I'm sorry to say it's time to start thinking about fall layup. Every autumn there are a host of articles about winterizing your boat. The problem is they are almost all aimed at winterizing the big boat. So it's time to give the outboard and the dinghy their due.

If you surf the Internet looking for tips on winterizing your outboard, you'll find a lot of answers, most of them contradictory. Whatever your final plan, formulate a to–do list that you feel comfortable with, and then stick to it.

This plastic wash tub makes an ideal container for flushing an outboard.

The assumption is that you'll be storing your outboard off the dink. The question is whether or not the area the motor is stored in will be subject to freezing. The reason that this question is important is that the first order of business in winterizing the outboard is a thorough flushing.

As outboards should be stored upright, I built stands for my small outboards out of some scrap 2 inches thick by 12 inches wide and a couple of 1-inch by 3-inch braces. I sized the stand so that I could get a large plastic bucket under the outboard for the flushing water. Some larger motors have fittings for attaching flushing hoses.

Another alternative is using a set of "engine muffs," rubber cups that fit over the water intakes on the outboard's lower unit. One or both of the muffs has a place to attach a garden hose or hoses to provide cooling water to the outboard. Make sure that the water is on full before starting the engine. This water supply is sufficient to cool the engine at idle or low speeds, so don't rev up the outboard, or you may overheat it.

The purpose of the flushing is to get any salt, rust flakes, sand or anything else that shouldn't be there out. You will need to run the outboard for five to 10 minutes. This is to allow the thermostat to open and get the water into all the cooling passages.

This is where things get interesting. There is a short list of tasks that need to be done to finish the core of the winterizing project. You need to run antifreeze through the engine if there is any chance that the outboard will be stored in an environment that is subject to freezing temperatures. You need to run the fuel system dry of any gasoline or drain it out. Finally, you need to fog the engine while it is running.

ANTIFREEZE

Flushing the engine with fresh water and then allowing the motor to drain is fine if the outboard will be stored in a warm location.

MOELLERThis "engine muff" fits over the water intakes on an outboard's lower unit.

However, if the outboard will be stored in an area subject to freezing temperatures, you should cycle marine-engine antifreeze through it. There is always the chance that some fresh water may remain in the cooling passages, which will freeze and crack the engine's lower-unit castings.

Use only environmentally safe marine or RV antifreeze, not automotive antifreeze. Automotive antifreeze, a.k.a. ethylene glycol, has a sweet taste to animals, and it will poison them if they drink from a spill. The marine antifreeze, polypropylene glycol, is safe if spilled. Marine-engine antifreeze is normally available in 60- and 100-degree ratings and should not be diluted.

With smaller outboards, the antifreeze can be cycled through by placing the lower unit in a bucket of antifreeze. Larger outboards can introduce the antifreeze through a hose connected to the engine muffs or flushing outlet. Run the engine until the antifreeze, usually blue- or purple-colored, exits the exhaust and the telltale (pisser). Pulling through the outboard with the starter rope will rotate the water pump and help drain the last of the water or antifreeze. Never run the engine with a source of cooling water. Even a start run can destroy the rubber impeller in the water pump.

FUEL SYSTEM

The new E10 gasoline that most of us have to use has a distressing tendency to absorb water from the air, act as an extremely good solvent and separate into bad gasoline if left to its own devices. That water-ethanol mixture is corrosive, and the last place you want it sitting is your outboard fuel system. If you want to be able to start the engine in the spring, take extra care in running out all the gas. If your carburetor is equipped with a drain plug, drain the carb bowl to ensure all the gunk is out.