We just dropped the rudder on my F30 to install a new prop shaft. The old syntron seal was leaking and had scored the old shaft, so out with the old, out with the rudder, shorten the stern tube 1/2" and in with a new Tides Marine shaft seal that I purchased from Paul Dennis.
Anyway, I thought some folks might be interested in seeing the big rudder bearing and other hidden bits. I've cleaned up the rust and most of the scum since the photo was taken.
I did something to my 27-footer's steering that I recommend to all. Down near (2" up from bottom)the base of the rudder-shaft-enclosing tube, I drilled and tapped a hole (10-24 I believe). I close off this hole with a very short pan-head machine screw and an o-ring. Once a year I remove the screw and apply a small grease gun with a rubber cone tip, and pump a bunch of waterproof trailer bearing grease into that area, and then replace screw to seal things back up. This greasing should prevent the corrosion evident in the picture, and also helps ease stearing when sailing hard to windward. The grease (zerk) fitting high up on the rear of this tube does not convey grease to the lower bearing. It's so well hidden many F27 and F30 owners may not even know it's there.
