SER1 St Anthony

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I am pleased to report that I am now done with the scheduled gravel bits, 
having reached the northern tip of Newfoundland yesterday afternoon.  I 
don't have a tally in front of me, but something over 1000 km varying from 
the very good (dry, no potholes and a minimum of the loose stuff that 
provides that 'floating on marbles' uneasy feeling) to the not so good 
(wet, plenty of potholes shoulder to shoulder, a bit of loose stuff). 
Nothing really life threatening, just wearing, more me than the TT, 
although I did blow out the muffler (silencer) with all the engine 
breaking on the 10-12% downhills.

For those who haven't seen the TT in current rig, she carries Wayne 
Perrin's old unused 86" hardtop cut down to fit (thanks, Wayne) but not 
the lift gate, which won't clear the rear-mounted tire or jerry can; there 
is no tail gate on a TT either, just a stepover higher than Soli standard 
'gate down' but not so high as 'gate up'.  All of which means, long way 
arround, that I still use the TT original canvass to cover her back. 
Unfortunately, like the Python's bits of two-inch string, the two tiny 
bits of clear that pass for windows in the canvass are victims of poor 
planning; I defy anyone driving to actually see anything through them and, 
since everything but bicycles overtakes a speeding 80", the flap remains 
up regardless of the weather whenever underway.  So on dry days -- like 
the 288 km leg Churchill Falls - Goose Bay, I coated everything inside 
with fine dust and on the next 332 km leg Cartright - Red Bay I soaked it 
all down for a veneer of mud over everything.

Last word on road conditions.  The stretch up from Baie Comeau (Quebec 
389) was the most wearing, particularly the last unpaved bit from Fire 
Lake north.  On Newfoundland 500 (the TLH), the worst was also the last, 
from about Port Hope Simpson to Red Bay.  Scouting reports are of dubious 
utility, since everything changes with the weather and the last grader 
traverse.  In other words, you might find it completely different today.

Re Tom T's bug inquiry -- almost none.  One big fly, a hornet, and a few 
mosquitoes.  I wrestled one of the latter to the front wing but my rope 
wasn't strong enough to hold him :-)

Two chaps had heard my interview on CBC St Johns and one, the gas station 
owner at Port Hope Simpson said he was hoping to see me pass;  when I 
pulled in to top off my tanks he had to drive home for a camera!  Re the 
jerry cans, two in the back are just right.  I never needed two on a 
single leg, but I did go deep into the first several times, and remote 
stations don't open until 0800 or later.  Far more flexible with two.

Now it's off to find a muffler and visit L'Anse aux Meadows.

George E Sollish	Chief Engineer		Auto Gear Equipment
 			Project Manager		The Payne Lake Project

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