Re: winterize
The way I winterized my Mercruiser Gen I was as follows:
You need 2 people, motor flushers (earmuffs), about 6 feet of garden hose that you don't really care about with a male end and a cut off end, 2 gallons of RV antifreeze (the pink stuff), and a large funnel.
Run the engine on fresh water to get it warm, then shut down.
Take the the old garden hose and screw it onto the earmuffs, and put the funnel into the cut end. Hold the funnel up high, and start pouring the antifreeze down into the funnel, and have your helper start the engine. The antifreeze will circulate through the engine, and is your saving grace from burning up the water pump, so make sure you keep the flow going, and have the second bottle ready to go. Once the water coming from the propeller is good and pink, shut down the engine. Then you can fog the cylinders, change the oil, etc. I always stored mine with the outdrive up so that the bow could be jacked way up, but if you choose this option make sure you pour antifreeze down the prop, and then cover the outdrive. I keep the fuel tank topped off with stay-bil in there so that there aren't any air pockets for condensation to develop.
Sorry you have to winterize so early!
