Here is a tip for winterizing the motor if going up on hard from salt water. A friend at my yard shared this with me. Take a pail and clamp a hose from the dock water and a hose going to the sea water strainer Close the sea cock ( I use one of those Grocko plastic hose connector caps) and run the motor for as long as you please to fresh water flush it then stop the dock water until the pail is empty then quickly add the antifreeze. I used 2 gallons of -50f 50/ 50 mix because I had no one to say when the pink was coming out of the stern . Worked like a charm.
Good idea !
To me this is overkill. I have been using for 20+ years a 6’ lenght of garden hose (garbage picked) with a garden hose shut-off valve (left by someone on the blocks under my keel) in-line between it and a long hose from the yard’s water line. Stick the open end of the 6’ hose into the Graco (with strainer taken out and the hose tied so it does not flip out of the Graco), shut the through hull valve, turn on the yard’s valve, then turn on the one between the hoses. Start the engine and adjust the flow to minimize the overflow. When everything is flushed to your heart’s content, shut the engine and the in-line valve.
After I flush the system, I drain my Graco and then fill it with anti-freeze, fire up the engine and just upend the anti-freeze bottle into the Graco, followed by a second gallon. Stop the engine when the second gallon is empty. Always open both gallons before you start so the second gallon can be poured immediately.
Sounds like the same thing to me. Why is it overkill?
Skip the bucket - go straight to the Groco. What is the bucket doing for you?
Allowing me to run an overflow on the deck without the water going to the bilge and walk away. Come back when I’m happy with the flush. Turn that little valve you mention and add the coolant all from the cockpit. Easy peasy.