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Quiz about Massachusetts Maritime Lore
Quiz about Massachusetts Maritime Lore

Massachusetts Maritime Lore Trivia Quiz


Massachusetts is not only by the sea it has depended on it as a workplace and playground. How much do you know about the sixth state's relationship with the Atlantic Ocean?

A multiple-choice quiz by CmdrK. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
CmdrK
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
320,702
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
632
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: jibberer (8/10), Guest 97 (2/10), Guest 174 (8/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. What is Massachusetts's nickname? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In a certain old seafaring song, the girls from this locale "don't use no sleds ... They slide down the hills on the codfish heads." Where are they from? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In "Moby Dick", Captain Ahab's ship, the Pequod, left which Massachusetts port on its ill-fated journey?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. What happened to the battleship USS Massachusetts when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The fishing boat "Andrea Gail," lost during the so-called "perfect storm" in 1991, was based in which town?
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. When cod fishing in Massachusetts was at its zenith, how many tons were caught each year?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Where is the frigate USS Constitution docked?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Which Massachusetts town has as its motto: "America's Oldest Seaport"?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. In the 19th or 20th centuries, if you were sailing at night off Surfside, Massachusetts and became disoriented, what would you look for to reestablish your position? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. There is a marine sciences institute in Massachusetts that has contributed much to our understanding of oceans and climate. What is it's name? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Nov 26 2024 : jibberer: 8/10
Nov 20 2024 : Guest 97: 2/10
Nov 17 2024 : Guest 174: 8/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What is Massachusetts's nickname?

Answer: The Bay State

Massachusetts was originally called the Massachusetts Bay Colony when it was an English possession. Rhode Island is the "Ocean State", Connecticut is the "Constitution State" and New York is the "Empire State."
2. In a certain old seafaring song, the girls from this locale "don't use no sleds ... They slide down the hills on the codfish heads." Where are they from?

Answer: Cape Cod

This song, "Cape Cod Girls" is an example of a sea shanty (or chanty), songs containing insulting or inane lyrics used to establish a cadence so deckhands would work in unison while raising or repositioning sails.
3. In "Moby Dick", Captain Ahab's ship, the Pequod, left which Massachusetts port on its ill-fated journey?

Answer: Nantucket

Nantucket was once one of the leading whaling ports in the world.
4. What happened to the battleship USS Massachusetts when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941?

Answer: She was not at Pearl Harbor

The USS Massachusetts, nicknamed "Big Mamie" was launched on September 23, 1941 but was not commissioned until May 12, 1942 at Boston. She fired the first 16-inch (410 mm) shells at an enemy target in World War II and is believed to have also fired the last 16-inchers of the war.
5. The fishing boat "Andrea Gail," lost during the so-called "perfect storm" in 1991, was based in which town?

Answer: Gloucester

The term "perfect storm" was given to the Halloween Nor'easter by a meteorologist at the US National Weather Service's Boston office. The term was used as a book title, a movie and has come to mean any convergence of dire events.
6. When cod fishing in Massachusetts was at its zenith, how many tons were caught each year?

Answer: Over 155,000 tons

According to the United States Commissioner of Navigation, the average annual tonnage between 1854 and 1866 was 155,179 tons.
7. Where is the frigate USS Constitution docked?

Answer: Boston Navy Yard in Charlestown

The USS Constitution, nicknamed "Old Ironsides", was commissioned in 1794 and was named by George Washington. She earned her nickname during the War of 1812 when some cannonballs from a British warship bounced off her hull made of Southern live oak. She is still an officially commissioned U.S. Navy ship.
8. Which Massachusetts town has as its motto: "America's Oldest Seaport"?

Answer: Gloucester

Gloucester, on the Annisquam River, was first chartered in 1623.
9. In the 19th or 20th centuries, if you were sailing at night off Surfside, Massachusetts and became disoriented, what would you look for to reestablish your position?

Answer: The Lightship Nantucket

Surfside is on the southern side of Nantucket Island and the southernmost town in Massachusetts. Lightships were floating lighthouses used in several places in the U.S. The ones named the "Lightship Nantucket" were positioned on dangerous shoals south and east of Nantucket Island near well-travelled shipping lanes to and from New York City.

The last one positioned off Nantucket Island was decommissioned in 1985.
10. There is a marine sciences institute in Massachusetts that has contributed much to our understanding of oceans and climate. What is it's name?

Answer: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is located in Woods Hole on Cape Cod. It was founded in 1930 and studies all things oceanic and climatological. It's three-person research submarine "Alvin" can dive to a depth of almost three miles.
Source: Author CmdrK

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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