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Windleblo - Day Fifteen



Gozwoz, ARC 2013 boat number 165, is an Elan Impression 434 owned by David Gozzard of Great Britain. David volunteered to be an ARC SSB Radio Net Controller for Group B, whereas our John Hoopes volunteered as a Net Controller for Group A. The ARC organizers set up the groups by boat size, reasoning that boats of about the same length would move along at about the same pace, therefore staying within SSB radio range of each other.

Despite this logic, as the 2013 ARC rally has evolved the fleet has become more and more dispersed. While some Group A boats have moved ahead of the Group A pack, some Group B boats have settled toward the rear of the Group B pack, mingling with the Group A boats. Consequently, some boats are having more and more difficulty receiving SSB broadcasts from their assigned group. Just like at the pre-rally Sundowners, a friendly mixing has occurred, and now many boats have jumped to another group that is within closer range.

The same has occurred for the Net Controllers. Capricorn, a German-flagged XC 42 owned by Ralf Kindermann, has kept up a great pace and is now ahead of the A boats. Ralf volunteered as an A Net Controller, but he is now well out of range for most of Group A. We solved this problem by "transferring" him to serve as a Group B Controller.

Which brings me back to Gozwoz. While Capricorn raced ahead, Gozwoz conveniently idled behind. Convenient, at least, for the Group B Net Controllers, as Gozwoz' owner David has now taken over Capricorn's slot as Group A Net Controller. Meanwhile, ARC boat number 213, Aspen, owned by our fellow Coloradoan Steve Siguaw, has settled at the rear of all the boats. We can now no longer pick up Aspen on the SSB radio.

It has been quite a learning experience for John and me as relative SSB newbies to work through these arrangements "on the fly" so to speak as we confer with the other Net Controllers on the radio. John has done a marvelous job as a quick study of all the pertinent SSB radio protocols and disciplines.

While all this may seem a bit obtuse, it's actually quite a bit of fun and the ARC Radio Show, as we now call it, has become one of the days' highlights. Today, for example, after the weather report and roll call, Gozwoz chimed in with a set of riddles for everyone to ponder.

Here they are:

1. What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?
2. What goes around the world but stays in a corner?
3. The man who invented it doesn't want it. The man who bought it doesn't need it. The man who needs it doesn't know it. What is it?
4. I am weightless but you can see me. Put me in a bucket and I'll make it lighter. What am I?
5. If a man carried my burden he would break his back. I am not rich but I'll leave silver in my track. What am I?

How many can you solve?



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