No. 1, Chart Symbols and Abbreviations  Chart No. 1 is not actually a chart but a book containing a key to chart symbols. Most countries which produce charts also produce such a list. The U.S. Chart No. 1 contains a listing of chart symbols in four categories:

 

Chart symbols used by the National Ocean Service

  1. Chart symbols used by NIMA
  2. Chart symbols recommended by the International Hydrographic Organization
  3. Chart symbols used on foreign charts reproduced by NIMA

Subjects covered include general features of charts, topography, hydrography, and aids to navigation. There is also a complete index of abbreviations and an explanation of the IALA buoyage system.

NIMA International Code of Signals (Pub. 102) – (File size 895.09 KB)

This book lists the signals to be employed by vessels at sea to communicate a variety of information relating to safety, distress, medical, and operational information. This publication became effective in 1969.

According to this code, each signal has a unique and complete meaning. The signals can be transmitted via Morse code light and sound, flag, radio telegraph and telephone, and semaphore. Since these methods of signaling are internationally recognized, differences in language between sender and receiver are immaterial; the message will be understood when decoded in the language of the receiver, regardless of the language of the sender.

The Notice to Mariners corrects Pub.

The Nautical Almanac (1981) – (File size 58.38 MB)

For celestial sight reduction, the navigator needs an  almanac for ephemeris data. The Nautical Almanac, produced jointly by H.M. Nautical Almanac Office and the U.S. Naval Observatory, is the most common almanac used for celestial navigation. It also contains information on sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset, as well as compact sight reduction tables. The Nautical Almanac is published annually.

 

 

Current Tables (Reprint from the 1983 Tide and Tidal Currents) – File size 10.7 MB)

Coast Tidal Current Tables informs the reader on the expected behaviors of the oceans along the eastern coasts of North and South America, as well as the western coasts of Europe and Africa, and its waves through charts, graphs, and informative writing.

Topics include daily predicted times of slack water and predicted times and velocities of maximum current (flood and ebb), the speed of a current at times between slack water and maximum current, and the duration of weak current near the time of slack water. This book is published as one part in a set of four volumes listed below:

Tidal Current Tables: Atlantic Coast of North America

Tidal Current Tables: Pacific Coast of North America

Tide & Tidal Current Tables: New York Harbor to Chesapeake Bay

Tide Tables: Central & Western Pacific Ocean

Tide Tables

Central and Western Pacific and Indian Ocean Tide Tables contains full daily predictions for 76 reference ports and differences and other constants for about 2,600 stations in North America, South America, and Greenland.

It also contains a table for obtaining the approximate height of the tide at any time, a table of local mean time of sunrise and sunset for every 5th day of the year for different latitudes, a table for the reduction of local mean time to standard time, a table of moonrise and moonset for 8 places, a table of the Greenwich mean time of the Moons phases, apogee, perigee, greatest north and south and zero declination, and the time of the solar equinoxes and solstices, and a glossary of terms.

This book is published as one part in a set of four volumes as listed below:

Tide Tables: East Coast of North and South America

Tide Tables: Europe and West Coasts of Africa

Tide Tables: West Coast of North and South America

HANDBOOK OF MAGNETIC COMPASS ADJUSTMENT –  File size 1.35 MB)

This document has been prepared in order to present all pertinent information regarding the practical procedures of magnetic compass adjustment in one text. As such, it treats of the basic principles of compass deviations and their correction, and not of the details of particular compass equipment

Distances Between United States Ports – – File size 1.13 MB)

Distances Between United States Ports contains distances from a port of the United States to other ports in the United States, and from a port in the Great Lakes in the United States to Canadian Ports in the Great Lakes and St Lawrence River. These distances are measured along navigable tracklines.

DISTANCES BETWEEN PORTS, PUB. 151 (World Ports) – – File size 1.87 MB)

The 2001 Edition of Pub. 151, Distances Between Ports, supersedes all previous editions. Distances in this table are in nautical miles  based  on  the  International  Nautical  Mile  of approximately  6,076.1  feet.  Nautical  miles  may  be converted to statute miles of 5,280 feet by multiplying by 1.15. 

 

Navigation Publications

NAUTICAL PUBLICATIONS

Every vessel should carry the charts and publications required for its safe operation. These include the Navigation Rules – International-Inland, all charts applicable for the vessel’s navigational area of operation, and appropriate publications pertinent to navigation.

We have Included  some of the more commonly used publications for FREE download in PDF format by joining our  web site as a member. We required you to provide your name and email address. We will only use this information to announce  new publications, articles and academic papers offered on our web site.

To read our privacy policy click here.

Pleas click on the links below. They  will take you to the download area the specific publications. NOTE many of the publications are very large and will require a high-speed connection.

USCG Merchant Marine Deck Examination Reference Materials

General Navigation Publications

U. S. Light Lists

U. S. Coast Pilots

List of Lights

Nautical Rules of the Road (2014)

Sight Reduction Tables, Pub 229

US VTS Users Manuals

USCG Deck Examination Questions

Coming Soon

USCG Engineering Examination Questions

.MPA, The International Maritime Pilots’ Association Information

Member’s Area

Welcome Aboard Shipmates!

Our goal is to provide our members with a comprehensive collection of  free public domain and copyright holder authorized Navigation and Merchant Marine publications that will assist them in academic achievement and improve Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). We hope to make this a true international effort with contributions from members from throughout the Maritime industry.

We will start by adding United States Navigation Publications over the next few weeks and other international publications as we receive them. The publications will be offered in English and other languages, if available. As we add publications we will makes announcements in our blog the “Navigator’s Log”.

Our Colleague, Xiaodan Mei, Ph.D. Announces BIT’s 1st Annual World Congress of Ocean-2012 (WCO-2012)

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Welcome to Dalian and BIT’s 1st Annual World Congress of Ocean-2012 (WCO-2012), the world’s leading conference in ocean science, engineering, technology and management. Under our theme ‘New Wave of World Marine Economy ’ a particularly rich technical program will leave you struggling to decide which concurrent session to attend. 

Education has no boundaries-Three teachers from America and France gave lectures at SMU

2012-04-19 from Shanghai Maritime University News & Events

From February to April, three renowned teachers from America and France arrived the Merchant Marine College of SMU and gave lessons to the undergraduate students from the Merchant Marine College. Continue reading

Alexander F. Hickethier, Vice President of Maritime Institute, appointed as visiting professor for my school

  • 2011-06-08 Translated from SMU web site using Google translate.

Recently, Alexander F. Hickethier Vice President of Maritime Institute San Diego, USA was appointed as a visiting professor. The appointment ceremony was held at the Shanghai Maritime University, Merchant Marine Academy at NYK Hall, ceremony was officiated by Dean Shi Zhaojian, Professor Merchant.

Continue reading