William Andersen wrote:
Is it necessary to run the engine to get the oil warm before draining it?
By the time I get to change my oil, the boat will have been sitting for over
a month. It seems to me that all of the oil will be in the sump and should
drain right out. If I run the engine to get the oil warm, the oil will have
to drain back down to the sump again before it can be drained.

Sounds like you have good access to your drain plug, so just unscrew
the plug and let it "slowly" flow forth.

Boaters who need to pump the oil from the engine, (i.e. up the dipstick
tube) really benefit by having the oil hot.