I'm trying to get the input from the user to a .dat file that I can
sort, read, etc. internally. However, I am having problems with
DataAccessor.load() --> It throws an exception...perhaps part of the
problem?

Here is the method from the class that is the applet:

public int save(String agency, String producer, String insured, String
effectiveDate, String G, int territory, int GSlim, int GSLpayroll,
String GKLLtype, int vehLim, int GKlim, int GKdeduct, String
MPcoverage, int MPlimit, String form, int protcls, String construct,
String replacement, int BLim, int BCim)
    {
        QuoteEntry onlineEntry = new QuoteEntry();
        int quoteNumb = 0;
        try{
                entryList = DataAccessor.load();
        } catch(Exception e) {
                EntrySorter entryList = new EntrySorter();
       } // end tryentryList = DataAccess.load();

        quoteNumb = entryList.sortByQuoteNum();
        quoteNumb = quoteNumb + 1;
        onlineEntry.insured = insured;
        onlineEntry.quoteNum = String.valueOf(quoteNumber);
        onlineEntry.effectiveDate = effectiveDate;
        onlineEntry.producerID = producer;
        onlineEntry.agency = agency;
        onlineEntry.state = G;
        onlineEntry.territory = String.valueOf(territory);
        onlineEntry.gkllSelect = GKLLtype;
        onlineEntry.gkllDeduct = String.valueOf(GKdeduct);
        onlineEntry.gkllLimit = String.valueOf(GKlim);
        onlineEntry.gkllVehLimit = String.valueOf(vehLim);
        onlineEntry.gslPayroll = String.valueOf(GSLpayroll);
        onlineEntry.gslLimit = String.valueOf(GSlim);
        onlineEntry.mpSelect = MPcoverage;
        onlineEntry.mpLimit = String.valueOf(MPlimit);
        onlineEntry.propReplacement = replacement;
        onlineEntry.construct = construct;
        onlineEntry.propForm = form;
        onlineEntry.protectClass = String.valueOf(protcls);
        onlineEntry.blLimit = String.valueOf(BLim);
        onlineEntry.bcLimit = String.valueOf(BCim);
        StringTokenizer tok = new StringTokenizer(note.getText(), "\n");
       for(int i=0; i < QuoteEntry.maxNotes; i++){
            onlineEntry.notes[i] = "";
       } // end for
       try{
            while(tok.hasMoreTokens()){
                onlineEntry.notes[counter++] = tok.nextToken();
            }
        } catch(ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e){
            quoteNumb = -1;
       }
        entryList.addElement(onlineEntry);
        try {
        DataAccessor.save(entryList);
        } catch(Exception e) {
            quoteNumb = 0;
        }
        try{
                entryList = DataAccessor.load();
        } catch(Exception e) {
                EntrySorter entryList = new EntrySorter();
        } // end tryentryList

        return quoteNumb;
    } // end save

and the DataAccessor class:
class DataAccessor{
     static String file = "data.dat";
     public static EntrySorter load()throws IOException{
        boolean empty = true;
        String line;
        EntrySorter entryList = new EntrySorter();
        try{
           BufferedReader input = new BufferedReader(new
FileReader(file));
           while((line = input.readLine()) !=null && line.length() !=
0){
              empty = false;
              int counter = 0;
              QuoteEntry entry = new QuoteEntry();
              EntryTokenizer dt = new EntryTokenizer(line);
              entry.quoteNum = dt.nextToken();
              entry.insured = dt.nextToken();
              entry.effectiveDate = dt.nextToken();
              entry.producerID = dt.nextToken();
              entry.agency = dt.nextToken();
              entry.state = dt.nextToken();
              entry.territory = dt.nextToken();
              entry.gkllSelect = dt.nextToken();
              entry.gkllDeduct = dt.nextToken();
              entry.gkllLimit = dt.nextToken();
              entry.gkllVehLimit = dt.nextToken();
              entry.gslPayroll = dt.nextToken();
              entry.gslLimit = dt.nextToken();
              entry.mpSelect = dt.nextToken();
              entry.mpLimit = dt.nextToken();
              entry.propReplacement = dt.nextToken();
              entry.construct = dt.nextToken();
              entry.propForm = dt.nextToken();
              entry.protectClass = dt.nextToken();
              entry.blLimit = dt.nextToken();
              entry.bcLimit = dt.nextToken();
              entry.CID = dt.nextToken();
              input.readLine();
              while(!(line = input.readLine()).equals("$$")){
                 entry.notes[counter++] = line;
              }
              entryList.addElement(entry);
           }
           input.close();
        }
           catch(FileNotFoundException e){
              new File(file).createNewFile();
              return null;
           }
        if(empty)
           return null;
        return entryList;
     }

     public static void save(EntrySorter entryList)throws IOException{
        FileWriter fw = new FileWriter(file);
        BufferedWriter bw = new BufferedWriter(fw);
        PrintWriter outFile = new PrintWriter(bw);
        for(int i=0; i < entryList.size(); i++){
           QuoteEntry entry = (QuoteEntry) entryList.elementAt(i);
           outFile.print("*" + entry.quoteNum);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.insured);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.effectiveDate);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.producerID);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.agency);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.state);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.territory);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.gkllSelect);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.gkllDeduct);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.gkllLimit);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.gkllVehLimit);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.gslPayroll);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.gslLimit);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.mpSelect);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.mpLimit);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.propReplacement);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.construct);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.propForm);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.protectClass);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.blLimit);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.bcLimit);
           outFile.print("~*");
           outFile.print(entry.CID);
           outFile.println();
           outFile.println("$$");
           for(int j=0; j < QuoteEntry.maxNotes; j++){
              if(entry.notes[j] != ""){
                 outFile.println(entry.notes[j]);
              }
           }
           outFile.println("$$");
        }
        outFile.close();
     }
  }

Do you know what the problem is? I really need to figure this out and I
just can't seem to.

Thanks!