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The NAQCC November 2025 Challenge NAQCC Monthly Challenges are originated and information regarding rules, ideas, or suggestions go to Gary K1YAN. Email him at  .Challenge results and the Challenge App (the online Challenge tracking and reporting application) is administered by Charlie N1AOK. Email him with any questions at  PLEASE SEND ALL CHALLENGE SUBMISSIONS TO CHARLIE!!! (If you use the online Challenge App, it will automatically send it to him). LINKS: Challenge App: http://naqcc.wb5rvz.org Challenge Worksheet: challenge_tracker.pdf THE WHALING SHIP ESSEX  PREMISE: The early 19th century was a time when whaling was a hugely profitable industry. Sailors would spend years at sea in pursuit of whales and their oil. The whaler Essex left the port of Nantucket, MA in August of 1819 and headed for the whaling grounds. Only two days after leaving port, the Essex encountered a brief but violent storm. She suffered damage and lost two of the five small boats that were used to chase and kill whales. Repairs were made and the voyage continued. More storms and lack of whales marked the next leg of her voyage. Information of a new and bountiful hunting ground came from an encounter with fellow whalers. The Essex set course for the area and was rewarded with plentiful prey. Then came disaster. A huge whale rammed the ship and ultimately sank her. The crew of 20 salvaged what they could from the Essex and, with little food and fresh water, set off in the three small whaling boats to find land. They found a deserted island, which, having little to eat, was not the paradise they had hoped for. After a month on the island, three of the crew decided to remain and the rest salvaged what they could for supplies and continued on. A storm separated one boat from the group. Some time later a whaling boat with three skeletons, thought to be the missing boat, drifted ashore on an island. Hunger and thirst drove the sailors of the other two boats to cannibalism in order to survive. Eighty nine days after the sinking of the Essex, one of the two whaling boats, which had become separated, was sighted and the sailors rescued. A few days later the second boat was sighted and the remaining men rescued. The three men who had remained on the island had survived and were also rescued. Word of the disaster became a global story. The account captured the attention of author Herman Melville and inspired his famous novel about the great white whale Moby Dick and the ill fated captain Ahab. TIME FRAME: The first day of the month 0000Z through the last day of the month 2400Z. RULES: Just make these words from calls of stations you work, subject to the General Challenge Rules. THE WHALING SHIP ESSEX AUGUST 1819 PORT OF NANTUCKET MA RAMMED BY A WHALE HERMAN MELVILLE AHAB AND MOBY DICK The 89 total letters contain these 26 different letters and numbers: A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y 1 8 9 You can use each letter in a call TWICE. For example you could use K3WWP for 2 K's, 4 W's, and 2 P's. Subsequent QSO's with the same station cannot be used for additional letters. For example, no matter how many times you work K3WWP, you can only use his call for 8 of the letters in the words. See General Rule #5 for more details on what callsign letters can be used. If you need some help with your alphabet challenge record keeping take a look at our Alphabet Tutorial page for everything from some great pencil & paper methods to fully computerized tools. AWARDS: A certificate and Participation Point go to everyone making all the words and submitting their report before the deadline. A Participation Point goes to everyone making at least 1, but not all the words and submitting their report before the deadline. YOU MUST COMPLETE AND SUBMIT AT LEAST ONE WORD TO RECEIVE A PARTICIPATION POINT! LOGS: For your report, list the words you made and the station used for each letter in the word. The number of stations listed must be the same as the number of letters in each word, even though you use the same station for more than one letter as in: WORD - K3WWP N2OD WA8REI N2OD NEXT - NF8M W8REI N8XMS K9EYT (Note how N2OD is listed for both the O and D.) You may also include comments about the challenge. Please preface any comments you want posted with "SOAPBOX:" so we will know what you want posted and what is private. Send your results as text in the horizontal format shown above to Charlie N1AOK at: charlie.wilber AT gmail.com (You must type that address into your email program.) Subject must read: (your call) NAQCC (month year) Challenge For example: K3WWP NAQCC January 2022 Challenge All entries must be RECEIVED before the 10th of the following month at 2400Z. Results: All the above get a certificate and participation point. All below get only a participation point. Not eligible for a certificate or participation point for the following reason(s): @ = Non-member $ = QRO power Soapbox: |