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I hate to break the news to everyone... But our whaler hulls will never be 100% dry. Probably not even 50% dry. I have drilled holes in the hull and had water leak for weeks and then stop. Then pull the boat into the drive way on a hot sunny summer day and two hours later after the boat warms in the sun find water dripping under the holes from an increase in pressure caused by the increase in temperature of the hull.

Another example...

Last fall I removed the pulpit from my 22 Revenge W/T because I had water dripping from the bottom of the stainless steel carriage bolts that bolt it in position. I turned it upside down and using a diamond blade on my 4" grinder carefully cut and removed the smaller half of the bottom side of the pulpit. Inside I found wooden blocks that Whaler had used as spacers. They were completely soaked and rotten. As a test I left the other half of the fiber glass bottom intact which left a portion of the remaining wood exposed. I stood the pulpit in the basement near my boiler for the winter in hopes that the remaining water would drain and dry. Water dripped for a few days and then stopped. Two days ago I used the grinder to open the remaining half. Sorry to say after 7 months it was still completely soaked. Granted these are 1/2" thick wood blocks, but we all know how well the foam holds water. Once the water is inside the hulls it is there until someone devizes a way to seperate the two halves of the hull and open them to air dry. I doubt that will happen thanks to the bonding that takes place between the two halves and the foam. My suggestion is to stay away from the wooden plugs. There will always be water inside to turn the wood rotten. The newspaper wick is a great idea, but just be aware that your not getting it all.

Just my four cents... (increased do to inflation)

Norm