So we did most of this today and it seemed somewhat straightforward. I have a few follow up questions:

1) We unbolted both port/starboard side block cooling plugs. We unbolted the Vdrive forward/aft block plugs. We unfastened the hoses on either side of the raw water cooling pump and drained those along with the hose from raw water intake and all the ballast hoses. I think we have drained all the bits that can be drained. Are there any that I've missed?

2) Where is the strainer for the raw cooling water? I know we have one for the ballast water intake but I can't find the main one for the engine water. The ballast strainer had all kinds of twigs/leaves in it and I figured that raw water one would be in similar condition.

3) In the other winterization threads DOCDRS talks about needing the engine to be hot in order for the thermostat to open the valve and allow new cold water into the engine block. When you come off the outlet of the raw water pump, the hose loops around to the starboard aft side of the engine and climbs up through a tube that has some sort of fabric or porous material inside it. What is this device doing? Is it a strainer? Seems odd to have it downstream of the raw water pump as you could get stuff stuck in the raw water impeller, no?

4) After making it's way up the tube described in (#3) the water enters what I think is the thermostat valve/switch? So if it needs the cold water, it gets diverted into the engine and if not, it shoots it straight into the exhaust headers. Is that correct?

5) So if it does need cooling water as described in (#4) then the valve sends it into the J tube on the port aft side and from there it enters the engine block, correct? Where does it exit the engine block? I've looked at a few diagrams of this but couldn't find one from Indmar for our type of engine.

6) If I disconnect the J tube, attach a hose to the block inlet and send 5 gallons of antifreeze in there, where will it come out? Will it be in the exhaust manifold when I finally run it? If I use this method I don't need the engine to be at temp because I'm bypassing the thermostat completely. Do I just put my two block plugs back in, pour the 5 gallons of antifreeze in and then let it sit for the winter?

Again, appreciate any time taken to shed some light on these.

H.