The A•B•Sea Nautical Trivia Quiz (Basic)
by Jack Lagan
This quiz is free to download, print and forward subject to the inclusion of the copyright message. When using in a public situation (for example, a sailing club social evening) please make clear that the quiz is mostly drawn from the contents of ABSea: A loose-footed lexicon published by Seafarer Books. If you need the answers, send me an e-mail and convince me that you are an 'organiser' and not a humble 'participant'. There are two more quizzes, Intermediate and Advanced.
(C) Copyright 2003 Jack Lagan
|
1 |
The 'starboard' side of a boat is so-called because... |
A: It is the side from which the elevation of stars was measured by the navigator. B: It is always the windward side of the vessel. C: It is the side on which the 'steering board' was fitted in the days before the rudder came into common use. |
|
2 |
The 'schooner' was invented in which country? |
A: The United States. B: Holland. C: Australia. D: Switzerland. |
|
3 |
Which wind speed is associated with Force 5 weather conditions? |
A: 11-16 knots. B: 7-10 knots. C: 17-21 knots. D: 34-40 knots. |
|
4 |
What was the name of the boat in which Captain Joshua Slocum circumnavigated the world? |
A: Stray. B: Starry. C: Spray. D: My Lively Lady. |
|
5 |
What is Buys Ballot's Law? |
A: A means of measuring the maximum speed of a displacement vessel according to its length on the waterline. B: A law enacted to encourage gerrymandering in political elections. C: A way of calculating where a Plimsol Line should be painted. D: A means of determining the centre of an area of low pressure in prevailing weather conditions. |
|
6 |
What does CARD stand for? |
A: Collision Avoidance Radar Detector. B: Cord and Rope Demarcation. C: Cartographer's Association for Radial Declination. D: Conceptually Advanced Racing Design. |
|
7 |
The word 'derrick' means a spar, at the end of which is a tackle used for lifting heavy objects. From where does the word 'derrick' originate? |
A: From the Old Norse word 'daeryk' meaning a spar from which monks were hung. B: After a famous 16th century hangman who performed at Tyburn (now Marble Arch) in London. C: From the astronomer's name for the 'arm' or 'handle' of the Big Dipper (Ursa Major, the Plough, the Great Bear). D: None of the above. |
|
8 |
How many oceans are there on Planet Earth? (Do not combine north and south varieties.) |
A: Five. B: Six. C: Seven. D: Eight. |
|
9 |
Which sea is the deepest? |
A: The Pacific. B: The Caribbean. C: The Atlantic. D: The Baltic. |
|
10 |
A 'bend' is... |
A: A method of securing one line (rope) to another. B: The curve between the waterline and bow of a boat. C: Another name for the rake of a mast under strain. |
|
11 |
When a wind 'veers' its... |
A: Direction changes clockwise. B: Direction changes counter-clockwise. C: Speed increases. D: Speed decreases. |
|
12 |
What does 'all standing' mean? |
A: All the crew are on deck during the dog watch. B: All the sails are set. C: All the masts are still upright. |
|
13 |
What is a 'line'? |
A: A channel on your satellite telephone? B: The remarkable story you were just told by the guy next to you in the marina bar? C: Any rope, cord or cable on a boat. D: The Equator. |
|
14 |
What is Mercator famous for? |
A: The projection used on all (or almost all) those charts in the navigation table. B: The adoption of the Bermuda rig for most sail boats? C: Being Belgian. |
|
15 |
How much of the planet Earth is covered by salt water? |
A: 61% B: 67.8% C: 71% D: 81% |
|
16 |
Which is not the name of an anchor? |
A: Northill. B: Atlas. C: Danforth. D: CQR. |
|
17 |
The Tropic of Cancer is... |
A: 33.5 degrees North of the Equator. B: 25.3 degrees South of the Equator. C: 21.5 degrees North of the Equator. D: 23.5 degrees North of the Equator. |
|
18 |
What is the 'pitch' of a propeller? |
A: The frequency of the sound it makes while running. B: The distance it travels forward (or backward) in one revolution. C: The distance it travels sideways when in reverse. |
|
19 |
You are sailing at night and ahead you can see two short flashing lights. What are you looking at? |
A: An isolated danger mark. B: A safe water mark (fairway). C: An East cardinal mark. |
|
20 |
What is a bulkhead? |
A: A high capacity toilet. B: An interior wall in a yacht or ship. C: A place in the bow to secure an anchor. D: The widest part of the bow. |