To all signers of the Draken Harald Harfagre petition: Today is the last day of the petition. I would thank each one of you if I could, but in lieu of that I'd like to thank you for your efforts and for putting your whole hearts into this campaign! In retrospect, I created the Change.org petition to start a vehicle for everyone with an interest to register their disapproval for the requirement that pilotage is needed for the Draken Harald Harfagre, an experimental school/research vessel constructed solely to, as the Expedition America 2016 website says: [to] "... create intercultural meetings and inspire people to go beyond the horizon in a modern Viking saga. Along the traditional route, the ship will pass Viking settlements and new archaeological findings." Simply and somewhat naively conceived, I selected as the addressee Commandant Rear Admiral June Ryan of the 9th Coast Guard (Great Lakes) district. I found that it would then be my task to compile a cover letter to Admiral Ryan to accompany the signature list. While not totally giving in to cold feet, I have wondered in the meantime if I would be the most effective for such a purpose. So in the last day or two I've created a survey for those of you who signed the petition, asking who you feel would be most effective in compiling such a presentation to Admiral Ryan. It is a simple, one question survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HMLHW53 The survey asks you to choose between me, the Sons of Norway who are conducting a fund drive, the Expedition America 2016 organization in Norway, founders and overseers of the voyage -- or a party you can suggest. Others that come to mind are Great Lakes tourism agencies, chambers of commerce for those ports who will not be visited...any entity that could come up short because of this unjustified burden. As a signer of this petition, I ask you to please take a moment to answer this one-question survey in a way you feel will have the greatest effect. The simple majority of votes will determine to whom I will direct a request for their acceptance of this honor. The survey will remain open until Monday morning, 12:00 a.m. EDT for anyone still wishing to register their disapproval of the pilotage burden being placed on the Draken Harald Harfagre. We are just short of 11,200 supporters -- while not earth-shattering in number, I am proud to have been allied with you in your effort to overturn this clearly unwarranted cost for this historical non-profit venture. Sincerely, J. Turbes