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Recreational Boating Trivia Quiz

Every year, millions of people engage in recreational boating on U. S. lakes and rivers. This quiz covers some of the basics that every boat owner should be aware of.

A multiple-choice quiz by HarryTripper. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
HarryTripper

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
377,813

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
473

Last 3 plays: Guest 86 (6/10), Verbonica (10/10), Guest 206 (7/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has established specific safety items that must be on board every recreational boat, such as having a life preserver (jacket/vest) for every passenger. Which of the items listed below is usually NOT required? Hint

Whistle, bell or horn

Distress signals (flags, etc)

Compass and map

Fire extinguisher

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Question 2 of 10

2. Unlike cars, boats and planes move around a vertical axis that controls the entire vessel. This movement or axis is referred to as: Hint

Roll

Yaw

Pitch

Shimmy

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Question 3 of 10

3. Many boaters usually carry a signal flag to let other boaters know if they are in distress. This flag is approximately 3 ft by 3 ft and has the following attributes: Hint

Solid red or orange flag

Red flag with a diagonal white stripe

White flag with a red triangle on it

Orange flag with a black square and a black circle on it

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Question 4 of 10

4. If someone was to say that they are going 'aft', where are they going?. Hint

Going toward the rear of the boat

Going to the left side of the boat

Going to the right side of the boat

Going toward the front of the boat

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Question 5 of 10

5. Where is the 'bilge' on a boat? Hint

The very front storage compartment

The seat to the left of the helm

The lowest compartment at the boat's bottom

The back of the boat where the outboard is attached

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Question 6 of 10

6. When traveling in the main body of a (reasonably small) lake, which direction should you be going? Hint

Clockwise

East-West

North-South

Counter clockwise

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Question 7 of 10

7. If someone were to say they are on the 'starboard' side of the boat, where are they? Hint

On the left side when facing forward

At the front of the boat

On the right side when facing forward

At the rear of the boat

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Question 8 of 10

8. When running a boat through the water, it will create waves on the surface. The faster you go, the bigger waves you will create. What is this water disturbance known as? Hint

Wake

Wave

Ripple

Splash

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Question 9 of 10

9. For the past decade, the US has averaged between 500 and 700 recreational boating deaths a year, the vast majority from drowning. According to the USCG, what percentage of the drowning victims did NOT have a life vest on? Hint

84%

47%

76%

62%

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Question 10 of 10

10. Many people prepare a checklist before they go boating as there are many important items that should be thought about. Which simple item that should be on that checklist is often overlooked, directly contributing to the sinking of many small recreational boats? Hint

Check the weather for wind and rain

Check the battery

Make sure you have enough fuel

Make sure the bilge (drain) plug is in

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Most Recent Scores

Apr 15 2024 : Guest 86: 6/10
Mar 18 2024 : Verbonica: 10/10
Mar 14 2024 : Guest 206: 7/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Compass and map

Although not required, having a compass, map or GPS can be helpful. Also, if out at night, there are specific lighting requirements that must be obeyed.
Besides the USCG regulations, each U.S. State may also have specific regulations a boater should be aware of.

2. Unlike cars, boats and planes move around a vertical axis that controls the entire vessel. This movement or axis is referred to as:

Answer: Yaw

Yaw can be used as a verb or a noun but it generally refers to the movement (oscillation) around the vertical axis in boats.
On a boat, pitch is a front to back movement and roll is side to side. I just put shimmy in to fill out the options.

3. Many boaters usually carry a signal flag to let other boaters know if they are in distress. This flag is approximately 3 ft by 3 ft and has the following attributes:

Answer: Orange flag with a black square and a black circle on it

A black square and a black circle on an orange flag means the boaters are in distress and need help.
A solid red or orange flag means a water skier is in the water. A red flag with a white diagonal stripe means that a scuba diver is in the area. I invented the white flag with a red triangle to fill out the choices.

4. If someone was to say that they are going 'aft', where are they going?.

Answer: Going toward the rear of the boat

If you are going aft, you are heading toward the boat's stern or rear. The opposite of aft is fore or forward (going toward the front of the boat).

5. Where is the 'bilge' on a boat?

Answer: The lowest compartment at the boat's bottom

The bilge is where excess water collects at the bottom of the boat. Hence you have bilge water, that is removed by operating the bilge pump or removing the bilge plug (when on land).
The back of the boat where the outboard is attached is called the transom.

6. When traveling in the main body of a (reasonably small) lake, which direction should you be going?

Answer: Counter clockwise

In water ski areas and other main parts of an average lake, the boater should travel in a counter clockwise direction. Note that this also means that boats travel on the right side (as do cars in the US).

7. If someone were to say they are on the 'starboard' side of the boat, where are they?

Answer: On the right side when facing forward

Starboard is on the right (when facing forward) and port is on the left. The bow is the front of a boat and the stern is the rear.

8. When running a boat through the water, it will create waves on the surface. The faster you go, the bigger waves you will create. What is this water disturbance known as?

Answer: Wake

Around marinas and other public or congested areas, you will often see a "No Wake" sign when boating. You should never go faster than 5 MPH in these areas. And when passing others on the lake (especially smaller boats) you should be careful to limit the size of your wake.

Answer: 84%

Yes, more than 4 out of 5 boaters who drowned did not have their life vests on. The USCG estimates that 80% of these victims would have been saved had they been wearing their vests. Always wear your vest!

Answer: Make sure the bilge (drain) plug is in

It is important to stay aware of the weather conditions as wind and rain can cause many problems when boating. And of course you do not want to run out of gas or have your battery go dead. But not putting in the bilge plug and having your boat fill up with water is much worse, as this can easily sink you.
Surprisingly, the USCG states that this is one of the most common reasons that recreational boaters find themselves in a distress situation.

Source: Author HarryTripper

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