Mom,
I wanted to take a second and say "Thanks." You have been a great help to me and have essentially acted as my contact in the states. I am thankful and wanted to let you know that I appreciate your help. If It gets to be too much, then just let me know you are busy and don't have the time at the moment. I lost my drivers license. Actually it is not lost as I know exactly where it is. It is on Koh Samet and I don't want to take the time to go back and get it. I am trying to remember if it expires in 2003 or 2004. Do you remember when I first got my license? That would help me calculate which year it expires. I know it expires in April but the question is what year. If it is 2003 then I can apply for a renewal through the mail. I already have the form but I might have to have it sent to you and then you could send it in to the DMV. If the license expires 2004 then it will pay me to go back to Koh Samet and get it from the lady who took it to rent us the motorcycle. If you can remember when I first got my license then that would help. If you have the time would you call up the DMV and see if you can find out when it expires or how to get a license if you loose the one you have. I spent about 3 hours searching the website for the lost card information but they say nothing about that. I wonder if it is not purposeful to avoid people getting extra licenses.
I used the e-mail address for Alan Ingersol and my message could not be delivered. I then sent a fax to Boat US with the information on the parts I need. I hope that plan works.
There is one more question that I have had a lot of trouble working out. I would like to mount my VHF antenna on the backstay. It is a mast mount type but I cannot take the mast off and will not be able to for a long time. I thought the stays would be a good place to mount it but I know nothing about the interference the backstay would create and I have not seen it done on other boats so I am wondering if there isn't a good reason not to do it. If you drop by Boat US or West Marine, I am sure they could answer this question.
The sail repair material is also pretty important if you have time.
I can pay you for your time if you would like.
By the way, have my letters been frequent enough for you? How about fun enough?
The last thing that would be really nice is that salt-water soap called "Aqua Lather." It has been troublesome to get all the grease off ones body and after a few days at sea one starts to feel really dirty. The soap lathers in salt water and would be great for morning showers. If you can find it I will pay you to buy a lot.
Those are all the pressing issues at the moment. If you do buy anything send it to dad's address and he can either bring it down to us or send it to us.
We are heading Koh Pangan at 9 am on the 5th of Feb. Jeff, Tony, Tony's friend; John, Dad and I will be on board. We will be doing 6 hour shifts and it is approximately 50 hours of sailing at 4 knots. That is two full days. We should arrive the morning of the 8th. I will send a letter the afternoon we arrive. Please do not worry. All the systems have been thoroughly tested. We sailed about 200 nautical miles over the last 31 days to get from Bang Pakong to Koh Chang. I feel very comfortable with the the boat and all her systems.
I will try to write again and send a few letters about our last segments journey before we depart for the other side of the gulf.
Let me know how things are going with the EPIRB and the other stuff.
Thanks a lot mom,
Your son,
Captain Andy