[CQ-Contest] Maritime mobile in WPX

[Salina Physician Anesthesia]

Have a friend who will be on a ship about a thousand miles south of Hawaii 
the weekend of the WPX.  Reading the rules, his prefix will be his W0 prefix 
as /M doesn't count.  But he definitely won't be in North America!  Does he 
count as a US QSO?  And if not, how does anyone know that he isn't just a 
weak Iowa station?  OTOH, if propagation is good, he might be louder? 

Thanks, 

N0UU