I am preparing to test for my Chief Mate Oceans endorsement and was wondering if anyone had some tips or tricks for the test? I’m having a hell of time with the running fix problems. I think I have the math down, but have trouble plotting. I heard there are ways to memorize some of the lengthy celestial questions.
One person said to memorize the last two numbers of the lat and long for the 3-star fixes. I heard something about .5 at the end of Longitude for noon running fixes. I’m memorizing the Gnomonic chart questions because I do not have a Gnomonic chart.
I know that I should be learning how to complete the full questions, but I’m testing Thursday and running out of study time. Just wondering if anyone else had some more tricks?
You’ll have to draw the gnomonic chart questions out in the test room if you haven’t memorized the answers.
Otherwise if you can’t do the test prep course with Mitags (MPT is only 2 weeks vs 4 wks at Mitags. Crawford Nautical also has a great deal where the tuition you pay is good for a year. Come in and study when you can.) the exams require a lot of studying. Know what information is in the exam room. Not just what books are there, but what information is in the books. Lots of problems are worked out for you already in bowditch part II, tide & current books, etc.
Wish you good luck, but I spent months studying. PM me if you have anymore questions. I took the test last fall and passed in 3 days.
[QUOTE=Quimby;195361]You’ll have to draw the gnomonic chart questions out in the test room if you haven’t memorized the answers.
Otherwise if you can’t do the test prep course with Mitags (MPT is only 2 weeks vs 4 wks at Mitags. Crawford Nautical also has a great deal where the tuition you pay is good for a year. Come in and study when you can.) the exams require a lot of studying. Know what information is in the exam room. Not just what books are there, but what information is in the books. Lots of problems are worked out for you already in bowditch part II, tide & current books, etc.
Wish you good luck, but I spent months studying. PM me if you have anymore questions. I took the test last fall and passed in 3 days.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the info. I actually already took the two week prep at MPT. I tested in November and passed to receive a NC license. I didn’t take oceans for fear of failing more than two modules. MPT was a good intensive prep. As it turns out, I passed everything the first go around!
Now I’m testing for oceans and have good grasp on everything but the running fixes. I’m set to take the test Thursday in New Orleans the day after crew change.
[QUOTE=tugsailor;195369]Whatever happened to just learning the professional skills that are required, rather than learning out how to legally “cheat” on the test?[/QUOTE]
I’m a hawespiper working on a boat without a sextant. I admire your professional skills to plot a three star fix underway. Right now I am focusing on doing everything I can to pass a test.
Ah ok. So just celestial. Well bowditch II does have a lot of those problems with the basics worked out. I think the exam room has the larger plotting sheets. If not, maybe buy some of the larger ones and see if the examiner will accept them. Makes it easier to plot.
I used lapware to find out all the different types of running fixes (sun, stars, etc.) and did them over and over again. Lapware had the answers all worked out, so I could see where I went wrong.
It’s pricey but if you just have issues with running fixes, maybe worth it for just the few days before testing.
I can scan some of the pages from my Crawford celestial book. Explains running fixes real well. Let me know I can email them to you.
I wish you the best of luck and have no doubt that you’ll do fine.
This is what I do. Plot the last star LOP first in the normal way. Plot the APs of the two earlier stars, then advance those APs to AAPs by the proper direction and distance for the number of minutes steamed from each of the APs to the time of the last star that has already been plotted, then plot the LOPs for the first two stars in the normal way. Now you’ve got your three star fix pinwheel.
By the way, I’m a hawspiper too and taught myself to take the sights on a tugboat with a $75 plastic sextant and Bill Crawford’s book.
[QUOTE=Quimby;195373]Ah ok. So just celestial. Well bowditch II does have a lot of those problems with the basics worked out. I think the exam room has the larger plotting sheets. If not, maybe buy some of the larger ones and see if the examiner will accept them. Makes it easier to plot.
I used lapware to find out all the different types of running fixes (sun, stars, etc.) and did them over and over again. Lapware had the answers all worked out, so I could see where I went wrong.
It’s pricey but if you just have issues with running fixes, maybe worth it for just the few days before testing.
I can scan some of the pages from my Crawford celestial book. Explains running fixes real well. Let me know I can email them to you.[/QUOTE]
Just learn how to do the rest of them 100% and skip the two plots or just give it a try. When I took the module last fall I thought it was way easier than what I got when I tested for my 3rds. If you skip the two plots then you still have a 1 question safety cushion. I do recommend learning how to do the plots as once you can solve the Hc, Zn, and intercept problems, it doesn't take much more to plot them out and advance to a common time. The USCG does a lot of the work for you on those questions that saves a good amount of time compared to doing it in real life onboard a ship. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions. And yes Bowditch II has many examples worked out in case you get something out of the norm.
I had a potential job offer that required oceans, which was why I rushed so much to study. I wish I had more time to actually learn rather than cram. I spent two days straight trying to learn the plots, but couldn’t get the answers. Many times my answers were right between two. So I focused on everything else and still passed.
Now that it is fresh in my mind, I still want to go back and learn the plots. Thanks for asking.