Fresh Water filling the shower sump

A friend and I bought a beautiful 1997 IP40 about a year ago. Great boat but we have a puzzle. The boat is on the west coast of Canada and it rains a lot. Especially in the fall and winter. We have noticed that the shower sump in the bilge will fill slowly over two to four weeks depending on the amount of rain, with fresh water. The sump will fill to the point where it overflows into the main bilge. We can't find the source or point of ingress. The heads are dry, the forward and rear cabins are dry, the salon is dry, the storage compartments behind the setee cushions are dry. It appears that the only way for water to get into the shower sump would be through the hoses leading (we think) from the floor drains in the heads that would typically drain water if a crew member were having a shower.  Any suggestions as to where the water ingress could be coming from would be greatly appreciated.

Possible source - long shot- leaky screws in cabin outer wall near the head.
We had some bins under the galley floor that would fill up with fresh water. Took forever to find the source (years) Turned out to be leaky bedding in screws for outside porthole trim. (also leaky bedding on hinge for propane locker). Water ran down inside of cabin wall (not visible from inside the boat), down to seam where hull liner meets floor molding, ran along the molding until it found how to get to floor lockers. By the time I found it, I had rebedded every screw that went through the outer cabin wall on starboard side - I used Sudbury elastomeric. Good adhesion and easy to remove if needed. Good luck.

My guess is that the water is coming in along your mast, either inside or outside or both. This is common among keel-stepped sailboats.

Bob

Have you located the source of the water? I put my 40 to bed for the winter never resolving the source of the water in that sump. Drives me crazy trying to isolate the source. And where is the pump for the sump? I see the switch for a pump but dont see it an never hear it.
Thanks for your input.

Steve, I have a 1995 IP40. At least on my boat the sump pump is located in the starboard lazarette mounted on the bulkhead between the galley and the lazarette. Next to it is a second pump for the fridge/freezer drain. Strainers for those lines (they can get clogged pretty fast due to debris that ends up in your bilge and sump) are located in the engine compartment (starboard side, bulkhead).

BTW, if your sump water source is not your mast, then it can also be your anchor locker. In a hard or steady rain, you will get water ingress from the anchor chain through-deck fittings, and the mast as well.

Hope this helps. Bobby