winterizing

[arrowheadsaver]

I am going to winterize my boat myself.  Do I change the oil now, or in the spring?  Do I blow out the water after draing, I don't want to spend 7 gs on a new block.  I looked at the maintenance page, but it said something about looking at the owners manual.  I don't have one. Is there anything else I can do for precaoutionary wories.   Thanks Bart  (boat will be stored outdoors)

[TXHNTR]

http://www.epicmarine.com/docs/Epic%20Winterizing%20Procedure.pdf

[dawsonr]

Ask 10 guys how to winterize your boat and you'll get 11 different answers.
I store my boat outside in Michigan where it gets to 0 and below.  I have had good luck using RV antifreeze.  First I warm up the motor, drain the block, run the motor with the raw water hose removed from the intake, pour the straight antifreeze into the hose until it comes out the exhaust.  The one caution I follow is to NEVER run the motor with out cooling water.  You'll ruin the impeller in the circulating pump in a heart beat if it's not supplied with water.  Then I drain all the hoses/block and second time and have never had a problem on either the Epic or the Century Arabian I used to own. 
I was told by the seller of the Epic to change the oil in the fall so the acids that build up over the summer are removed.