[Rhodes22-list] Flush Merc 8hp?

[Robert and Sandra Fuller]

Good shake down cruise yesterday, thanks to friend & fellow Rhodes owner Sam.  Some prior small boat handling served me well in the sailing, but this jockeying in & out of a slip is something else.  Will reread the docking tips in FAQ.
Can someone save me a trip to the Merc dealer?  My 8hp outboard (maybe 7 years old)does not have the water intake vents that accept the "earmuffs" for a freshwater flush.  Motor is on the boat &boat is in the water.  It feels like the intake vent is on the underside of the horizontal plate above the prop(=cavitation plate?)  Is there a way to flush this motor outside of a garbage can?
Thanks, Bob F.