Being in Florida i have to deal with the rain season right now. I would like to drain any water that is sitting inside the hull (I took the coaming off but have not done the repairs I wanted to yet. So, there is probably water getting through those screw holes).
OK, I see..., you have standing water and you believe over the years the flotation blocks have also taken up water.I would use a Shop Vac to suck out the water and then do something like this (http://www.windline.net/project1.htm) to get it really bone-dry. Then, cover the hole with a trash bag or something to keep the water from getting back in.
How about a stick proped up in the port opening, draped with cheese cloth ( or a rag ), and covered by your bucket with a brick holding it down so the edges of the cloth stick out from under the bucket.
Any moisture evaporating from inside the hull will be captured by the rag and wick to the outside. Any rain on the outer edges of the rag won't wick in too far and will wick right back out once the outside air is again dryer.
If your port is where this one is, the deck is crowned so water runs off to the sides, no need to tip the trailer.
OK, I see..., you have standing water and you believe over the years the flotation blocks have also taken up water.
I'd call it being prudent.The reason I wanted to tilt it is that there is not that much water, so I was hoping to give any opportunity possible for it to collect under the port. Maybe I am just paranoid...
Dual ports are only necessary when weighing the boat shows the emergency flotation has taken up water and the goal is to dry the Styrofoam and get the boat back into service as soon as possible.Of course, after looking at http://www.windline.net/project1.htm I see the wisdom to have 2+ ports: airflow. i.e. the one with the black plastic is heating the air out of the hull while the other(s) let air in.
Weighing the hull will let you know instantly if you are dealing with only residual moisture loose in the hull or the more complex issue of coaxing moisture back out of the flotation.Well, if i tilt the boat just right I might see some water flowing, but that is enough to maybe wet a small paper towel. That said, I do not know the boat history; for all that I know it might have been up to its deck with water at one time or another...
It's a confusing issue. We want to keep the inner hull dry too, if for no other reason, it's better for the fiberglass laminate..., which can also be penetrated by water vapor over time.Apologies for any confusion my jumping to conclusions could have caused. Glad I dug up that link again though, I know of a certain red and white '71 that could use a little drying...
Your proposed setup should work, of course you'll lose the flu effect at night which will slow the dryout process.I am about to start a restoration project on a pre-72 sunfish (my boat from when I was a kid).
I haven't weighed it yet, but it took four men and a boy to move it last time, so drying it out is my first priority.