Removing Mariner 30 2s

[MountieMike]

I'm removing the Mariner 30hp 2S that my boat came with. Disconnected throttle & gear linkages, steering arm, then run into a snag with the wiring. YouTube vids seem to show 8 pin connectors at the engine end, or in another case disconnection from the battery (and so leaving the harness wired to the engine). Mine appears to be hard-wired at the engine end (no plug etc) and the throttle/gear control end (a QuickSilver model). I'm loathe to start unplugging or cutting wires, especially at the engine end where a couple of them go into/under the head unit. One end of this setup has to be free to be dragged through the boat to get it out, but which is it? The brutal solution is to just cut the cables (near the controller?) but I want to sell the Mariner complete with control gear. Any thoughts?