x 2 for what opie posted Check the fuel filter. Be certain the plastic intake and output tubes are not bent or clogged. That was my Honda 50 problem, and it was a very cheap fix. Also, based on past experience from owning Hondas (motorcycles mainly) since 1970 - Hondas are very precise, run-forever ...

Just throwing this out as another possibility... I also have the Honda 50 on my 2000 Mac. I hadn't studied engine ("under the hood") very well when I purchased the unit, new. It looked like I needed a fuel filter - I had yet to notice the one already attached, but hidden from view, I insta...

From personal "Doh!!" experience: I have a second inline fuel filter in addition to the one in motor. Someone (probably me) had stepped on the fuel line into the new filter, bending the little plastic tube. The engine would start running beautifully, then slowly die. I had no clue to my pr...

I replaced the original with a 20" wheel. It's great. When heeled over, I can sit in a side seat and not have to uncomfortably stretch my arm when I handle the wheel. I didn't find removing the old wheel nearly as tricky as re-attaching the far end of the steering mechanism through the hole, se...

Enufsed: I've done the North Channel lots of times in late-June to early-August. If you are considering mainly those dates, don't mess with a cockpit enclosure. It will just be extra "stuff" to get into your way. Just do as I and many others have done: Get some screen from Home Depot. Sew ...

I'm with Cuisto on this one. The North Channel of Lake Huron has countless little, secluded bays. You can spend some nights as isolated or as neighborly as you wish. The water in those little bays is fresh, clean, and warm enough for a nice swim - in July. Just don't forget to employ the mosquito sc...

That rudder in the photo looks about the same as mine. Maybe that one has a little cleaner wear. A significant difference is that mine has taken that form from sailing - - - six summers in the North Channel of Lake Huron. A little fiber glass gel each fall seals up the "new shape" - ready ...

I have been lurking and occasionally posting to this website (and the previous version) since I bought my Mac in 2000. From what I had read about adjusting the mast angle from posts on this website, I was a 100% believer that the forestay was the key getting the mast angled correctly. Now, I am no l...

I have dual axles on my 2000 (bought new) MacGregor trailer. I also trailer to the North Channel (750 miles each way), and I have also had a significant issue with sway. Changing my trailer, after the second year of hauling the Mac, from one to two axles did absolutely nothing to reduce sway. I tow ...

Hello Board, I'm still a bit miffed at aborting the second half of my last sailing trip. The marina computer showed a green blob about four hours away heading in our direction. NOA Weather Radio announced possible popup thunderstorms. We erred way to cautiously and missed two days of great sailing. ...

Hello Board, I made a very inexpensive, yet adjustable, pole that I have used may times successfully on both my asymetrical spinnaker and my 150% genoa headsail. From the local Lowe's Hardware store I purchased the longest, adjustable painting pole I could find. It is fairly sturdy and can adjust fr...

Lake Erie Sailors, I've sailed my Mac to Port Dover a few times - from Erie, PA and from Conneaut, OH. I have been tempted to duck into Port Rowan and explore the bay. The reason I have not is because my Richardson's shows that huge bay at only about 3-5 feet deep. I have also envisioned massive amo...

Phillip, I also have a dual-axle trailer. Once, I backed up onto a dirt mound to store it out of the way. A week later, when I pulled back to level ground, the pivot between the wheels looked just like yours, but only my front wheel was touching the ground. It was an easy fix. I jacked up that side ...

Hello Rick, Just this summer, I built a whisker pole very similar to the Mod posted. I went to Lowes Hardware and bought 6-12 foot heavy-duty painting extension pole with a roller thread on the end, a new paint roller, a "U" bolt, and a brass clip with a "D" opening on the other ...

Hello Board, We had a good sail on Lake Erie Saturday. Two "minor" problems: One: We sailed through the hatching cycle of about 50 billion small flies. They looked like mini-mosquitoes but didn't bite. I've expreienced huge swams of sand flies and May flies before, but not these little bug...