The day starts with rain, but clears around midday. At Sydney I check out the shipping; no luck. So in the evening, around 6:00, I go to North Sydney. For about $5 I get a ferry ticket, at 9:30 I get on board, and at 11:30 we sail for Newfoundland. I have chicken and chips, a bowl of soup, and a cup of coffee. I find myself a comfy seat and take a snooze.
At about 7:00 a.m., the ferry berths at Channel-Port aux Basques. All is white with frost, snow, and ice. The car in front of me does a 180 and slides to the side of the road; I catch the snow on the edge of the road and get along okay, but slowly.
After 256 miles of damp, misty-grey, slow riding, I reach Springdale and gas up. Here I meet Bob Stacey and his wife, who take me home for the night. He’s building up a 450cc Honda chopper.
I leave Bob’s place at about 9:30 a.m. The air is cool, the skies are grey, and the road is wet. There’s snow on the ground, no wind, and the mist is getting thicker as evening approaches.
I get a flat tyre at about 5:30 p.m., just before dark. As I fix it, the mist thickens to soup.
After 255 miles, a gas station is a must-stop situation. At the first one I find, I meet Harold Noseworthy, who is on his way home to a small fishing village called Fairhaven. Although it means backtracking a few miles, I agree to join him on his way.
25 miles later, 9 miles of which are metal, we arrive at the nice, warm, family home. What a ride! I get well looked after.