Fresh water diviner wanted

David:

Most IPs I have been on always seem to have a little water in the bilge, I would say 2-6 inches. Here are places I have seen water come from:

1. The water heater connections in the stern, it can drain to bilge
2. The bow pulpit stb side where the bow light wiring comes into the bow, look in the anchor locker to see the wire location. A leak here will run to the bilge. I had this on our Ip27-058.
3. The anchor wash down pump and hose to the bow can leak.
4. An air conditioning drain pan will condense and drain into the bilge.
5. The shower pan drain hose runs to the bilge where it is contained into a small waste paper size container, this can leak.
6. Cockpit floor drains which run to the stern will nearly always be cracked on the bottom of the curve as they turn from vertical to horizontal to exit the stern. This will drain into the bilge, inspect these from the sail locker aft the rudder post.
7. Chain plate seals can leak allowing water into the bilge.

Other than these, it could be the water tank or water system. If your water system is holding pressure and the pump is not running often, then you do not have a leak with the pressure system.

The water tank could have a small leak, as these aluminum tanks weaken at the welds due to chlorine in the city water. Chlorine will pit the aluminum making aluminum chloride crystals that you will pick up in the water pumps and sink screens. If the water tank is leaking, you should see this with a mirror under the tank at one of the corners.

My best guess is that you have a leak in one of the listed items above and not your water tank.

Please let us know what you discover.

Hayden