Thanks for your thoughts guys.
I'm still no convinced in the value of part time fresh water flush.
The engine is a Volvo MD17D, so yes - parts are becoming scarce. Still only 2000 hours on it, and running well with no temperature issues. Being raw water cooled I run a low temp thermostat. Running at full operating temperature would be nice. I do have an issue with exhaust fumes at times, and running hotter would probably clean the exhaust up a bit.
RickB - Keel cooling sounds so simple - I wonder why more boats don't use it. What are the disadvantages? other than a bit of drag, and potential damage to tubes. The bilge keel stabilizers on my hull would protect any cooling tubes nicely.
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