VTS Core Nautical Knowledge 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'beam' refer to on a vessel?
- The length from bow to stern
- The widest part of the vessel (Correct answer)
- The height of the mast
- The depth of the keel
Correct answer: The widest part of the vessel
The beam is the maximum width of a vessel measured at its widest point.
Question 2: In VTS operations, what is a 'traffic separation scheme' (TSS)?
- A radio frequency plan for vessel communications
- A routing measure separating opposing traffic flows with separation zones (Correct answer)
- A schedule for vessel arrivals and departures
- A system for separating commercial and recreational traffic
Correct answer: A routing measure separating opposing traffic flows with separation zones
A TSS is an IMO-adopted routing measure that separates opposing streams of traffic by establishing lanes and separation zones to reduce collision risk.
Question 3: What is meant by 'under keel clearance' (UKC)?
- The clearance between the vessel's hull and a dock
- The vertical distance between the vessel's keel and the seabed (Correct answer)
- The depth of water at the port entrance
- The height of the vessel above the waterline
Correct answer: The vertical distance between the vessel's keel and the seabed
Under keel clearance is the vertical distance between the lowest point of the vessel's keel and the seabed beneath it.
Question 4: When a vessel is described as 'port side to' when berthing, what does this mean?
- The vessel approaches the berth from the port side
- The vessel's port side will be against the dock (Correct answer)
- The vessel turns to port before berthing
- The port authority is guiding the vessel
Correct answer: The vessel's port side will be against the dock
Port side to means the vessel will moor with its port (left) side alongside the berth or dock.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a pilot boarding ground?
- An area where vessels anchor to await port clearance
- A designated area where a marine pilot boards or disembarks a vessel (Correct answer)
- A restricted zone for government vessels only
- An area where tugs rendezvous with arriving ships
Correct answer: A designated area where a marine pilot boards or disembarks a vessel
A pilot boarding ground is a designated area, typically outside a port, where a marine pilot boards a vessel to assist with navigation into port.
Question 6: What does 'ETA' stand for in VTS communications?
- Estimated Time of Anchorage
- Estimated Time of Arrival (Correct answer)
- Expected Traffic Advisory
- Electronic Traffic Alert
Correct answer: Estimated Time of Arrival
ETA stands for Estimated Time of Arrival, a standard term used in maritime communications to indicate when a vessel expects to reach a destination.
Question 7: What navigational hazard does a 'wreck buoy' mark?
- A submerged rock or shoal
- The location of a sunken vessel (Correct answer)
- An area of strong currents
- A restricted fishing zone
Correct answer: The location of a sunken vessel
A wreck buoy marks the location of a sunken vessel that poses a navigational hazard to surface traffic.
VTS Core Nautical Knowledge 2
What does the term 'beam' refer to on a vessel?