Nj Boating exam questions
with all correct answers
What is the age that you MUST wear a PFD at all times? - 12 or younger
How old must you be to receive a NJ boat safety certificate? - 13 years old
How old must you be to operate a Personal Water Craft
(PWC)? - 16 years old
True or False: Anyone age 13 or older can operate a powerboat that is operated by a
trolling motor or one horsepower or less or if the the boat is longer than 12 feet it must
have less than ten horsepower - True
When should your navigation lights be on? - Sunset to Sunrise or during the day if
visibility is restricted
When is it legal to tow someone on a wakeboard or tube? - Sunrise to Sunset
When is it legal to operate a personal watercraft? - Sunrise to Sunset
Is it legal to operate your boat by the launch ramp? - Yes you have to go at slow speed
no wake
Where is the best place to transfer gear from your vehicle to your boat before
launching? - Away from the boat ramp. Preparation should be done away from the ramp
Can you legally pass an emergency vessel with their lights on? - Yes, but you must go
at a slow rate no wake speed
How fast should you go in a lagoon or narrow channel? - Slow speed
Is it legal to operate at a slow speed inside of a marked exclusion area? (diamond with
a cross) - NEVER GO IN THIS AREA
What is the distance you should be from any military or service vessel? - 500 yards
away
If you are within 500 yards of a military vessel how fast should you be going? - Slow, no
wake speed
If you are within 100 yards of a military vessel what should you do? - Be stopped
If you are operating at a fast speed how far must you be from a marina, pier, wharf, or
dock? - 200 feet away
When you are closer than 200 feet away from a marina, pier, wharf, or dock how fast
should you go? - No wake speed, slow
Before you leave the dock what should you look at? - Nautical Chart
What is a Nautical Chart? - Contains information such as water depths and the locations
of channels, sand bars, rocks and vegetation. Prevents from running aground.
What can prevent you from running aground? - Nautical Chart
Who is responsible for avoiding collision? - EVERYONE
When two boats are approaching head on what should they do? - Each boat must give
way to the right to pass
Another boat is approaching your boat from your starboard side, what do you do? - You
must stop, slow down, change direction (you are the give-way vessel)
When you are underway and a sailboat is passing you, what must you do? - Maintain
course and speed as the sailboat must give-way
True or False: If you are overtaking another boat you must give way - True
What is the primary factor that will affect boat speed? - Visibility
Caught in the fog, What do you do? - Slow down, turn on navigation lights, be prepared
to take action to avoid collision
Red buoys: Even or odd numbers? - Even
Green buoys: Even or odd numbers? - Odd
Purpose of Markers? - Identify edges of safe water, the potential for running aground
outside them is very high
Running Aground, what must you FIRST do? - Make sure everyone is okay, give
assistance
What should you do after you run aground? - Check if everyone is okay, check for
leaks, turn the engine off, shift weight in the boat forward, raise the engine and push
yourself using a boat hook or an ore
Must you register boat every year? - Yes
Where are validation decals placed? - Next to the registration numbers on both sides of
the bow of the boat
Where are registration numbers located on a boat? - Both sides of the BOW of the boat
What is located on the starboard side of the stern or transom of your boat? - HULL
identification number
What is a mandatory Coast Guard requirement that you must have on your boat in
federally controlled waters? - Approved visual distress signals
What are approved visual distress signals? - Flare, SOS light, red meteors, or distress
flags
What is required on all boats? - Life jackets, fire extinguishers, whistle, horn
How fast should you go when approaching a dock? - Slow speed
Should you go towards or away from the current or wind when docking your boat? -
AGAINST the wind or current
What should you do before you fuel your boat? - 1. Get everyone off the boat
2. Make sure everything is turned off including all electrical equipment
3. Close all windows, doors, ports, and openings
4. Remove portable fuel tanks from the boat and fill them on the dock
5. Make sure fire extinguisher is handy
What should you do after fueling your boat? - 1. Open all windows, ports, doors, and
openings
2. Wipe up any spilled fuel
3. Sniff bilge and engine for fuel vapors
4. Allow for the boat to ventilate before starting the engine back up (4 minutes)
How to keep invasive species at bay? - Throughly clean off your boat and your trailer
and remove plants and animals that you may see (zebra mussels)
If you are out on the water what have you given consent to? - An alcohol or drug test
What happens if you operate a boat under the influence? - Lost boating license for a
year and driving for three months
Towing vessels must have _________ to watch the person being towed - a competent
observer
PWC or boat requires to have at least how many people aboard? - 3 people
What are you required to have when you are towing someone? - Ski Tow Flag
Where should the ski tow flag be placed? - 4 feet above the highest part of the vessel
and must be displayed when towing someone behind your vessel
When must accidents be reported to the NJ state police? - If a person disappears, dies,
injury, or property damage is more than $2,000
Slow Speed/No Wake - The speed at which a motorized vessel moves through the
water and is able to maintain minimum headway in relation to a vessel or structure
being passed and produces the minimum wake possible.
What does a PWC need to steer? - Power
What is minimum headway speed? - The slowest speed at which it is still possible to
maintain steering control of a personal watercraft (PWC)
Where is the starboard on the boat? - Right side
Where is the port on the boat? - Left side
What are the 6 types of nautical knots? - 1. Figure Eight Bend
2. Bowline Knot
3. Anchor Bend Knot
4. Cleating Hitch
5. Clove Hitch
6. Round Turn and Two Half Hitches
What should you do when fueling your tank? - Use caution and keep the nozzle of the
fuel-pump hose in solid contact
True or False: You should fill the fuel tank to the brim - False. Leave room for fuel to
expand
Where should green markers be? - On your port side moving towards the open sea
When do green marker numbers increase? - As you are returning upstream from open
water
Where should red markers be? - On your starboard side (RED, RIGHT, RETURNING)
coming back from the open sea
When do red markers numbers increase? - As you are returning upstream from open
water
When should green markers be on your starboard side? - When traveling towards open
water
When should red markers be on your starboard side? - When returning from open water
Whats the 3 responsibility's of every boater? - 1. Practice good seamanship
2. Keep a proper lookout
3. Maintain a safe speed
What are the two basic types of boat hulls? - Displacement and planing
What are the common navigation lights? - Side Lights: (red=starboard, green=port)
Sternlight: behind the vessel
Masthead Light: shines forward and to both sides
All-Round White Light: Serves as anchor light when side lights are not working
When must a power-driven vessel give way to? - 1. Any vessel not under command
2. Any vessel restricted in ability to move
3. A vessel engaged in fishing
4. A sailing vessel unless it is overtaking
When must a sailing vessel give way to? - 1. Any vessel not under command
2. Any vessel restricted in ability to move
3. A vessel engaged in fishing
Where is the bow? - Front of the boat
Where is the stern? - Back of the boat
