[Public-List] Rudder Slop

[Clayton Zimmerman]

Hello all, I am the proud new owner of hull #349, "Tanager". I'm currently mooring her out of Washington State but have offshore dreams. With my summer free we're sailing up the Canadian Gulf Islands getting to know the boat a bit. This site has already been incredibly helpful and I am hoping to draw on a bit more of everyone's experience in this next question.....
I've noticed when I crank the tiller over hard and then stop (before stopping against the hull), the rudder seems to go just that much further and create a dull thud. I've taken the tiller off and watched from under the deck and don't notice any shaft slop. I've dove on the boat and can get just a bit of slop out of her, but with a good hull paint, can't inspect the brackets. Since I'm hoping to keep sailing until September I'm wondering if this is an issue that will allow me to or if ya'll think this needs to be dealt with at the next port. 
Thanks,ClaytonS/V Tanager