R
Roger
I eagerly look forward to the first time I will re-commision the boat. I did the decommisioning myself, and ran antifreeze through the Universal 5411 by disconnecting the hose from the thru-hull and putting it in a bucket of anti-freeze on the cabin sole. Worked fine- sucked it down and through fast.But as I contemplate reversing the process, I am concerned that I will not be able to keep the bucket full enough to keep water flowing through the pump as I attempt to start the engine as splash time approaches. I need to make sure the engine is in running condition before launch, as the boat is launched at a public boat ramp and it is a mile or so from there to the mooring. So I need to move her right away, and the channel has too many turns and is too narow to attempt to sail the distance. I don't want to have a garden hose just running into the bucket, as I could introduce quite a bit of water into the bilge. Maybe a bigger bucket, say a five gallon bucket would provide enough water so that I could then set up the hose to feed the bucket after the engine starts, but I don't know if that will fit. How do others solve this problem? I know running the engine dry for a short test is probably not an overheating danger, but I fear that would ruin the impellar in the water pump.I am clearly novice, and seek advice from experienced re-commissioners.