[Public-List] Stern tube

[Gerard Kuperus]

Hello Alberg 30 folks,

In the fall I hauled Skye Mist, redid the bottom and with the aid of the helpful guides on the Alberg 30 site I managed to successfully replace the cutless bearing. When I was back in the water I noticed some leaking. I assumed it was the rudder post. I forgot about it and the leak seemed to have disappeared. The last couple of weeks it has returned and I finally figured out the stern tube is leaking where it is connected to the hull. It is sealed with a dark grey rubbery caulk spread out liberally at the top, less so at the bottom, which is hard to reach. A couple of questions: what is this caulking? How should I fix the leak (in the water)? Any suggestions for getting better access to this area?
Thank you!
Gerard