Need New Water Heater

How old is your vessel? Do you have one of the propulsion engine(s) jacket water heating circuit going into the hot water heater tank? our vessel is a 2001 and hot water tank still functioning after 18 years, but basically on our lake dont need to use it much if at all (the lake water temp is at 82F now, just jump in and bath off). Access to our hot water heater is from the engine room (as it is coupled to the port engines jacket water cooling system) but havent thought about having to replace it. Hopefully some of our forum folks that have done that on your model can chime in?
good luck and let us know how you make out.

PS: Try to find the leak and possible you can fix it before replacing the unit (unless the leak is from the tank body and not a inlet or outlet port on it?